Markham Fair Case Study

Executive Summary
The purpose of this report is to tackle the two main problems that plague the fair and develop solutions to increase attendance among consumers in the York region.

Over the years, Markham Fair has captivated the essence of tradition, family and community by celebrating and promoting its agricultural heritage. It successfully became “Canada’s largest 4 day agricultural fair” attracting over 70,000 people in 2012.
Tackling Problems
Although the fair has established exceptional brand recall and has developed goodwill within local communities, there is a struggle in maintaining this in the emerging Markham and Easy York area. This new community group encompasses over 50% of Markham’s population,
One opportunity, lies within vendors operating in the ethnic food and beverage industry. Another opportunity is to develop programs with various churches, clubs and community groups within the York region. This is a fantastic way to spread information within a community about ethnically diverse program opportunities and strengthen its presence, once again.

Instead of attracting individuals, the fair needs to holistically reignite a sense of camaraderie and togetherness to increase attendance. Maintaining the “grass root” tradition and history is important and can still be supported through the emphasis of agriculture. With the old farming generation moving out of the York region, the Markham Fair cannot afford to ignore the significance of its changed demographics. Without a change in its community approach, the fair’s future may slither amidst its competitors.

Recommendation - “Markham Fair Awareness Week”
Our recommendation to solve Markham Fair’s lack of community awareness and low school board participation is to focus on promoting an event in secondary schools around its immediate area. The fair can do this by launching a “Markham Fair Awareness
Markham has foregone some major transformations in both its infrastructure and demographics; this transformation has brought with it a form of disassociation and loss of interest to what Markham fair used to represent. Secondly, Markham/York’s demographics have seen a lot of changes between the years 2001 to 2006; the number of visible minorities increased by 53% (York Region, 2008). Research has shown that Markham Fair does not properly represent the changing demographic of the Markham/York region. The Fair is associated with predominantly Caucasian and agriculturally active individuals and this is why visible minorities find it challenging to relate to the traditions and overall image of the