University of Minnesota Extension presents mobile‑data analysis of Expo Building visitors

Didi Lemire, an extension educator with the University of Minnesota Extension, presented mobile‑device location analytics at Todd County’s Dec. 16 work session to show patterns of visitation to the Expo Building.

Lemire said the analysis used a geofenced perimeter around the building and excludes minors and people who do not carry or permit location‑enabled devices. Key findings for the most recent 12 months included: 91.7% of visitors came from within 50 miles (a local audience), a pronounced peak in mid‑June of approximately 2,000 visitors for the county fair, steady winter traffic associated with ice activities, and daily patterns showing evening and weekend peaks. The data also showed that 60.6% of devices were at home immediately before visiting the Expo Building and 60.7% returned home afterwards; common intermediate stops included gas stations and quick‑service restaurants.

Lemire said the data are estimates useful for planning decisions — for example, sizing parking, scheduling facility staffing, and supporting a graduate student energy‑efficiency study — and cautioned the counts omit minors and people without phones. The project is grant‑funded and will feed into a student research project in the spring; Extension staff offered to share the data with the city and other local stakeholders for community planning.

Commissioners asked how tight the geofence was and whether the analysis could be extended to compare stop patterns in nearby towns; Lemire said she could refine the geography and identify popular businesses and stops in the trade area to help local economic development strategies.