Ohio Expositions Commission seeks larger biennial budget as fairgrounds construction continues

Adam Heffern, executive director of the Ohio Expositions Commission, told the Ohio House Agriculture Committee that the commission is requesting continued state support for youth programming and increases in operating funds as it completes a multi‑year construction program.

Heffern testified the commission is “largely financially self sustaining with revenue from both the state fair and year round events” but asked lawmakers to continue general‑assembly support that in the previous biennium provided about $380,000 annually to help pay premiums and awards for youth livestock exhibitors and to house and feed the all‑Ohio state fair band and youth choir. “This is my dream job, so to speak,” Heffern said at the hearing.

The testimony sketched the scale and cost pressures behind the request. Heffern said overall operating expenses for the next biennium are projected at roughly $20,000,000–$21,000,000 annually (he described the figure both as “around $21,000,000 annually” and later as “about $20,000,000 in our next biennial”) and that about half the annual budget covers production of the 12‑day Ohio State Fair. He told the committee the expo campus is a large event complex with dozens of buildings and an active, fence‑to‑fence construction program intended for completion in 2026.

Committee members pressed Heffern on whether the planned work would conclude needs for additional upgrades and on the commission’s ability to remain self‑sustaining once new buildings come online. Ranking Member Miller asked, “Do you believe when 2026 construction is finished and complete that that will probably be, for a while, an end to, asks for infrastructure upgrades, building upgrades?” Heffern replied, “there’s nothing else projected to be done beyond 2026,” but cautioned that large projects can expose additional needs and that the agency will “take a big deep breath” and reassess after the current work is finished.

Members also asked about operating costs and how the commission plans to keep the facilities affordable for users once new climate control, utilities and staffing needs increase. Heffern told Representative Jones the commission raised facility rental rates this year by 5% after several years without increases and is pursuing more events, requests for proposals and competitive bids for service contracts to offset higher utility and staffing expenses. He said the coming buildings will incrementally increase annual operating costs and that the commission expects about a 20% increase in operating expenses related to utilities and staffing as new buildings open.

The commission described partnerships and programming that drive visitor and vendor revenue, naming collaborations with the Ohio Department of Agriculture, the Ohio Farm Bureau, Ohio EPA, Ohio History Connection, The Ohio State University and others. Heffern described the campus as a multifunctional venue that hosts nearly 200 events annually and highlighted the first‑day entrance and hardscaping work slated to be complete for the upcoming fair, while warning attendees there will remain fenced construction zones on site.

Committee members and Heffern touched on staffing and seasonal hires. Heffern said the commission is staffed by roughly 50–57 employees (57 was used earlier in his remarks; he later referenced 50 full‑time employees and 800–1,000 seasonal hires, most of whom work only during the 12‑day fair) and that contractors and personal‑service contracts make up a substantial portion of operating expense lines.

No appropriation votes were taken at the hearing. The committee approved earlier meeting minutes without objection before taking Heffern’s testimony, and Heffern concluded by answering additional questions about entertainment booking strategies and marketing to attract year‑round events.

Why it matters: The Ohio State Fair is a major annual agricultural exhibition and economic driver. Lawmakers’ decisions on the commission’s biennial request will affect youth premiums and awards, the commission’s ability to operate renovated facilities, and the cost‑structure for events that generate economic activity in Columbus and across the state.

Looking ahead: Heffern and commission staff said construction projects are expected to continue through 2026, and the commission will continue outreach to event promoters and work on revenue strategies; the committee did not record a formal action on the commission’s budget request during the session.