Creative director tries to be Fair to everybody
CROWD PLEASER: Patrick Roberge’s difficult task is to bring entertainment that all PNE visitors will enjoy
During The Fair at the PNE, creative director Patrick Roberge doesn’t see much of his family.
His Fitbit activity tracker warns him his Reeboks are banking about 20,000 steps per day as he bolts across the fairgrounds making sure the exhibitions are in order, the shows are running smoothly and staff and guests have smiles on their sun-kissed faces.
But Roberge doesn’t complain. For 22 years, he’s been kept busy tackling a challenge that gives him purpose: How do you entertain a two-year-old and a 102-year-old at the same time?
“We have to cater to every demographic,” he said. “It’s got to be great for my mom, but it’s also got to be great for the family of six driving in from Ladner.”
Travelling out of Vancouver has become easier, high-profile touring events are regularly in town and the city’s built-in attractions, such as Stanley Park and its many beaches, are tough competitors.
“Back in the day, the PNE was the only game in town,” he said.
“Any kind of social experience happened at the PNE.”
Now, he must focus each year on making a “call to action” to those who are considering delaying or cancelling their plans to attend The Fair.
In recent years, Roberge and his colleagues have begun focusing on bringing in travelling and homemade attractions that can’t be found anywhere else.
Roberge plans on a two-year cycle, contacting and snagging touring exhibitions and events such as this year’s Angry Birds Universe Exhibit, which is making its North American debut, well in advance of The Fair.
He builds relationships years in advance with agents, artists and managers to snag high-profile performers such as Culture Club, Foreigner and The Monkees, who play before packed audiences at the outdoor PNE Amphitheatre.
The creative team of about 40 strives for originality, too, putting together lively in-house productions designed to celebrate local culture. They work tirelessly to produce musicals, themed parades and stage shows, including this year’s Kaleidoscope Parade.
And Roberge knows the importance of crowd pleasers such as the Superdogs, which draw about 300,000 people each Fair.
“That’s the challenge,” he said. “We’re not just putting on entertainment, we’re designing things that give people a chance to share an experience.”
Roberge said that despite all the hard work, it’s a “very rewarding gig.”
Friday night, he brought his 13-year-old daughter to see Olivia Newton-John perform in front of 7,000 people, who sang along with glee.
“Where else can you go and have a shared experience like that?” he said.
“People in here watch the Superdogs and laugh at the dogs and then they go out and they see our parade. They go down and see a baby chick being born and then they go and sing along to Summer Nights with Olivia Newton-John. I mean, it’s crazy to me.”