Fairplex is very reciprocal with its intent. That`s what I like about

VISION:
we provide
world-class
experiences
Welcome
A WELCOME FROM Rich AND JimWhat a year!
2011 proved to be just as successful as we had hoped. It
We also can’t ignore the success of the 2011 L.A. County
was one of new initiatives and expanded opportunities.
Fair. Our Los Angeles Times ad said it best:
Indeed, the Fairplex team:
Introduced its own photography business,
Zoom In Photos
Brought in new and diverse events such as
ROC Race and Tomato Battle
We’re having a hard time wiping that
record-breaking grin off our faces.
Created a new public wine tasting event
Opened the new Alex Xydias Center for the
Automotive Arts
Worked to get the Business Park project
approved by City Council
Continued to build a state-of-the-art
Conference Center
While we look back at 2011, we encourage you to see
how this is all part of a long-term plan to change the
way Fairplex does business. The success of the past
year was instrumental in laying the groundwork for our
future, and we continue to implement change and new
strategies to ensure the company’s success and enrich
our communities.
These are just a few of the team’s 2011 accomplishments,
which helped set the stage for a solid future with
expanded community involvement, further business-tobusiness opportunities and more diverse events. Fairplex
is a destination for event planners, consumers and the
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community.
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Los Angeles County Fair Association
2011 Annual Report
Mission
We enrich lives by entertaining and educating our diverse community while creating unique and memorable experiences.
“Fairplex is very reciprocal with its intent. That’s what I like about working
with the Fairplex team. It’s a partnership that allows Coca-Cola to activate our
brands in meaningful ways with our customers. I enjoy the opportunity Fairplex
always affords us to market our brands. The attitude is, ‘How can we help you?’
They are very proactive with their partners. They help their partners meet their
needs. It’s a win-win partnership.”
-Daniel Manning,
Region Vice President, Coca-Cola North America
Core Values
Creativity
Diversity
Integrity
Community
Service
Hospitality
Leadership
Education
Who we are
Under the direction of the Los Angeles County Fair
& Boat Storage, Cornucopia Foods and Event Production
Association, Fairplex is home to the L.A. County Fair, the
Solutions. The campus is also home to the Wally Parks
largest county fair in the world, and The Learning Centers,
NHRA Motorsports Museum and Auto Club Raceway at
which encompass the Career and Technical Education
Pomona, Dr. Bob’s Handcrafted Ice Creams, Fairplex Park
Center, Child Development Center, Fairtime Education and
and horse sales at Barretts Equine Limited, as well as the
Junior Fair Board.
Los Angeles International Wine, Spirits, Beer and Extra
Virgin Olive Oil competitions.
Fairplex operates a diverse set of businesses, including
the Sheraton Fairplex Hotel & Conference Center,
McKinley’s Grille, Finish Line Sports Grill, KOA RV Park, RV
Daniel has partnered with Fairplex not only for business opportunities but for
many community events, too
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What we’ve been up to
The Los Angeles County
Fair Association: One 2011 of a Year!
Fun • nom • en • al
highly extraordinary and entertaining;
exceptionally fun
The Fairplex team not only excelled in providing customer service
to its guests and producers of the more than 500 year-round
events that called Fairplex home in 2011, but also successfully
pursued and expanded homegrown enterprises, such as Zoom In
Photos and Event Production Solutions.
Yes, it was a good year. So good, in fact, that perhaps it should be
called fun-nomenal.
It was a phenomenal year for the Los Angeles County Fair
Association, an unparalleled combination of successes, exciting
new business ventures and stronger community partnerships.
Both year-round business and the L.A. County Fair experienced
increases in attendance, including first-time visitors. Customer
satisfaction reached stratospheric heights and the breadth of
compelling and engaging, diverse entertainment grew with
shows ranging from Oktoberfest to Pomona Auto Swap Meet to
Vans Warped Tour to tomato battles.
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Pure. Excellence.
2011 Annual Report
We're Laying out the Welcome Mat
for Nearly 1.5 Million Guests!
It was more than Pure.Fun. at the L.A. County Fair. It was Pure.
exploration of modern science in America’s Kids to mapping the
Excellence. on every level. We opened our gates on Sept. 3 and
road to good health in Our Body: Live Healthy, the Fair’s creative
by the time we closed them 22 Fair days later, 1,492,762 guests
programming left no stone unturned in the world of discovery.
had walked through—the second-highest attendance in the Fair’s
For music aficionados, the End of Summer Concert Series offered
89-year history—surpassing projections and cementing the Fair’s
perhaps its finest year and topped sales with an outstanding
right to call itself the greatest Fair in the western United States
lineup, including:
and surely the best county fair in the world.
