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OABA
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It was great to see many of you at the Florida Federation of Fairs and Zone 1 & 2 meeting in Naples. It’s always a great meeting and it was nice to add Zone 1 into the mix. The OABA’s presentation “When the Carnival Comes to Town” was well received by those who joined us in the presentation. We try, wherever possible, to communicate the inner workings of our industry in an effort to have a better understanding and working relationship with our fair partners.
One of the topics that we discussed was the re-launching of our Circle of Excellence (COE) program to the industry. This OABA accredited program allows carnival members to demonstrate that their carnival has gone through an in-depth audit of all facets of their operation. Before being considered for an audit the carnival must qualify with three prerequisites. The company must complete a national background and drug testing program for each employee and their housing must conform with the OABA’s 2021 portable workforce housing policy. Once these items are confirmed they can schedule an audit. The audits are comprehensive and include issues such as operations including training, food and ride safety, professional appearance of employees, customer service and crisis management planning. The field audit takes about three days to complete. Once complete, they are scored and the carnival either passes and is awarded a three-year COE designation or fail. Those that are awarded the COE designation are truly the best of the best.
We are hopeful that fairs begin, or continue, to use the COE program in their selection process when awarding contracts. By requiring the COE designation in the selection process, the fair can promote them to have a carnival that has gone through a rigorous audit program and has been designated with this high honor for safety, outstanding customer service and overall high standards.
If you have any questions about the COE program, please feel free to contact me at gregc@oaba.org or 407-848-8010. We wish you a successful and safe season.
Outdoor Amusement Business Association 1305 Memorial Avenue West Springfield, MA 01809 407-848-8010 gregc@oaba.org www.oaba.org
SUPPORT THE OABA'S MISSION:
PURPOSE AND GOALS:
The Show Ambassador Program was created by the Membership Committee to improve communications between the OABA, carnivals and members, as well as to increase membership in all member categories. The Membership Committee's goal is to have a Show Representative on every carnival midway to provide a voice for members and provide the office with information, i.e., human interest articles, photos, videos, etc., for OABA communications programs.
Greg Chiecko, OABA President & CEO
Trade Show
Fran Crone
2022 Chair
Please accept my apologies for the delay in reaching out, but I wanted to personally say THANK YOU to each and every one of you for being a part of our Florida Fair Family. I also want you to know how much I appreciate you! Each of you are a vital part of our Organization, as well as our Industry. It takes all of us to do a good job! I regret that I did not have a chance to personally meet all of our new members - nor did I have a chance to say hello to all that I have had the pleasure of working with in past years. I am certainly thankful for the friendships that I’ve made over the years. My role in the Trade Show has certainly been a wonderful avenue – allowing me to establish friendships with many of you.
On behalf of the Board of Directors, it is our sincere hope that this year’s Florida Federation of Fairs Convention was good to you and for you. I am of the opinion that - TOGETHER - we successfully accomplished a GREAT Convention, and was able to overcome any challenges that we faced this year. Personally, I’ve had positive feedback from everyone that I’ve spoken with. For those of you who attended our wrap up meeting on Saturday morning, THANK YOU. It is at this meeting where we discuss our challenges, as well as possible future solutions. Thank you Robert Smith for helping to facilitate this meeting (and be sure to wish Robert a Happy Birthday).
For those of you wanting to make sure that you are in the 2023 Florida Federation of Fairs Directory, Our membership year runs July 1st through June 30th . Now through July 31st is ‘Early Dues are $100. After July 31st, dues will increase to $150. Dues paid after July 31st will still available, but those dues paid after that time may not be in the Florida Federation of Fairs Directory.
Please make a mental note – or note your calendars – that Trade Show Registration for 2023 will close April 15, 2023. We do not yet know what the booth allowances will be but all information should go on the website in February, 2023. We will be at the Caribe Royale in Orlando.
We wish you each a Blessed and Safe 2022, and look forward to seeing you in Orlando in 2023 – if not sooner.
Thank you again for all you do and for being a part of our Fair Family! Fran
