THANK YOU 2023 CONVENTION SPONSORS!
Convention Theme

Join us at the Best Western Ramkota, Aberdeen, SD November 16-18, 2023!

Click the links below for Registration Information:
Associate Member Information
Fair Festival & Event Member Information

Convention Schedule
Thursday, November 16, 2023          

*Schedule subject to change

9:00AM-12:00PM                 Registration & Associate Tradeshow Booth Setup

1:00PM-4:00PM                   Associate Tradeshow Booth Setup

1:00PM-6:00PM                    Registration

1:30PM-2:30PM                   Educational Breakout Sessions
                             ROOM B Social Media Program
                                            Ward Hilger - Hooked Up Enterprises
                            ROOM D Crisis Communications for Incidents
                                            Allan Miller - MEP, Crisis Management
              ROOM E Creating Lasting Partnerships with Fairs & Festivals
                                            Holly Wade - Miss Bows - Associate Round Table
2:45PM-3:45PM                  Educational Breakout Sessions
                            ROOM B Grand Champion Competitive Exhibits!
                                           Jill Albanese - Wisconsin State Fair 
                          ROOM D Emergency Planning/Evacuation
                                          Keith Raymond - Magic of Keith Raymond
                           ROOM E 4H and FFA Ideas to Grow Continued Interest
                                           Emily Grunewald - Red River Valley Fair and Julie Hammer - Sioux Empire Fair

3:30PM-4:00PM
          THEATER                    First Timers for Associates

4:00PM-4:30PM
          THEATER                    First Timers Fairs, Festivals & Events

4:00PM-6:00PM                   Visit Associates/Tradeshow

5:00PM-6:00PM                    Social & Visit Associates/Tradeshow
                                              Hors d’oeuvres Served Sponsored by Etix

6:00PM-10:00PM                   Welcome & Opening Session
             CONVENTION HALL (Presidents Address, Introduce Associates, Dinner, Associate of the Year Award, Showcases)   
                                               Sponsored by Red River Valley Fair and Sioux Empire Fair 
                                               Emcee: Keith Raymond - Magic of Keith Raymond
                                               National Anthem: Cale Moon
                                               Presentation of Flags: Troop 188 Good Shepherd Lutheran Church
                                               Mayor of Aberdeen, Mayor Travis Schaunaman
                                              Invocation: Deb Hatlewick - Stutsman County Fair
          SHOWCASES               The ABLeS - Liz Gregory Talent
                                              Weston Frank - Hooked Up Enterprises
                                              The KR Balloon Factory (Video) - Keith Raymond
                                              Bon Jour - Artists & Attractions
                                              Tyler Richton & The High Bank Boys - Artists & Attractions

10:00PM-11:00PM                 Visit Associates/Tradeshow
                                               Registration Open
                                              Hospitality Rooms Open


Friday, November 17, 2023   

7:30AM                              Past President’s Breakfast
8:00AM                              Registration Opens

7:30AM-8:15AM                 Breakfast - Continental Breakfast
                     MINERVA’S   Provided by Best Western/Ramkota

8:30AM-10:00AM               Keynote, Showcases
          CONVENTION HALL Emcee: Jodi Buresh - Saffire
               SHOWCASES         Shania Too - DC Entertainment
                                             Jennifer's Barnyard All Creatures (Video) - Creative Community Promotions
                                            Lizzy Hofer Band - Lizzy Hofer Entertainment
                                            Special Guest: Scott Kozelka - IAFE Zone IV
                           KEYNOTE  Be Better
                                            Lori Wickett - EIGHT:18 

10:15AM-12:00PM                Visit Associates/Tradeshow
                                              Refreshment Break Sponsored by Greater Grand Forks Fair, North Dakota State Fair and TMS Inc.

11:00AM-12:00PM                Educational Breakout Sessions
                                              District Breakout Meetings & Networking
                            ROOM B    District 1, 2 and 3 
                           ROOM D    District 4, 5 and 6
                            ROOM E    District 7 & 8

12:15PM-1:45PM                   Lunch, Showcases
       CONVENTION HALL       Sponsored by Romeo Entertainment Group
                                              Emcee: Jim Birkemeyer, Norman County Fair
                                              Invocation: Cale Moon
           SHOWCASES              Sherwin Linton - Sherwin Linton Entertainment
                                              Etix (Video)
                                              Ashley Wineland - DownTown Events
2:00PM-2:45PM                    Educational Breakout Sessions
ROOM B                                Live Music Promotion and Planning...
                                              Ways to Advertise and Prepare for Bands at Your Fair
                                              Ann Marie Westercamp - Eli Alger
                             ROOM D   Marketing with a Focus on Digital Advertising, Radio, Print & Billboard
                                               Ward Hilger - Hooked Up Enterprises
                              ROOM E   Avian Influenza & Poultry Shows Round Table
                                              Brad Brummond - Walsh County Fair

3:00PM-3:45PM                     Educational Breakout Sessions
                            ROOM B    Contests, Contests, Contests
                                               Elizabeth Birkemeyer - Red River Valley Fair and Katie Moulsoff - Brown County Fair
                               ROOM D  Fair Park Beautification, Easy as A, B, C
                                                Jill Albanese - Wisconsin State Fair
                              ROOM E   Incident Reports and Sharing Experiences
                                               Rod Wilhelm - Stutsman County Fair and Chris Opsahl - Tri-County Fair