Customer satisfaction was among the highest ever, with the
Fair and its team achieving all-time high marks. The quality of
food and beverages, the carnival and all exhibits also received
extremely favorable reviews.
Exciting new attractions and entertainment blended with
traditional favorites to offer a day (and night) of pure uninhibited
enjoyment. From mysterious creatures of the deep in the
Shark Encounter to astonishingly adept grizzly bears, from an
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Styx & REO Speedwagon
Victoria Justice
Michael McDonald & Boz Scaggs
Earth, Wind & Fire
Big & Rich
OneRepublic
“Courteous and helpful with a big smile. That’s what customer service
means to me. I think our customers appreciate it. I think it makes them feel
special, that we are here just for them, that we are giving them one-on-one
attention.”
- Linda Harris,
Supervisor at Cornucopia Food’s
All-American Grill
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2011 Annual Report
Food for thought - What we ate!
Food remained the top reason for visiting the Fair – and why not? With temptations like maple bacon donuts, giant corn dogs and deepfried Oreos, our culinary creativity is unmatched. Check out these stats:
10
TONS
of Tasti-Chips!
Can you believe it? YUm!
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Deep-fried Kool-Aid
Deep-fried avocados
Deep-fried Oreos
Ten Pound Buns
Hot Dogs on a Stick
Deep-fried candy bars
Maple bacon donuts
Chocolate-covered bacon
100,000
6,000
40,000
4,740 lbs
62,000
9,000
2,500
6,600
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Food for thought
“Our customers commented that our food was a nice change of pace from
what one would expect to find at a Fair,” said Ryan Legaux, Harold and Belle’s
general manager and grandson of founder Harold Legaux Sr. “We received great
response from Fair visitors, the other vendors and Fair staff. Our location was
really good and the visuals on our stand were enticing. We had 10 items on our
menu and they were all extraordinarily popular.”
In 2011, Los Angeles-based Harold and Belle’s Creole restaurant
gourmet fare of red beans and rice, jambalaya and po’ boys.
brought a tasty portion of its menu to the L.A. County Fair for
The addition of the New Orleans-inspired stand and its diverse
a second year. With a prime spot on Palm Avenue, Harold and
cuisine gave visitors additional unexpected treats to corn dogs
Belle’s saw an increase in Fairguest traffic thrilled with the Creole
and deep-fried Oreos.
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Food for thought
2011 Annual Report
Los Angeles International
Wine & Spirits Competition:
Old Vintages, New Ideas
The global vitality of the Los Angeles International Wine &
Spirits Competition was truly felt as more than 18 countries
were represented on the vine. Wines were appraised through
blind tasting from an international panel of judges. New in
2011 – a point system was introduced for gold medal winners,
acknowledging each vintage’s special attributions and providing
a new level of precision in the competition’s wine ranking
systems, a benefit for the competition and wine enthusiasts.
The Extra Virgin Olive Oil competition received the greatest
number of entries in its history, solidifying the competition’s role
as a major player in the global EVOO industry and raising its
cultural significance.
The spirits and the commercial beer competitions saw a record
number of entries, emphasizing consumers’ fascination of all
things distilled, mixed and brewed.
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Fun Facts:
3,115 wines, 154 spirits and 600 extra
virgin olive oils entered.
Countries represented in the wine
competition included Ethiopia,
Argentina, Chile, Lebanon,
Romania, Mexico, France, Italy,
the United States and many others.
Nearly 11,000 glasses were used
during the wine competition.
“We’ve seen growth each year in international entries for olive oil. In
2011, Portugal, Croatia and Uruguay were represented. Growers look at our
competition as prestigious and beneficial to their marketing efforts. They are
honored to get an award from us! And our judges, chosen by chairman Darrell
Corti, are exceptional. Darrell is a real asset to our competition, too.”
- Frances Miranda,
LAIEVOOC Supervisor
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2011 Annual Report
fun. decanted.
FUN Decanted celebrated the public introduction and enjoyment
of the Los Angeles International Wine & Spirits Competition’s
award-winning wines and spirits and the competition’s prized
beers – and added the draw of the food truck fun-nomena.
