Wisco Coop and Iola Car Show join forces to explore additional member opportunities.
Earlier this year, the non-profit Iola Old Car Show, Inc., which operates the Iola Car Show and Swap Meet became one of the newest members of the Wisco Coop. The historic national event is one of the largest tourist events in central Wisconsin each year, attracting businesses and customers primarily from the Midwest, but also nationally and internationally.
July 11-13 this year will mark the 52nd annual Iola Car Show and Swap Meet. The event features 4,000 swap spaces, more than 2,000 show cars, an enormous campgrounds, sponsor displays, celebrity guests, concerts and more. The 2023 show included record-breaking attendance of more than 130,000 people, and Iola 2024 is tracking to be even larger. A recent economic impact study determined the 3-day event generates as much as $30 million annually for Waupaca County and the six connected counties, supporting roughly 250 full time jobs.
According to Iola Car Show Executive Director Joe Opperman, this connection brings a lot of possibilities for Wisco Members. “We’ve had some great conversations and learned a lot about the vision of the coop with Joe Maass. We’re excited to be a part of this well-established group and eager to give back and explore opportunities with the other members,” says Opperman. “Our event attracts a huge audience of buyers, sellers and service providers, and there is no doubt some great business here for many within the Coop. We would love for members and their employees to attend the show this year with their thinking caps on and evaluate if our venue might be a fit for their operation.”
The goal after the show will be to sit down with interested members and explore what a Wisco Coop presence might look like collectively at the show, and what are the best ways to work together and bring value to our audience and fellow members.
Whether or not there is a business rationale for Wisco members, Iola appreciates the benefits the coop is able to produce and wants to contribute to the team. Iola is offering 50% off admission tickets this year to any employees of Wisco Coop member businesses. To take advantage of this offer, simply go to https://www.scan2scan.com/show/iola-car-show-2024#!/ and click on the admission ticket link and use promo code “WISCO50”.
Thoughts and feedback before or after the show can be directed to Joe Opperman at joe@iolaoldcarshow.com