The Eastern States Exposition in West Springfield has announced the economic impact of events held at its fairgrounds was nearly $1.2 billion for the region in 2024.
The organization, which is best known for hosting the Big E fair in September, commissioned the study which looks at its effect on New England and parts of New York.
The event last year drew a record 1.6 million people to the grounds. And additional events throughout the rest of the year also attracted another 1.4 million.
The report was produced by Regional Economic Models, Inc. It said more than 8,000 jobs were supported because of the ESE, helping to generate $439 million in personal income. The majority of those jobs, about 5,400 were in Hampden County. As a result of those jobs, according to the study, about 61% of those created went to people without a college degree and about 1,300 position were created which supported Hispanic employment.
The state also benefits significantly from the ESE, having collected $19 million in state tax revenue, with much of that sales tax.
West Springfield Mayor Will Reichelt said at a press conference Tuesday that having the fairgrounds busy is important for his town.
"The businesses and the hotels, the extra Dunkin' Donuts and gas stations, those things wouldn't exist...without the fair driving people down here to buy from them, to spend their money," Reichelt said.
The Eastern States Exposition’s President and CEO, Gene Cassidy, said stimulating the local and regional economies falls right in line with the organization’s founding goals.
"It's always been a reflection of Mr. (Joshua) Brooks' founding mission for this organization, to drive this economy, to build this economy, to create an environment that attracts people to it and anchors our families here," Cassidy said. "We're still in that business 100%, 108 years later."
The Big E, one of the largest fairs in the nation, is slated to kick off its 17-day run on Sept. 12. Its entertainment lineup has been announced and Cassidy said ticket sales for concerts is running ahead of last year. Food is an ever-popular staple of the fair and new items available for this year will be announced in the coming weeks.