At the new event held in June, partygoers hopped from tasting
bar to tasting bar to sample wines, beer and distilled beverages –
all for a good cause.
More than 150 wines from 70 different wineries – from Sonoma to Santa Barbara,
Alsace to Argentina, and Bordeaux to British Columbia — were poured.
The menu included palate cleansers and gourmet offerings from
a small flotilla of food trucks. The trendy cuisine-on-wheels drew
a new crowd to Fairplex. Guests were enthralled as Fairplex’s own
executive chef David Teig went sauté pan to sauté pan against
Portugal-born challenger and European-trained chef Julio
Nascimiento for the Saturday Night Chef Fight. A silent auction,
as well as proceeds from FUN Decanted, raised more than
$51,000 for The Learning Centers at Fairplex.
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We are on
the fast
track to some
serious fun!
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Dollars and Sense
2011 Annual Report
It's a Year-Round Business
The range of events – returning favorites and exciting new programs alike – held on the Fairplex campus
Nightmare … A Haunted Attraction was extremely
Bring in the New:
Tomato Battle turned the grounds into a food fight of
successful, with frightening new mazes and scarier
epic-urean proportions as teams of men and women
delights. Attendance climbed by 43 percent.
got saucy with one another, pelting each other with
NHRA Winternationals and World Finals blew away fans at
Auto Club Raceway at Pomona with exciting racing action.
KABOOM! sold out for the 10th straight year, continuing
to light up the sky as the region’s premier Fourth of July
celebration.
Barretts hit the Winner’s Circle again with an increase in
auction sales.
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to do some things I had not done before. I thought I might be involved with
slopping the pigs at the swine barn, or shearing a sheep or maybe even
driving a monster truck during one of the many events at the L.A. County
drew an increasingly diverse audience among our 1.7 million visitors.
It’s All Good:
“When I decided to come work for Fairplex, I knew I would have the chance
tomatoes for fun and charity.
Fair. But I never imagined I would be the target of a rotten tomato during
the Tomato Battle. I consider myself one of the lucky ones. The tomato in
question hit me in the shoulder instead of my face.”
Oktoberfest celebrated beer, bratwurst and Bavarian
culture.
ROC Race brought its ridiculous obstacle course to
Fairplex. Much like TV’s Wipeout, teams maneuvered
through treacherous mazes and mud puddles, with those
making it to the finish line winning prizes.
- Pat Wright,
Event Management Director
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Dollars and Sense
Good Business Spreads Like Wildfire
Comfort, Convenience & Cool Drinks
Fairplex took its exemplary customer service on the road with
Guests filled the award-winning Fairplex KOA RV Park through
Cornucopia Foods, Event Production Solutions and Zoom In
all four seasons, again giving it the highest marks for hospitality.
Photos. It’s a given that the three provide fantastic on-grounds
The park helped deepen our community ties, providing priority
service and they’ve moved across the region, offering great
accommodations to patients receiving treatment at City of Hope.
service and promoting new business at the same time.
In its second year of business, Fairplex RV & Boat Storage
Cornucopia Foods served up piping hot food at Stagecoach
Country Music Festival and The Big 4 metal concert
boosted its space rentals, offering a convenient and affordable
option to residents in the area.
festival, both in Coachella. Cornucopia food stands also
spiced up the Lemon Festival in Upland and the National
Finish Line Sports Grill increased its standing as one of the
Orange Show in San Bernardino.
region’s top sports bars, bringing in crowds for top events like
EPS rental services surged, with its equipment playing a
fundamental role at such major events as the Rose Parade,
the NBA Finals, the Super Bowl, the Kentucky Derby and boxing
matches.
the Amgen Tour of California, and the Coachella Valley
Music and Arts Festival.
A new venture, Zoom In Photos, provided photographic
services for the Orange County Fair and the New Year’s
Eve Block Party at the Orange County Fairgrounds, among
other events. Truly homegrown, Zoom In Photos was begun
and is managed by the Fairplex team.
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2011 Annual Report
Q&A with Renee Mendoza
Job title and responsibilities? Human Resources Director.
What was your childhood ambition? To live in Paris inside the
Louvre and become a famous artist.
How did you get into HR? I found a part-time job in college on
campus working in HR as a receptionist. I quickly moved up into
recruiting and relocation and thought this would be a rewarding
career.
Hobbies? I have four children, so my hobbies are their hobbies:
soccer, football, basketball, track, cross country, tae kwon do, girl
scouting, ballet, and paying for everything! I do enjoy reading, art
galleries and watching independent films.
