North American Midway Entertainment at 20
North America's Biggest Merger Still Breaking Records & Setting Standards
20 years later the largest midway merger in the history of the outdoor event industry remains unsurpassed. NAME (North American Midway Entertainment) proved sometimes bigger was better when owners of disparate carnival companies came together to realize the dream of amassing one massive midway provider, making the biggest carnival company in the world, servicing some of the continent's largest events and bringing fun and happiness to tens of millions year-in-and-year-out.In 2023, NAME provided the midway for 11 of the Top-50 Fairs in North America, as compiled by Carnival Warehouse, attracting 9,198,586 attendees. The fairs include: Canadian National Exhibition (CNE), The Big E, Calgary Stampede, Tulsa State Fair, Indiana State Fair, Illinois State Fair, Arkansas State Fair, K Days, Mississippi State Fair, Miami-Dade County Fair and the South Carolina State Fair. But with five units touring two countries and playing an array of different sized events, the company claims to host 125 fairs annually, attracting more than 15 million each year.
After 20 years, this has amounted to more than 2,500 fairs, festivals, and events and in excess of 280 million people. “While we're proud of these numbers, we also know that one of the things that makes us truly great is our partner fairs and events who we get the honor of working with year after year,” or so states an anniversary video. “We have also made a significant impact on agriculture. Since our inception, we have supported local agricultural endeavors with more than $500 million in program funding and donations.NAME was incorporated on October 13th, 2004, an amalgamation of what at the time were five leading midway providers in the outdoor amusement industry. The merging companies include Conklin Shows, which was founded in 1927 and at the time, had become the largest midway provider in North America; Farrow Shows, incorporated in 1981; Astro Amusements, incorporated in 1973; and All Star Amusements, incorporated in 1974. In 2006, NAME acquired Mid America Shows and several contracts and rides from Cumberland Valley Shows.
The company now has an arsenal of more than 230 rides, including a Crazy Mouse Roller Coaster, Super Ferris Wheel and the Bullet-Train rollercoaster, employing more than 5,000 temporary and traveling staff. Two decades in, this vast traveling amusement park has long set the standard for the outdoor amusement industry in terms of branding, professionalism, and ride-technology but 20 years ago, the merger was a revolutionary concept.
The status quo was family-owned carnival companies. That's who fair boards were familiar with, not corporations with vast resources. For the fair business to grow, innovation and out-of-the-box thinking was needed. NAME emphasized the comprehensive midway experience which meant not just exciting rides and games, but courteous professionals to interact with the public. Branding became as foundational to NAME as it was to Disney Land; Fairs and fairgoers noticed. For 20 years, both NAME and its clients continue to break records in attendance and revenue.
But this new approach, while embraced by some fairs, met with skeptical resistance by others. Overcoming that hurdle, bigger was better for the carnival companies who joined forces and figured out a way to transition the midway to the modern era while maintaining the family-fun, personalized atmosphere fairgoers have loved for generations.
In a wide ranging interview about the past, present and future of this outdoor event behemoth, Carnival Warehouse talked with Scooter Korek, Vice President of Client Services , who has been with NAME since it's naming (more on that later) -- he worked his first midway in 1977 for Conklin Shows – and Lynda Franc, Corporate Marketing Director, a younger addition to the executive staff and instrumental in steering the company into its third decade. Read the Q&A at carnivalwarehouse.com
