OUR FIRST REPORT TAKES US TO THE NEW YORK STATE FAIR.

AROUND ONE MILLION VISITORS ARE DRAWN TO SYRACUSE ANNUALLY BY THE NEW YORK STATE FAIR.

WITH SUCH A MASSIVE SURGE IN VISITORS, THE AREA BOASTS A PLETHORA OF OFFERINGS.

A TWO-PART QUESTION ARISES: WHERE DOES THIS INFLUX OF FUNDS END UP AND HOW DOES IT BENEFIT THE LOCAL ECONOMY?

IN AUGUST, OUR TEAM VENTURED TO THE FAIRGROUNDS TO FIND OUT.

>> WE ARE THE MOST HISTORIC FAIR IN THE COUNTRY.

FIRST EVER FOUNDED BACK IN 1841, STARTED AS A VERY BOUTIQUE AGRICULTURAL FAIR, MOVED ALL OVER THE STATE FOR A PERIOD OF TIME.

THEN STIMULATER WAS FOUNDED RIGHT HERE.

IT'S GROWN DRAMATICALLY SINCE ITS FIRST INCEPTION.

THERE IS 50 BUILDINGS ON THIS 375-ACRE FACILITY.

AND THERE IS REALLY SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE.

THERE IS ETHNIC VILLAGES HERE, VARIOUS FOOD FORMS, GREAT FEARM ENTERTAINMENT.

TOURING ACTS THAT PLAY ON STAGES HERE.

IT'S A CULMINATION OF ALL THAT NEW YORK STATE IS.

IF WE ARE LOOKING AS WE DO, WE ARE SEEING A LOT OF FOLKS FROM CENTRAL NEW YORK, RIGHT, A LOT OF FOLKS FROM BUFFALO AND ROCHESTER.

WE ARE SEEING AN INFLUX, AN INCREASED INFLUX FROM ALBANY AND FROM NEW YORK CITY.

WE JUST HAD A GROUP FROM DIGNITARIES FROM ENGLAND COME IN.

I RAN ACROSS PEOPLE FROM OTTAWA, ONTARIO MULTIPLE TIMES AT THE FAIR.

PEOPLE KNOW ABOUT THE FAIR.

THERE IS A LOT FOR FOLKS TO DO HERE ON A VERY ECONOMICAL BASIS.

PEOPLE COMING FROM ALL OVER AND.

(TRAIN SOUNDS).

>> COMING BY TRAIN, TOO.

>> A NUMBER OF PEOPLE EACH YEAR AT THE FAIR EQUALS ABOUT 900,000, SOMETIMES OVER A MILLION.

SOMETIMES LESS THAN 900,000.

THAT'S A GOOD MIDDLE GROUND.

THAT'S PEOPLE WHO WALK THROUGH THE GATES TO ATTEND THE FAIR.

THERE ARE EXHIBITORS, WORKERS, FAIR STAFF SO THAT NUMBER IS EASILY A MILLION PEOPLE OVER THE COURSE OF THE FAIR.

PEOPLE VISITING VENUES OUTSIDE OF THE FAIR WHILE THEY'RE HERE.

THAT'S REALLY WHAT OUR MISSION IS IS TO TRY TO GET TO THOSE FOLKS TO MAKE THEM AWARE OF WHAT IS OUTSIDE OF THE FAIRGROUNDS AND PEOPLE DEFINITELY TAKE ADVANTAGE OF IT.

A LOT OF THE BUSINESSES OUTSIDE OF THE FAIR SEE A BIG UPTICK SO THAT TELLS ME THEY'RE VENTURING OFF THE FAIRGROUNDS TO EXPLORE OUR REGION WHICH IS A GREAT THING.

IT BUILDS CREDIBILITY FOR THE REGION.

PEOPLE COME FOR THE EVENT.

PERHAPS THEY HAVEN'T BEEN HERE BEFORE AND THEY GET TO EXPLORE THE AREA AND PLAN FOLLOW-UP VISITS OR LARGE CONVENTIONS AND MEETINGS, THEY COME AND SEE THE FACILITIES AT THE FAIRGROUNDS AND LEADS TO BIGGERY EVENTS ALL 12 MONTHS OF THE YEAR.

>> THE EXPO IS THE LARGEST FREE SPAN BUILDING NORTH OF NEW YORK CITY BETWEEN CLEVELAND AND BOSTON.

ONE THING THE EXPO CENTER HAS DONE FOR US IS ALLOW US TO BRING ADDITIONAL REVENUE INTO THE FAIRGROUNDS.

AND THAT'S WHAT WE ARE ALWAYS TRYING TO DO.

WE ARE ALWAYS TRYING TO GROW OUR PLATFORM, GROW EVENTS AND REALLY THAT AFFECTS THE BOTTOM LINE AND BRINGS EXTRA REVENUE INTO THE FAIR.

THE 13 DAYS OF THE FAIR IS REALLY WHERE WE SPEND A LOT OF THE OUTGOING MONEY FOR THE FAIR.

BUT THE NON-FAIR EVENTS, THE OTHER DAYS OF THE YEAR IS WHERE WE MAKE OUR MONEY.

WHERE OUR MONEY COMES IN THROUGH VARIOUS EVENTS.

ANY TIME WE CAN HAVE A LARGE PLATFORM LIKE THE EXPO ON THE FAIRGROUNDS IS NOT JUST GREAT FOR THE STATE FAIR BUT FOR THE TAXPAYERS BECAUSE IT ALLEVIATES THE FUNDS WE HAVE TO PULL FROM THE GENERAL FUND TO OPERATE THE EXPO CENTER GIVEN WE ARE AN EXCELSIOR FUND WE HAVE TO BE SELF SUSTAINING AND WORKING BACK FROM THAT YEAR AFTER YEAR WITH LESS DEPENDENCY ON THE DEPARTMENT OF BUDGETS AND THE TAXPAYERS AS A WHOLE.

THE ECONOMIC IMPACT ON THE FAIR IS DRAMATIC.

NOT JUST FROM THE VENDORS STANDPOINT BUT ON ANY GIVEN YEAR, WE EMPLOY ROUGHLY 1600 FOLKS TO COME AND WORK FOR US ALONE, NO THE JUST THE VENDORS.

THAT'S REALLY JUST STATE FAIR STAFF WHETHER IT BE IN PARKING OR MAYBE WORKING WITH OUR EVENTS STAFF OR MECHANICAL SYSTEMS THAT MAYBE PEOPLE DON'T SEE.

IT'S A HUGE INFLECTION OF CAPITAL INTO THE CENTRAL NEW YORK AREA AND WE ARE JUST, YOU KNOW, REALLY OVERJOYED THAT IF YOU LOOK AROUND, IT'S A VERY, VERY BUSY DAY HERE AT THE FAIRGROUNDS.

EVERY FOOT IN THE DOOR IS A DOLLAR IN THE VENDOR'S POCKETS AND GOES RIGHT BACK INTO THE LOCAL COMMUNITY SO WE ARE LUCKY TO HAVE THIS IN CENTRAL NEW YORK.