3:00PM-3:45PM                    Associates Meeting
                            THEATER   Election of Associate Board Member

4:00PM-5:00PM                     Annual Meeting & Election
                            THEATER   Election of District Board Members

5:00PM-6:00PM                      Visit Associates/Tradeshow
                                                Refreshment/Snack Break: Sponsored by Ramkota Best/Western & Aberdeen Area Chamber of Commerce

6:00PM-10:00PM                      Dinner, Hall of Fame Award, Live Auction, Silent Auction Closes, Showcases
             CONVENTION HALL    Sponsored by Tri-County Fair
                                                  Emcee: Ward Hilger, - Hooked Up Enterprises
                                                  Invocation: Frank Klein - Stark County Fair
                                                  Live Auctioneer: Randy Mages - World Famous
                       SHOWCASES      Jared Rogerson - Liz Gregory Talent
                                                  Booz-N-Tuna - Booz N Tuna
                                                   Madison Sound (Video )                                              
                                                  Cale Moon - Cale Moon Entertainer  
                                                   Magic Joe - Joe Barnett
                                                   Rowan Grace - DownTown Events

10:00PM-11:00PM                      Visit Associates/Tradeshow
                                                   Hospitality Rooms Open          


                          

Saturday, November 18, 2023

7:30AM-8:15AM                          Breakfast - Continental Breakfast
                                                    MINERVA’S Provided by Best Western/Ramkota

8:15AM                                        New Board of Directors Meeting

9:00AM-9:45AM                         Educational Breakout Sessions
                            ROOM B         Sponsorship Activations... What Sponsors Think About You
                                                   Lori Wickett - EIGHT:18 

                           ROOM D         Livestock Shows
                                                   Darrin Erdmann - TexKota Panel & Gate and Tiffany Weigum - Mercer County Fair 
                           ROOM E           How to Make Your Festival a Success With or Without a Carnival
                                                    Lon McWhorter & Tammy Cadman - Macs Carnivals

9:45AM-11:15AM                        Visit Associates/Tradeshow Last Chance
                                                    Refreshment Break Sponsored by South Dakota State Fair, Spectrum Weather & Specialty Insurance and Variety                                                                    Attractions

10:00AM-10:45AM                     Educational Breakout Sessions    
                           ROOM B          Agri-Tourism at Fairs
                                                   Jason Wurst - Follow Me To The Fair
                            ROOM D        Re-Think Everything
                                                   Kyle Palmer - Artists & Attractions
                          ROOM E           The Benefits of the Heartland Association & Ways to Elevate Round Table
                                                   Candi Briley, HAFFE President, Brad Brummond, HAFFE President Elect & Tera Heiser, HAFFE Secretary/ Treasurer
                     
11:15AM                                     Lunch, Fairperson of the Year and Showcases
            CONVENTION HALL       Sponsored by Mac’s Carnival and TexKota Panel & Gate
                                                    Emcee: Rachel Kippley, Brown County Fair
                                                    Invocation: Randy Mages, Brown County Fair
                         SHOWCASES      Danielle Nowell
                                                    Eli Alger and The Faster Horses
                                                    The Kezars - Carlson Talent
                                                     ZZ-3 - Winterset Conconcert Events

                                                   Introduction of the 2024 HAFFE Board! 

Bus Schedule
A bus will run at specified times between the Ramkota/Best Western and the AmericInn throughout convention for your convenience!
There is NO CHARGE to registered attendees to utilize this service.

Thursday, November 16
1:00pm Pick up at AmericInn - Drop off at Ramkota
11:00pm Pick up at Ramkota - Drop off at AmericInn

Friday, November 17
8:00am Pick up at AmericInn - Drop off at Ramkota
11:00am Pick up at Ramkota - Drop off at AmericInn
12:00pm Pick up at AmericInn - Drop off at Ramkota
11:00pm - Pick up at Ramkota - Drop off at AmericInn


Join us back at The Grand Hotel, Minot, ND  November 21-23, 2024

If you have educational session and break out topic ideas, please email those to Tera at secretary@heartlandassociationffe.com! Thank you in advance!

Future Convention Dates

Huron Event Center, Huron, SD November 20-22, 2025

We pay tribute to those who have given much to the fair industries in North and South Dakota.  Below you will find those were honored by the respective North and South Dakota Fair Associations prior to merging to form the Heartland Association of Fairs, Festivals and Events.

Award Nomination Forms

Download the 'Associate of the Year' form  Download the 'Event Person of the Year' Award form  Download the 'Hall of Fame' Award form

Online 'Associate of the Year' Award form  Online 'Event Person of the Year' Award form Online 'Hall of Fame' Award form

Event Person of the Year

Past Award Winners

Associate of the Year

Past Award Winners

Hall of Fame

Past Award Winners

IAFE Heritage Award Winners

Brian Carlson

Neil Fleming -  Pembina County and North Dakota State Fair

Edwin Schmidt - McLean County Fair

Charles 'Chuck' Meikle - Stutsman County Fair and North Dakota State Fair

Members

Any fair, festival, event, associate or individual may become a member of the Heartland Association of Fairs, Festivals and Events! Members will be listed in the membership directory that will be handed out at our annual convention, as well as displayed on our website, allowing for additional exposure to help reach individual goals. Members will also receive a wealth of information that will help in generating new ideas to enhance future events. We invite you to apply for HAFFE membership, as well as view information on our current members.

HAFFE Membership