What is your dream vacation? I traveled extensively with a
previous employer, so I would say a dream vacation would be to
sleep as long as my heart desires in Tahiti and then follow the
sun for the next 6 months.
Best piece of advice ever received? I have received too many
to choose from. I worked for two phenomenal leaders at ColgatePalmolive who taught me about leadership in difficult situations
and valuing all work at all levels of the organization. I learned
that through empowering others great things can be achieved.
Greatest professional accomplishment? I was asked to
develop a “college” for an employer and I developed a yearround curriculum for automotive professionals, providing training
How do you get away from the rules and regulations of being
for 2,000 employees a year. It was a very rewarding achievement
in HR? I don’t. My poor kids get a dose of my “do the right
for me.
thing” monologues all the time. I will say, they know how to
handle an interview and challenge others. One of my children
told a teacher once, “Clearly, you must not be satisfied with your
job…” She was nine, and got detention.
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Dollars and Sense
You can do anything here!
Stellar is the best way to describe Sheraton Fairplex Hotel’s
year. A new state-of-the art conference center broke ground in
January 2010 – and even with the construction effort at full bore,
the hotel again achieved new levels for service.
In August and September, the hotel scored the highest rating
of all Sheraton hotels in North America for customer service.
And employee satisfaction marked its biggest gain yet.
Aided by the culinary creativity of executive chef David Teig,
McKinley’s Grille presented seasonally infused menus that rocked
the dinnerware. Fairplex’s own on-site urban farm cultivated
much of what eloquently landed on dishes and also provided the
backdrop for McKinley’s successful Table-to-Farm dinners.
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The Smell of Success
2011 Annual Report
What our research has taught us - be friendly - be clean and complaints decrease!
Successes
Total Revenues
Total Revenues by Business Unit
Revenues
MILLION
L.A. County Fair
70
60
50
2010
2011
$28,520,957
$27,956,650
$28,386,116
Fairplex Year-round events
10,275,703
8,986,254
7,219,019
Sheraton Fairplex
9,868,186
10,336,884
12,012,780
Barrets Equine Limited
1,895,598
1,869,115
2,023,893
Cornucopia Foods LLC
7,384,532
7,954,681
8,658,064
2,044,306
2,666,293
3,036,771
$59,989,282
$59,769,877
$61,336,643
RV Park and other
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2009
Total Revenues
30
20
EBITDA
10
2011
30
2010
2009
2010
2011
$4,926,650
2,080,282
7,684,783
2009
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2011 Annual Report
COMMUNITY FOCUS :
L.A. County Fair- Giving back
The L.A. County Fair may be a celebration that tops all others,
but it’s also an opportunity for Fairplex and its guests to give
back. The Fair partnered with several impactful organizations to
assist in meeting the needs of our neighboring communities:
The Fair commemorated the 10-year anniversary of 9/11
and donated more than $7,500 to USA Cares.
The American Red Cross, City of Hope and Cedars-Sinai
held blood drives resulting in 427 pints of blood donated.
Guests donated nearly 40,000 new and gently-used books
to local schools and libraries on Book Drive Thursdays.
Thanks to McDonald’s Wednesdays, more than $38,000
was given to Ronald McDonald House.
The Fair honored 18 communities and 35 community
to the Los Angeles Regional Food
Bank on Ralphs Food Drive Fridays.
Way to go!
heroes on their dedicated days.
Local universities also benefitted from special promotions
and dedicated programming days on eight College Days.
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TLC
The Learning Centers at Fairplex
In 2011, The Learning Centers at Fairplex reached a record
Career & Technical Education Center: 378 students went
number of individuals – students, families and Fairguests of all
through the highly relevant programs at CTEC with a total
ages. TLC’s educational programs in particular served to fill a
of 34,020 instruction hours, learning valuable skills for
void for students and educators who have been most affected
their future careers. Several students who enrolled in CTEC
by federal and state budget constraints. TLC’s presence could be
hospitality courses were hired by the Sheraton Fairplex
felt throughout Fairplex – it is woven into our fabric, its strands
Hotel.
building our foundation.
Fairtime Education: 145,281 students and teachers
experienced the Fair’s educational exhibits through the
FairKids Field Trip program, for the first time including
more than 5,000 high school students.
Junior Fair Board: 29 students participated in community
Millard Sheets Center for the Arts: an estimated
350,000 Fairguests engaged in the 2011 Fine Arts exhibit,
Eclections: The Art of Collections.
