Voice of the Fair with Robert Smith

Today on the Voice of the Fair Podcast, the two Troys. Troy Beise and Troy Lindenfelser from the Wright County Fair in Minnesota share their fair experience, a friendly competition with Michaela Liebl, PLUS, their fairground was a POW camp? All that and more!

Today we catch up with Shane & Danielle Hansen. Shane is 7 years sober on Friday, June 12the and we could not be more happy for him. He and Danielle talk about his sobriety, Danielle’s new Bonnie West show and we talk about the challenge of running multiple units within the industry. All that and more!Rock-N-Circus: https://www.rockncircus.com/Bonnie West & Her Farm Friends:https://www.bonnieweststrolling.com/

It’s been over 5 years since I first sat down with Josh & Lea Knotts during the pandemic. In this episode we talk about Lea becoming a single mom while Josh travels for work plus we talk about this year’s Florida Fairs convention and the challenges entertainment managers and fair buyers face in booking entertainment. All that and more on Voice of the Fair episode 359.LINKS:Extreme Illusions & Escapes: www.illusionsandescapes.comwww.facebook.com/extremeillussionsVoice of the Fairwww.facebook.com/voiceofthefairwww.instagram.com/voiceofthefair

David Grindle, the new CEO of IAFE joins me today. We talk convention, his background, and goals for the future of IAFE. Plus - what's the hill he's willing to die on? All that and more.

Charlie Kirk was an American icon who engaged with college students in civil discourse on college campuses across the United States. He was assassinated in front of his two children and the world on September 10th, 2025. To support Charlie’s message to the world, please visit Turning Point USA www.tpusa.com

This week I’m joined by outgoing IAFE CEO, Marla Calico. After nearly 5 decades serving our fair industry in various capacities, Marla retires effective December 31, 2024. We talk about the upcoming IAFE Convention in Phoenix, her thought process when deciding to retire, what she’s looking forward to in her retirement as well as the folks who mentored her along the way.

Robert Nash is an accomplished entertainer, prop designer and actor. He also the creator of The Living Zultar fortune machine. Yes, that make him a direct competitor to my company’s Conjurer Fortune Machine. We talk about the origin story of his fortune machine as well as our highs and lows of performing a unique character. You’ll be amazed at how similar some of these experiences are.

This week we check in with a young man who is making a name for himself in the fair industry. Cody Rosenbalm is the fair manager for the East Texas State Fair in Tyler, TX. We talk about the fairs move to their new grounds in Tyler, the impact of YP on our industry, plus Cody talks about some of his mentors in the industry.

This week I’m at the Hillsborough County Fair in Florida. I got to hang out with Danny & Lindsay Grant for a bit before the fair opened. The two entertainers bring the Cowboy Circus and Cowgirl Circus to fairs across the midwest and mid-Atlantic regions of America. The show creates incredible memories for the kids and has been dubbed, “The World’s Smallest Rodeo.” On the show we talked about Lindsay’s transition into the fair industry, how the two met and the influence of podcasts & social media in culture.

The IAFE Trade Show can be overwhelming. There’s hundreds of booths, everyone is vying for your attention and it can feel like you’re being pulled in every direction. On this week’s show I’ve got 7 tips & tricks for fairs buyers to help streamline the IAFE Trade Show experience.