FORT WAYNE, Ind. – The Fort Wayne Farm Show is a good opportunity for attendees to learn about new agriculture-related technologies, visit dealers and see a variety of farm equipment, the show’s director said.

The show will be held Jan. 16-18 at the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum in Fort Wayne.

“If you are looking to make some purchases for your farm or business, this is the perfect one-stop shop,” noted Dan Slowinski, a show director for Tradexpos, which produces the show. “With over 400 companies all under one roof, you can’t ask for much more. You can compare products side by side before making your final purchasing decisions. If you are looking for the newest technology to upgrade your equipment or software, there are dozens of tech companies and every company is going to show off their newest programs and equipment. I would also recommend they come Wednesday afternoon when the (educational) seminar is on specialized new technology.

“The show is also a great place to walk around, look at equipment, shake hands with dealers, establish or solidify connections with reps, learn a little about what’s new in the ag industry, all while you enjoy a winter day indoors.”

In 2023, about 28,000 people attended the show, up from nearly 25,000 in 2022, he said.

The show’s exhibit space sold out by the third week of July, Slowinski said. This year’s show will have 401 companies occupying all 1,091 booths, he added.

“It’s impressive, the urgency this show creates,” Slowinski explained. “No one wants to be left out. We have an extensive waiting list that resets every year. This year, we have 43 companies waiting for a booth to open up. A few years back the Coliseum added the Conference Center, and we were able to fill every possible space without a problem. If they decide to expand again, I have no doubt Tradexpos will utilize every foot.”

Slowinski said he doesn’t have to “cold-call” or “sell” the show. He said Tradexpos mails roughly 550 contracts each April to returning and potential exhibitors. Returning vendors have until the beginning of June to homestead their booth locations. By that time, he said 90 percent of the booths are full, and the remaining 10 percent are filled with the other companies that have sent in a contract for the show.

The show is celebrating its 35th anniversary, which is quite a milestone, Slowinski said. “I know several farm shows that have come and gone in that time. It’s a testament to the exhibitors and attendees who keep supporting the Fort Wayne Farm Show year after year. Without them, our advertisers, the Coliseum staff and many others… the show could not continue.”

The first Fort Wayne Farm Show was in 1990. Jack Thill, then owner of Tradexpos, created the show after visiting Fort Wayne in the 1980s. He later said the event’s primary goal was to draw as many people as possible into an agricultural event.

Asked if Thill, who died in 2015, would have been surprised the show has lasted 35 years, Slowinski said he was not fortunate enough to meet him. “But from what I’ve heard, he was very confident in all of his shows, and especially the Fort Wayne Farm Show. The agricultural community of Indiana, Michigan and Ohio (has) always come together and made the Fort Wayne Farm Show our biggest and most successful show. With how popular the Fort Wayne Farm Show has become, I think he’d be more surprised if it were ever to shut down.”

The show is open 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Jan. 16, 9 a.m.-8 p.m. Jan. 17 and 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Jan. 18. The event is free, but there is a fee to park in Coliseum lots. This year’s grand prize is a Toro MyRide zero-turn mower sponsored by Plevna Implement Co.

Auctions benefiting the Indiana FFA Scholarship Foundation are Jan. 16 and 17 at 1 p.m. Last year’s auction raised more than $21,000 for scholarships.

Tradexpos, based in Austin, Minn., also produces a farm show in Topeka, Kan., and the North American Farm & Power Show in Owatonna, Minn. For more information on the Fort Wayne show, visit www.tradexpos.com and click on Fort Wayne Farm Show.