Fundraising: More than $1.1 million was contributed by
individuals, corporations, private foundations and other
community partners, including funds raised through events
giving and Fair research, with 14 “graduating” from the JFB
such as the annual Premiere Party, FUN Decanted and
to earn $17,000 in scholarships. Each member worked on
CDC Auction.
a project throughout the Fair, offering feedback on what
people their age would like to see at the Fair.
Child Development Center: 223 children benefited from
the CDC’s quality early childhood education, resulting in
school readiness and proficiencies in literacy and math.
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TLC
2011 Annual Report
Q&A with Margie Shamblin
“The Junior Fair Board was, without a doubt, an enriching learning experience
that I am extremely grateful to have participated in. I’ve carried the lessons I’ve
learned and the family I’ve formed with the JFB team through to college, which
has made the internship that much more worthwhile. JFB has helped jumpstart
me onto the right track with my university studies and I fully recommend it to all
interested high school students!”
What is your job title? Manager of Education - I oversee the
If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go?
Career and Technical Education Center at Fairplex and work to
I love the “cruising lifestyle” so I would love to go on a world
create partnerships within the community, to provide hands-
cruise and explore as many different cities and areas as possible.
on career training for high school students that will lead to
My philosophy is that it is not always about the destination but
employment or higher education opportunities.
the journey you take to get there.
How did you get involved with vocational education? As
Childhood ambition? I wanted to own a Dairy Queen so I could
a high school student I took an ROP class that had a lot of
have my very own ice cream store. The Dairy Queen near me
influence on my career choice and I was also involved in a
always had a line out to the street so I thought that I could
student organization that supported vocational education. I
open one and have a line, too, plus have the benefit of unlimited
began teaching vocational education in 1990 and have been an
access to Blizzards. I still have an obsession with ice cream and I
advocate and supporter of vocational education since then.
still visit the same Dairy Queen that I went to as a child.
What would you like to do if you weren’t in education? If I
Greatest professional accomplishment? Becoming an
weren’t in education I would like to work with animals. I think it
educational administrator who has taught and mentored many
would be fun to be a pet groomer, an animal trainer or work with
new and experienced teachers to become effective teachers and
a therapy dog.
leaders in the educational community.
Hobbies? I enjoy shopping, traveling and reading and strive to
have fun in everything I do. I think it is important to take time
for yourself and do things that make you happy and give yourself
a break from the everyday stress in life.
-Tiffanie Cheng,
JFB Alum and Current USC Student
What steered you toward education? I never wanted to be a
teacher, but I think that is what I was destined to be all along and
I could not imagine not being in the education field now. I love
working with high school students and seeing the excitement
they get from accomplishing something.
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it's all
about
customeroriented
experiences!
2011 Annual Report
Community
We have great neighbors, and we want to be a great neighbor, too! Fairplex acknowledges the importance of our neighbors and is heavily
involved with the surrounding communities keeping them informed of Fairplex happenings, soliciting their thoughts and offering familyfocused activities.
Community Holiday Parties
Community Town Hall Meetings
Fairplex played host to the surrounding neighborhoods’
With the new Conference Center and the proposed Business
families with free community events such as a Spring Egg Hunt,
Park, it was important that the Fairplex team keep the neighbors
Halloween Haunt and Holiday Cookie Decorating Party.
in the loop. Dwight Richards, Vice President of Operations,
Kids of all ages enjoyed snacks, arts & crafts and other
ran multiple informational and Q&A sessions with community
seasonal activities.
members.
Occupational Outreach
Employee Town Hall Meeting
TLC Awareness Month
In November, Fairplex hosted its first ever all-company town hall
In an effort to weave The Learning Centers into the very fabric
meeting with the goal of showing employees how they all play
of Fairplex, the Development team hosted TLC Awareness Month
a role in Fairplex’s future. Our Marketing team presented the
offering employees the opportunity to experience the various
customer research results from the successful Fair while our
programs of TLC.
executives discussed the Fairplex Strategic Plan.
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How we do
2011 Annual Report
Q&A with Stefanie Serrato
LEADERSHIP & PARTNERSHIPS
What is your job title? Event Manager, assisting with the
I have used my French mainly with the Basque Festival during
various events on campus.
Fair. One of the coordinators and some vendors were French.
Originally from? Berlin, Germany.
How long have you been in the US? Three years.
