Fairgrounds Competition Rules Studied County May Adopt Policy On Comparable Shows

One gathering of car salesmen every two months is plenty at the fairgrounds, Spokane County commissioners said Tuesday.

Ditto for antique shows, boat shows and other sales.

The “non-compete” policy stems from an unsuccessful lawsuit filed last year by three auto dealers. If formally adopted by commissioners, the policy will prevent competing shows 30 days before or after one another.

Commissioner John Roskelley said he may try to persuade his two colleagues to reduce the buffer to 14 days between sales.

McCollum Ford, George Gee Pontiac and Dishman Dodge claim they lost more than $50,000 last year because the county allowed a used-car sale at the fairgrounds the weekend before the dealers’ “PrimeTime Sale” of new cars.

A judge ruled there was no grounds for the suit because the county didn’t have a written policy of limiting competing shows. The county had an informal non-competition policy that was followed sporadically.

On Tuesday, commissioners reviewed the proposed non-competition policy and said they’ll adopt it soon, either as recommended by the fair board or with the shorter buffer Roskelley may recommend.

The new policy defines competing shows as those that dedicate at least 5 percent of their floor space to the same merchandise as a previously booked show. For instance, a fishing show couldn’t display many boats if boat dealers already have booked the fairgrounds for a show within whatever time period commissioners select.

“These big shows need to have some assurance that a competitor isn’t going to deliberately come in” and capitalize on the original show’s advertising, commissioner Kate McCaslin said.

The National Association of Consumer Shows recommends a minimum of 45 days between competing shows, and wrote in a policy statement that facility owners are “irresponsible” if they don’t adopt the recommendation.

Becky Schmidt of Gross-Hatch Associates, an advertising and marketing agency that helps promote some car and truck shows at the fairgrounds, said facilities in some communities don’t allow competing shows for as long as six months. That’s unnecessarily long, Schmidt said, but Roskelley’s proposal for 14 days is too short.

“I think 30 (days) is very reasonable,” Schmidt said.

, DataTimes