Illinois State Fair Moves Livestock Exhibitor Registration Online

BY HANNAH SPANGLER FarmWeek

The Illinois State Fair has embraced the 21st century by moving livestock exhibitor registration online.

Previously reliant on paper entries, the fair will now use ShoWorks, a platform allowing exhibitors to create, view and check in their entries on the same platform. Exhibitors can also reuse entries from other events through the ShoWorks passport program.

“Our priority is to make the process more efficient for our livestock exhibitors,” said Jerry Costello II, director of the Illinois Department of Agriculture.

An internal committee of Illinois State Fair staff worked together to find the best method for moving entries online. Rebecca Clark, manager of the Illinois State Fair, said the committee believed ShoWorks was the best option from a user standpoint, and the platform showed it could meet the fair’s administrative, technological and physical needs.

“The move to ShoWorks will streamline and modernize the process for livestock exhibitor registration,” said Clark. “This program will encompass all events featured in the livestock premium book.”

In the future, Clark said the hope is to add non-livestock projects including the junior horse show and general exhibits onto the online platform.

“We’re excited for this, but recognize there could be some growing pains with trying something new,” Clark told FarmWeek. Therefore, she added the plan is to start small before expanding into other areas.

Exhibitors can access a step-by-step tutorial for completing ShoWorks show entries on the fair’s competitive events page. For additional assistance in navigating the new online program, a kiosk station in the competitive events office inside the Emmerson Building on the fairgrounds has been set up. Exhibitors can visit or call the office at 217-782-0786 when it is open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekdays.

July 15 is the deadline for exhibitors to submit their entries. Clark said this is later than the typical due date of July 1 because there is no need to wait for entries to arrive in the mail.