How many languages do you speak? Besides my mother
Globalization is right here at Fairplex!
Looking to the future of Fairplex business, the Event Management team took the
initiative to offer in-language hospitality service for the USCIS Naturalization
Ceremonies on the premises. Stefanie Serrato, an Event Manager and a native
German speaker, was instrumental in implementing this program.
tongue German, I speak English and French fluently, and I
understand some very basic Spanish. (I’m not sure that counts!)
How did you come to work at Fairplex? I was working at Messe
Berlin exhibition grounds as well as the Ontario Convention
Center before starting as an Event Manager at Fairplex in 2010.
How have you helped out with the in-language program? I’m
regularly working with our German clients from Alzer Project
Management including their mostly German subcontractors.
Being part of bringing the first Oktoberfest to life at Fairplex
The fact that they were able to communicate their ideas and
needs in their native language created a special atmosphere.
I wish my Spanish was better, though, since we have so many
Spanish-speaking customers and co-workers.
What was your childhood ambition? Job-related, I always
wanted to be a nurse.
Hobbies? I love being outdoors whenever I can. There is no
better place than California with its beaches and mountains side
by side and non-stop sunshine. I just started rock climbing and I
want to learn scuba diving this year.
Where would you like to go that you’ve never been?
EVERYWHERE! On my list are: Vancouver, Central/South
America, Bali.
was, of course, an exciting experience. Though I did not directly
How many countries have you lived in? Four (Germany,
use my German skills, my first-hand knowledge of the German
Denmark, France, US).
culture was without a doubt an irreplaceable resource. I know
what elements are crucial to creating an authentic Oktoberfest
atmosphere.
At the various events we hold I meet a lot of attendees and
vendors who speak (some) German or have been to Germany and
are excited to speak to a real German!
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How we do
“When I started with the LACFA 31 years ago, I knew it was going to be
a fun place to work. Since then, I have learned that it is so much more!
The L.A. County Fair is not just an amusing place to take the family, it’s
an organization that has a commitment to education and cares about its
people and community. In 1995, I had the opportunity to be part of the
bigger picture and to make a difference by walking in a Multiple Sclerosis
event. Four years ago, I had the honor of becoming captain of the
Fairplex MS Walk Team. Through the support of the LACFA, we’ve raised
over $21,800 in three years. I am overwhelmed by the enthusiasm of my
teammates and the generous support of our donors.”
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- Heather Batcheller,
Executive Assistant
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2011 Annual Report
2011 Directors
Richard Crean
Chairman of the Board
Financial Planner
California Financial Planners
Reginald Webb
Vice Chairman of the Board
President
Indian Hill Management
Company
Bernard Bernstein
C.P.A.
Bernstein & Rathman Inc.
2011 Association Members
Robert Dukes
Judge
Superior Court
Stephen Morgan
Retired President
University of La Verne
Susan Hyland
CEO
Claremont Club
Michael Ortiz
President
California State Polytechnic
University, Pomona
Linda Keagle
Owner & Vice President
C & C Organization
Arthur Ludwick
Retired CFO & Senior Vice
President
Rain Bird Sprinkler
Corporation
John Solomon
Owner & President
Liquorama
William Fox
Director-elect
President
William Fox Group Inc.
Elizabeth Bingham
Senior Minister
Pilgrim Congregational
Church
Scott Dilley
President
Sanders Towing & Lock
& Key, Inc.
Heidi Gallegos
Vice President
Rowland Unified School
District Board of Education
Ciriaco “Cid” Pinedo
Director-elect
Vice President
Chaffey Community
College District
James Blancarte
Senior Partner
AlvaradoSmith, APC
Michael Driebe
President
Methodist Hospital
Foundation
Jimmy Gutierrez
City Attorney
Chino
Jon Blickenstaff
Retired
Educator
*John Bock Jr.
Managing Director
J.W. Childs Associates
Ronald Vera
Attorney at Law
Vera & Barbosa
Laura Bollinger
Community Volunteer
Linda Bosserman-Piatt
Oncologist and President
Wilshire Oncology Medical
Group Inc.
