AUGUST 16-18, 2016
DAILY Schlaffman Farm • Mitchell, SD • Open Daily at 9am
New campus, app giving Dakotafest new look By JAKE SHAMA Daily Republic
Physical and technological changes are giving Dakotafest a new look this year. Construction crews continue work on the Reaves Buildings Innovation and Technology Campus, which is slated for completion before the annual, three-day farm and ranch show opens on Aug. 16 at Schlaffman Farm southeast of Mitchell. “The new campus is a great addition to this year’s show that we have not had in the past,” said Samantha Castro, marketing manager for IDEAg Group, the company that hosts Dakotafest. Reaves Buildings is constructing and donating three structures as part of the campus, including the Dakotafest Education Center, the Dakotafest Exhibits and Innovation Center and the Reaves Building Display Area. The Dakotafest Education Center has been a big attraction for some presenters, Castro said.
“We actually will have a little more on the education this year than we had last year,” she said. There are 30 educational or political presentations scheduled throughout Dakotafest, 10 on each day, including a “Checkin From Washington, D.C.” with Sens. John Thune and Mike Rounds and Rep. Kristi Noem at 10 a.m. on Aug. 17. The next day, Senate candidate Jay Williams and congressional candidate Paula Hawks will host separate policy discussions at 10 and 10:30 a.m., respectively. American Family Insurance, presenting sponsor of the education center, will present “General Farm Safety Principles” on Aug. 16 and 17, and Castro urged showgoers to attend the South Dakota Farm Bureau’s “Wetland Mitigation Summit” at 1:30 p.m. on Aug. 17. Along with the new permanent structures taking shape on the grounds come another change that’s small enough to fit in your pocket. IDEAg has released a Da-
kotafest smartphone app, which is currently available for free on Google Play. While the content is not yet complete, the app will feature the show schedule, a list of exhibitors and a map of the grounds. It also contains links to social media pages and will allow organizers to notify attendees of last-minute changes or announcements, like the cancellation of a day due to rain, which occurred last year for the first time in the show’s 20-year history. “You’ll know right away. As long as you download that app, we’ll get the message out,” Castro said. Castro said IDEAg is expecting about 29,000 or 29,500 people to come to this year’s show. Last year’s official attendance was 28,550, which Castro said was a drop of fewer than 1,000 people from 2014, despite the cancellation of the first day. So far, 514 exhibitors have signed up to attend the show. That’s short of the 567 in 2015,
but spots are usually sold until Dakotafest opens, Castro said, and sometimes even after the show has begun. Castro recommended attendees stop by the new Reaves Buildings Display Area, where Reaves Buildings will display their products and services. She also urged everyone to check out the new Dakotafest Exhibits and Innovation Center, which will house 16 innovative exhibitors, which vary from drone specialists to insurance companies. Tickets can be purchased online at ideaggroup.com/dakotafest and cost $7 for one-day admission. Tickets are also available at the door on all three days of the show.
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