Behind the Scenes of Tulsa State Fair
By: Aiden Acebo
September 29th, 2022. It is a normal day for some citizens in Oklahoma. But for most people, the #1 attraction in Oklahoma is open. Expo Square is located in Tulsa, Oklahoma which hosts the 11th largest fair in North America. Records are broken every year at the fair but this doesn’t happen easily. Many things happen behind the scenes to make it a success. The fair brings us good times so let's take a look at the side not always shown. The secret behind Expo Square's growth was the Chief Operating Officer (COO), Mark Andrus.
Courtesy of Mark Andrus: Mark Andrus the Chief Operating Officer of Expo Square in Tulsa.
Former Tulsa Police Deputy Chief, Andrus was offered a chance by 3 different COOS for a job as the right-hand man of Expo Square. 2008 was his big break. He retired as Deputy Chief and took the offer. When Andrus arrived, the square wasn’t as popular with Oklahomans, and had to cut employees due to funding issues. It was a lot to work with someone as new as Andrus but he was good at dealing with situations like this. Andrus took the risk and created the Expo Square that people know today.
The Golden Driller in front of the Expo Square building, a significant symbol of the square.
“We have a 5 person board now where we can have different minds looking at one issue, and this helps give the CEO assistance, support, and perspective,” said Andrus.
This takes into account that the people behind Expo Square know when there is an issue and the board can work on it in all different ways. They each bring other minds to the causes which helps them work in a trouble-free way. Andrus has been a part of the Expo Square community as COO for 12 years and he has been able to see its expansion through time. Expo Square’s community is the reason it is where it is today. They have faced challenges such as having to assist over 1 million people. However, when they work together they are ready for any task.
“Ride safety is, and will always be, the top requirement of any carnival ride,” said Andrus.
This year at the fair there are 64-65 different rides. While you go on these thrilling rides, you may not think of the work behind them. These rides are transported to Tulsa from Canada in 120, 28-wheeled semi-trucks. Skilled workers traveling with their show are assigned a certain ride to assemble. When done, personnel from Oklahoma’s Department of Labor are told to inspect every little part and piece of the ride. The personnel are trained and skilled in the “Safety Standards Division.” If just one thing isn’t working the ride can’t go on. During the fair, these experts are still on the ground inspecting. This takes a lot of coordination because if one ride isn’t working, Expo square has to adjust to that.
“Expo Square creates worlds for everyone, if you want to ride thrilling rides, we have that world for you,” Andrus said. “If you want to eat all the food you want, we have that world for you, and if you wanna see shows and entertainment, we also have that world for you.”
Expo Square knows what the people want and has created certain things for certain people. They always will have other creative choices for entertainment and this is why it is so big to the public. The state fair can give you many experiences to enjoy. Another side to this massive attraction that isn’t looked at often is Jacob Thompson. He is a Tulsa police officer and head of Tulsa state fair security. When asked of him what should be looked at more by people that attend the fair he said:
“Mainly what it takes behind the scenes, logistics behind the scenes. The labor and hard work put into this from everyone is pretty special,” said Thompson.
Courtesy of Jacob Thompson. Jacob Thompson, a head of the State Fair security and a Tulsa police officer.
There is a lot of thought, commitment, and dedication going on behind the scenes. The workers are careful because they don’t want to overdo anything, they just want to keep it nice and simple.
“We will have over 100 employees working for security, another 130 working for gates and ticket takers, and another 100 selling the tickets,” said Thompson.
For some, you could say it is too much. But with the number of people attending the fair, you could think it is too little. Every employee has to be ready for anything and quick with what they do. They need to have sharp actions to create an enjoyable environment. The growth and time put into Expo Square are not easy. The square hasn’t had it easy but after the phase of trouble back in 2008, the numbers since then have never stopped rising. The community behind Expo Square is the reason it is an important piece of Tulsa. If you want more information about the fair it is located at, click here!