2011 Directors Emeriti
Robert Burwell
Retired President
Pomona Valley Hospital
Medical Center
Juan Gamboa
Realtor
Coldwell Banker
Molly Johnson
Retired
Group Work Administrator
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James Kostoff
Retired
Attorney at Law
Hugh La Bounty
President Emeritus
California State Polytechnic
University, Pomona
Thomas Nuss
Retired
Judge Superior Court
Janet Paulson
Retired
Vice President for Nursing
Services Pomona Valley
Hospital Medical Center
James Piatt
Retired
Judge Superior Court
Larry Rinehart
Retired President
PFF Bank & Trust
Jil Stark
Retired
College Educator
*Bob Bush
Retired Senior Vice President
Donrey Media Group
Jack Todd
Chairman
Todd Memorial Chapel
Charles Cable
Retired President and CEO
Hillcrest
*Robert Eggert
Retired
District Manager, East Valley
Division, Southern California
Gas Company
Jimmy Espinoza
Managing Member
Inland Investment Partners,
LLC
Jeffrey Fairley
Owner
The Body Center Physical
Therapy
*John Felton
Retired
Senior Vice President
and Manager,
Citizens Business Bank
Tom Compton
President
National Hot Rod Association
Gino Filippi
Co-owner
Joseph Filippi Winery and
Vineyards
Robert Curry
President/CEO
Citrus Valley Health Partners
Don Galleano
President
Galleano Winery
Roger Hanawalt
Dentist
Heidi Hanson
Finance and Administrative
Manager
Rain Bird International
Jennetta Harris
Manager
Business Solutions Segment,
Southern California Edison
Thomas Hsieh
CEO
SplinterRock
Gilbert Ivey
Chief Administrative Officer
Metropolitan Water District
of Southern California
Don Kendrick
Owner
Don Kendrick Real Estate
*Ora Lampman
Retired
City of Burbank
Patrick Leier
Education Consultant
Devorah Lieberman
President
University of La Verne
Felice Loverso
President and CEO
Casa Colina
Kevin Lyman
Producer/Creator
Vans Warped Tour
Daniel Manning
Region Vice President
Coca-Cola USA
Richard Martinez
Superintendent
Pomona Unified School
District
Robert Mendez
Senior Vice President of
Diversity
Disney-ABC Television Group
*Karen Miller
Retired Director of Athletics
Cal Poly Pomona
April Morris
Retired President and CEO
Associated Engineers
47
2011 Annual Report
2011 Association Members (cont.)
The Learning Centers at Fairplex Board
Darryl Porter
Founder & co-CEO
Porter Geller Entertainment
Jeff Stark
Partner
Fukagawa-Stark & Associates
Edward Tessier
President
JEVED Management
Rodri Rodriguez
President and CEO
Rodri Entertainment Group
Randell Stoll
President and CEO
Mt. San Antonio Gardens
*Gary Thomas
Retired Facility Director
HCC Industries
Kiana Severloh
Chief Operations Officer
Webb Family Enterprises
*Royce Stutzman
Chairman
Vicenti, Lloyd & Stutzman
John Todd
President
Todd Memorial Chapel
*Mike Smith
Retired
Attorney at Law
Emmett Terrell
Retired Deputy
Superintendent of
Personnel Services
Pomona Unified
School District
Cecille Walks Peace
Principal
Terra Vista
Elementary School
Mark Warren
Owner
Mark Warren Realty
and Investments
*William Wilkinson
Retired Realtor
Wilkinson Realty
Richard Yochum
President and CEO
Pomona Valley Hospital
Medical Center
Officers
Richard Crean
Chairman of the Board
Reginald Webb
Vice Chairman of the Board
Robert Dukes
Secretary of the Board
Charles Cable
James Henwood
Arthur Ludwick
Michael Seder
Robert Dukes
Susan Hyland
Stephen Morgan
John Solomon
William Fox
Don Kendrick
Thomas Nuss
Child Development Center Board of Directors
Bernard Bernstein
Carol Hersch
Trudy Mendez
Kiana Severloh
Elizabeth Bingham
Mark Hill
Stephen Morgan
Sam Tharpe
Charles Cable
Susan Hyland
Barbara Nicoli
Roger Hanawalt
Charlene Leavitt
Lee Ann Paddock
James Henwood
Sarah Ludwick
Michael Seder
Los Angeles County Fair Association Hall of Fame
James Henwood
President & Chief Executive
Officer
Dale Coleman
Vice President - Sales,
Marketing & Creative
Programming
Dwight Richards
Vice President - Operations
Jeffrey Tucci
Vice President - Hospitality
2001
2006
2007
2009
Raymond Arbuthnot
C.B. “Jack” Afflerbaugh
Fred Freehling
Ralph Hinds
Michael Seder
Vice President - Finance &
Chief Financial Officer
Kathleene Yeram
Assistant Secretary to
the Board
Burdette Boileau
George Cobb
Clyde Houston
Guy & Charlene Leavitt
Charles Curran
Robert Lewis
2002
William Kennedy
Jay Ambrose
Fred Reynolds
2008
James Kostoff
