Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Community Events topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Expo organizers report poor Sunday turnout; plan to move event to weekday in October 2026
Summary
Public commenter Paul Knott told the board exhibitor staffing shortages depressed this year’s Expo attendance and said organizers plan to shift the show to a weekday in October 2026 to align with a senior job fair; he asked the board for continued financial support and better advertising.
Paul Knott, speaking during public comments, told the Keene Type A board that several exhibitors were unable to staff the Expo on Sunday, which significantly reduced exhibitor turnout.
Knott said some exhibitors — including a children's advocacy center, a local radio outlet and job-fair partners — could not find staff to work on Sunday. As a result, organizers are negotiating with Southwestern to move the Expo to a weekday in October 2026, so the gymnasium would be set up once and used for both the Expo and a senior job fair on consecutive days.
On advertising, Knott said the most direct way to improve attendance is to increase spending: "Yes there certainly is and that's to spend more money," he said when asked about ways to boost promotion. He also said timing and last-minute exhibitor cancellations prevented timely advertising this year.
Knott thanked the board for its financial support and said organizers "are looking forward to a different situation next year."
