Promotion

OAAS promotes your fair by hosting the www.ontariofairs.com and www.ontarioagsocieties.com websites and distributing thousands of copies of the Ontario Agricultural Fairs & Exhibitions Fair Date Brochures and Directories each year throughout Ontario

Websites - visits have steadily increased over the past few years.
In 2017 over 200,000 visitors plus 100,000 repeat visitors viewed over 1.5 million pages September 2017 - almost 67,000 visits plus 30,000 repeat visitors to www.ontariofairs.com 3,000 average hits per individual fair page per year

Fair Dates Brochures - over 20,000 distributed to all Ontario Tourism Centres and various local Tourist Info Centres and locations across Ontario

Fair Directories - over 3,500 distributed to Agricultural Societies, and OMAFRA offices

Training and Education

• Convention seminars and speakers
• OAAS coordinates Judging Schools, and Judges and Instructor training
• OAAS establishes and maintains Judging Standards through its Judging Standards Handbook
• OAAS partners with other organizations i.e. OMAFRA and Rural Ontario Institute for Web-based training for Directors and members of the Agricultural Societies, i.e. "Strategic Planning", "Train the Trainer", Board governance, etc.

Competitions

• OAAS member fairs are eligible to compete at District and Provincial Convention Competitions for quilting, baking, photography, and posters

Networking

• OAAS Annual Convention brings together upwards of 1,000 delegates from across the province, and provides OAAS members with education, information, and networking opportunities that are meant to improve the operations of the individual Agricultural Societies
• "Under 40 Session" at Convention
• Provincial Board Meetings - Provincial Directors and Executive meet on a regular basis to discuss operational. financial. and convention matters and bring information back and forth between the OAAS and the Districts
• District Board Meetings - District Directors and District Provincial Director meet to discuss District and local Agricultural Society concerns, needs and activities (i.e. Judging schools, Ambassador programs), and bring information back and forth between the local Agricultural Society, the District and the OAAS
• Network with CAFE and IAFE and utilize their resources and programs lee, E-coli Workshop at OAAS Convention

Information

• OAAS Gazette newsletter is published three times annually
• Convention Tradeshow and Showcases
• OAAS www.ontarioagsocieties.com website provides up-to-date information to assist the operation of Agricultural Fairs and their competitions.
• Provides Member Societies with draft samples of Policies and Emergency Plans to use as a guide in developing current policies

Consultation

• OAAS coordinates the "First Impressions" programs
• OAAS Provincial, District Directors, and/or Executive members will visit your fair and/or District and local Board Meetings in an advisory capacity when requested
• OAAS Office Manager is available to the membership for consultation, advice, and support

Advocacy

• Lobbying at provincial level re: municipal land taxes - tax free status for Agricultural Society properties, lotteries, grants
• Lobbying at the provincial level to maintain, improve, and add new provincial programs
• Working with companies and organizations to assist Agricultural Societies in procuring unique services they require i.e. insurance, Midway, concessions, entertainment.

Fair Ambassador

• Educational Program at Convention
• District Ambassador Programs
• OAAS Member Agricultural Societies' Ambassadors are eligible to compete at the CNE Ambassador of the Fair Competition

Awards

• Agricultural Service Diploma
• Agricultural Accomplishment Award

If you have any questions regarding the above information, please contact:
Vince Brennan
Manager
Phone: 613-395-2465
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 
1911 Foxboro-Stirling Rd., RR #4
Stirling, ON KOK 3EO
www.ontarioagsocieties.com www.ontariofairs.com