Each July, more than one million spirited Albertans and international visitors push through the turnstiles at the Calgary Stampede to chow down on corndogs, cheer the chuckwagons and groan in unison as disdainful bulls toss unlucky cowboys face-first into the infield dirt.

In 10 short days, the Greatest Outdoor Show On Earth generates a remarkable $33 million in revenue.

And then it’s over. Carny workers quickly tear down the midway infrastructure while bruised cowboys mosey off to the next week’s rodeo.

Then what? What does the Stampede do the rest of the year?

It’s a question Stampede officials hear all the time, says Wendy Fogleman, senior manager of human resources.

File photo by Larry MacDougal, Business Edg
Behind the 10-day whoop-up in July are 10 business units and literally thousands of workers.

Last week, Fogleman addressed the monthly dinner meeting of the Human Resources Association of Calgary. Her presentation was two-fold: to provide context about the Stampede’s year-round activities, and give insight into the unique challenges (and they are considerable) that the organization faces from an HR perspective.

In an interview with Business Edge, Fogleman’s “Did You Knows?” were illuminating. The challenges can set a person’s head spinning faster than a ride on the Tilt-A-Whirl. To appreciate the Stampede’s distinct character, Fogleman points out that the Stampede isn’t just a 10-day wonder. The organization, made up of 10 distinct business units, hosts about 1,100 events a year including trade and consumer shows, concerts, horse racing and casinos.

Including the 10-day Stampede, about four million visitors help combine for total annual revenues of about $71 million. As a not-for-profit society, operating income goes back into community programs and facilities.

“We participate in over 500 community programs,” explains Fogleman. “Most people are familiar with the Young Canadians who perform at the Grandstand Show. But I don’t think a lot of people understand that we have a year-round performing arts school for about 200 students that is actively attended most evenings, at no cost to the students.”

The Stampede also spends $315,000 annually on its marching band for training and travel costs. And each year bands are brought to the Stampede on the organization’s tab.

The Stampede’s direction is set by an organizational structure that has two components – a 25-member board that directs 50 volunteer committees, and its 2,000 committee volunteers. Half of the board is elected every year at the annual general meeting, and the president, who serves a two-year term, sets the strategic direction for Stampede management (i.e., whether it focuses on agriculture, business, youth, etc.)

The management side is led by a general manager and COO, has more than 50 departments, 290 full-time staff (of those, 200 hold unique jobs), and about 1,300 year-round part-time staff, many working the equivalent of full-time hours. An additional 3,000 people are hired for the Stampede.

“From an HR perspective, what makes things interesting, a challenge, is that we have 10 distinct business units, we have the physical challenge of operating in a 137-acre park and when it comes to communication, only a fraction of our employees have a computer and e-mail. And because so many of our people are working different events, nights and weekends, bringing them together for events (such as team building or recognition) is really impossible.”

Aware of the vagaries of a constantly changing board, and non-essential activities to which the Stampede can be exposed because of its diverse business units, a few years ago the board created a vision statement to ensure a steady hand on the rein. Its four key targets are concise:

n Produce the world’s best western festival.

* Be Western Canada’s premier exhibition centre.

* Be a great place to volunteer and work.

* Be recognized as a major contributor to the quality of life in Calgary.

It’s the third statement, recognition of the people factor, that resonates with Fogleman.

“We can’t achieve any of our goals if we aren’t a great place to work and volunteer,” says the Stampede HR manager.

That said, nothing is necessarily easy. The various outlooks of the Stampede’s business units – administration accounting, HR, public affairs, corporate development, sales and facilities, food and beverage, agriculture, racing and rodeo, the casino, and operations – are often at opposite ends.

Fogleman points to the Stampede smoking policy as an example where different departments have disparate positions. While most organizations simply have a ban on smoking in their buildings, the Stampede hosts activities where smoking is allowed. Clients in the Stampede Casino do smoke, so, asks Fogleman, how do you say no to staff?

The compromise? Staff can’t smoke while working, but the casino department says its staff can smoke in the coffee room. But another Stampede employee – a security guard or food and beverage worker working in the casino – isn’t allowed to light up in the coffee room because corporate policy doesn’t allow smoking inside buildings.

The workplace dress policy, too, has been stitched together to accommodate departments who believe jeans and western wear are necessary every day, while in other areas, a suit and tie are the duds of choice.

It’s not insurmountable detail, but it’s the kind of thing that can create ill will if issues aren’t handled properly because various departments work many events together.

Other demanding issues? Fogleman says that with 200 unique jobs, setting compensation packages for one-of-a-kind employees is complex. Internally, there is a juggling act over setting equitable pay rates across departments. This is important so that employees can cross over into new jobs, and is especially key as a component in succession planning. And when it comes to hiring part-time staff, should the Stampede compensate according to external benchmarks or does it try to be fair from an internal basis?

Toss in issues about customizing training for various business units, dealing with union and non-union employees, and making an effort to recognize the considerable efforts of thousands of volunteers, and it’s easy to see there’s never a dull moment.

But while there are hurdles, a survey of staff by an outside human-resources firm has shown that the majority of people working at the Stampede love their jobs. Staff are especially engaged because of the diverse culture of people they meet daily.

“On the grounds on a given day, you might be working with people from the Shrine Circus, from the bull sale and a computer trade show,” says Fogleman.

“And there’s also the legend, working for the Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth. That really has meaning and provides our people with a great sense of pride.”

That’s the type of virtue that is on public display for the 10 days in July, when staff and volunteers welcome visitors with smiling faces and enthusiasm. Unbeknownst to many of us, it’s a year-round gig.

Web watch:
www.calgarystampede.com