We’re Not Exactly What You Think We Are, Exactly …
We could go into a long, drawn-out tome here, giving you more information than you ever wanted to know about EXPO New Mexico, the 236-acre parcel of land situated in the center of New Mexico’s largest metropolis, that has for 74 years been the site of “The Biggest Show in New Mexico”: the annual New Mexico State Fair. Bo-ring! Don’t worry. We’ll get to all of those facts, figures and statistics eventually (you did click on About Us for a reason, right?). But first, let’s talk about what we think you should really know about us.
Enterprise Means Self-supporting, Means We Pay Our Own Way
For starters, everything you think you know about us; everything you think happens here; event the way you think we operate; all of that is probably somewhat off-the-mark. EXPO New Mexico, like hundreds of other entities throughout the State of New Mexico—from the Department of Health and Human Service to the Department of Workforce Solutions—is a State Agency. However, unlike most of those hundreds of other state agencies across this great state of ours, EXPO is an enterprise fund, which means we’re responsible for raising our own operating budget. That is, the cost of all day-to-day operations for both interim events and the annual New Mexico State Fair, including but not limited to payroll, maintenance and utilities, is paid for solely by monies raised through admission, parking, rental and entry related fees charged for services provided by the agency. EXPO pays for itself, not with taxpayer dollars.
So, the answer to the burning question on lots of people’s minds—“Why isn’t the State Fair free for New Mexico taxpayers?”—is simple: New Mexico taxpayers don’t get charged a dime to produce the Fair or anything else that goes on here at EXPO with the exception of the occasional capital improvement.
Think of it this way: EXPO New Mexico, as an enterprise fund, operates just like any other business in the state, though we are subject to an additional set of statutes when it comes to things like procurement of goods and services, hiring and firing, and we’re under a lot more scrutiny than any private sector company, as it should be. We’re a government agency, after all.
Economic Impact
While the New Mexico State Fair is certainly unique, even among other Western fairs, it is only part of the much larger overall role EXPO New Mexico plays in the state’s arts, entertainment, sports and cultural landscape. EXPO hosts more than 200 events each year with roughly half a million visitors attending those events annually. The economic impact to the State of New Mexico – particularly the City of Albuquerque – is significant, to the tune of tens of millions of dollars every year pouring into local businesses courtesy of the events we host and the guests we serve.
Interim Events
Interim events span a range from horse and animal shows to arts and crafts fairs, home and garden shows, arts exhibitions, concerts and the largest flea market in all of New Mexico. Producing up to eight different events taking place simultaneously during 48 out of 52 weeks every year requires a full-time staff. Between maintenance, production, promotion and public relations, customer service, accounting and other essential functions that take place year-round and during Fair, there’s always plenty of work to be done at EXPO.
That’s a Wrap ..
EXPO New Mexico is an extraordinary agency with a unique mission, and a small, dedicated group of people who plan and produce the annual State Fair and work year-round to ensure that EXPO New Mexico–the state’s only true multi-use entertainment facility–serves the public and remains a cultural icon for future generations.
