OKLAHOMA YOUTH EXPOSITION INC

For nearly a century, the youth of the state of Oklahoma have come to Oklahoma City to compete with the best livestock their generation has to offer. In the 1920’s and the 1930’s the shows formal title was “The Oklahoma City Fat Stock Show.” For nearly 60 years the Oklahoma City Chamber of Commerce and the dedicated volunteer base of the Sirloin Club of Oklahoma managed the show. In 1994, the event became part of the Oklahoma Spring Fair. The show was a component of the Spring Fair until its demise in 2001. In 2001 the show was taken over by a volunteer group led by Mr. Robert Funk, CEO of Express Personnel Services and Express Ranches; Mr. Clayton Bennett, Chairman of the Oklahoma State Fair Board of Directors; Mr. Eddie Smith, State FFA Director; Mr. Jimmy Harrel, Bank of Western Oklahoma; and Mr. Dennis Howard, Oklahoma Commissioner of Agriculture. The group incorporated as the Oklahoma Youth Expo, a 501(C)(3) non-profit organization. Today, the Oklahoma Youth Expo is recognized as the largest youth event in the state of Oklahoma. The livestock show brings over 7,000 exhibitors along with their educators and families from all of Oklahoma’s 77 counties. Over the course of the ten-day event, OYE has a $25 million impact on Oklahoma City.