When you come to a car show at the Carlisle PA Fairgrounds or an auction for that matter at the neighboring Carlisle Expo Center, things appear to be ready to go once you get there, right? If only it were that simple. While car events primarily span April through October in Carlisle, there is day to day prep work that goes into making everything look as ready as possible for you when you arrive. Recently, I had the chance to connect with Carlisle Events General Manager and Director of Facilities, Scott Amig. Our conversation was brief, but as part of it, Scott explained what goes into prepping the grounds and making them “show ready” for you!
Q: When do you start getting ready for a show season?
A: Car show season prep starts in January and moves fast through March for the maintenance staff.
Q: What do you do during that three month span leading up to April and Spring Carlisle?
A: At the start of each year we begin the preventive maintenance on all our equipment. We bring it (the equipment) to the maintenance shop and begin pre-season service. This includes 50+ golf carts, nine vehicles, mowers of various size, tractors, pressure washers, blowers, weed whackers, a back hoe, skid loader, etc. We do this so they are all ready to go for the season.
Q: There has to be more to it than just prepping the gear? What else do you do?
A: The maintenance team also starts on projects for the year. For 2022, this included, building a shed for Gate 3, building the new EMS station, adding a cool down room to Building T, correcting lighting issues, updating lighting in areas, and repairing and painting bleachers.
Q: Not every day is so cold in the winter that your team can’t be outside. On those days, what do they do?
A: You’re right. So…as winter progresses, the guys are on the grounds on warmer days. When they can be outside, they are checking space markers, fixing bad spots on the grounds, checking buildings for roof leaks, painting space marks, fixing roadways, hanging signs, and much more to prepare the grounds for show season.
Q: After the first three months and once you know the equipment is functional, then what?
A: Once we roll into March and April, it is full blown show prep. The entire fairgrounds get all the water turned back on, which means putting all hardware back together and addressing any leaks. We turn off water heaters and boilers when it’s cold, so we fire those back up too and start getting ready to go for the food stand cleanings and inspections.
Q: There are more than a few buildings on grounds. What does your team do with them?
A: All the buildings get cleaned and prepped for the shows. Our staff and friends of Carlisle sometimes use our indoor space to store items in the winter months. All of those items must come out as we work to prepare the buildings.
Q: What other things does your team work on or work with?
A: Benches, bleachers, bike rack, ticket booths, picnic tables are all items they work with and work on. They spend days on end placing them for the season. They prepare the bathrooms by cleaning them and painting them where needed. Supplies are also inventoried, ordered, and then stocked throughout the fairgrounds.
Q: The grounds itself has a bunch of permanent fence line, but isn’t there a bunch of temporary fencing used for events too?
A: Yes! Fencing will be put up for the Spring show as well as at the Carlisle Expo Center as part of the auction. We also check out all grounds lighting, roadways, showers, and electric lines/outlets. It’s our goal to view and review every aspect of the grounds and its inner workings so that when our valued customers show up, it feels like they never left. We hope this yields a pleasant experience this year and for every future visit to Carlisle too!
Scott and his crew are the backbone of everything that happens at Carlisle. You may not notice first-hand what they do, but if you do see them in action, be sure to take a second and thank them for all their hard work! Be sure to check out CarlisleEvents.com to learn more about upcoming events, register for a show, become a vendor, or purchase discounted spectator admission tickets.
Register to Show at Carlisle
Purchase Discounted Spectator Admission Tickets
Become a Vendor (click and scroll)