Charles T. Richardson
Sarah Ludwick
L.E. Sheets
Wally Parks
Fred Whyte
Millard Sheets
2005
Don DesCombes
Molly Johnson
48
Thomas Nuss
*Association Emeritus
Directors and Directors Emeriti are included as Association Members
Association Membership, Management and Officers Current 12/31/11
Grenville Whyte
49
Our Sponsors
2011 L.A. County Fair Sponsors
Aetna Healthy Food Fight
AMPM
Anheuser-Busch
Burrtec
Cal Spas
Jeffrey Scott®
Fine Magnetics
King Taco
La Ópinion
McDonald’s
Sauza Tequila
Shell Vacations
Sit ‘N Sleep
Southern California Edison
Southern California
Gas Company
Coca-Cola
Morongo Casino,
Resort & Spa
Crescent Continental
Pacific Monarch Resorts
Dasani Water
DISH Network
Pomona Valley Hospital
Medical Center
Toyota
Hot Dog on a Stick
Ralphs
Verizon Wireless
House of Blues
Recycler
Welk Resort
Inter Valley Health Plan
Royal Prestige
Wells Fargo Bank
Sparkletts Water
T-Mobile
Western University of
Health Sciences
50
51
What Lies Ahead
2011 Annual Report
THE Next Adventure
After a record-breaking year where nearly 1.5 million guests
Already, the momentum of 2011 swelled into 2012 with
The 85,000-square-foot complex offers the best in functional
told us the L.A. County Fair gave them everything they wanted –
the opening of the Sheraton Fairplex Conference Center
space for trade shows, corporate, regional and association
superbly – and after hosting more than 500 year-round shows,
and planning for the 90 anniversary celebration of the
meetings and special events. It also boasts the largest ballroom
bringing in new business and enjoying successes across the
L.A. County Fair.
in the region, with dining capacity for 1,000. It solidifies our claim
th
board, how can we top that?
that anything can happen here.
Others will have to excuse us for bursting with pride over the
It won’t be easy – but with a
combination of new businesses, even
greater creativity and a dedication to
hospitality unmatched in the region,
we are prepared for the challenge.
Sheraton Fairplex Conference Center, but the newest addition
Also on the construction front, plans for the Fairplex Business
to the Fairplex campus culminates 15 years of dreaming and
Park forge ahead. The Fairplex Business Park is a proposed
planning and 22 months of construction.
flex-industrial/office park that will convert unused Barretts
Jubilantly, the L.A. County Fair will
celebrate its 90th anniversary in 2012,
a significant milestone.
equine barns to commercial use. Additionally, Fairplex Business
From a 43-acre beet and barley field to today’s multi-plex
Now the $28 million, IACC-certified and Silver LEED engineered
Park involves the conversion of another segment of the barns
487-acre campus, the Fair and Los Angeles County Fair
Sheraton Fairplex Conference Center is poised to take its place as
into self-storage units. Permits are working their way through
Association have become giants. A four-day Labor Day weekend
one of the leading meeting, symposium and special event centers
city hall.
birthday bash is planned as well as exciting programming
in Southern California. It hit the ground running with conferences
featuring new attractions and traditional favorites that will
in January and February, hosting such business luminaries as
create long-lasting memories.
Armstrong Garden Centers and Southern California Edison. A
grand opening celebrated in March brought together all those
partners who made the conference center happen, including
city of Pomona officials, Congresswoman Grace Napolitano and
representatives from Los Angeles County Supervisor Gloria
Molina’s office.
52
53
How we do
2011 Annual Report
BE PART OF OUR FUTURE,
2012 AND BEYOND!
The community has always been a part of the fabric of this campus and acted as the
foundation for all Fairplex business. There are many ways to get involved including:
Volunteering during the
L.A. County Fair
Guest speaking/teaching in a
CTEC class
Donating to The Learning Centers
Hosting an event on the
Fairplex campus
54
Attending one of our many
year-round events
Enrolling your child at CTEC or CDC
Chaperoning your child’s class for an
L.A. County Fair field trip
And much more!
For more information on how to get involved, please visit
fairplex.com TLCfairplex.org
or
.