Eastern States Exposition (ESE) attracts three million people to its grounds in West Springfield, Mass., across its bustling calendar of more than 120 year-round events. This count includes the 1.6 million fairgoers that attend The Big E, the fourth largest fair in North America, annually. ESE is a not-for-profit organization committed to providing its patrons with quality entertainment and preserving the agriculture and culture of the region with a sweeping reach. A study conducted by Regional Economic Models, Inc. (REMI) of Amherst, Mass., found that ESE’s economic impact on Hampden County was $235 million in Gross Regional Product (GRP), and its larger footprint across New England and New York equaled a record-breaking $1.167 billion in 2024.

Findings were relayed to the public by ESE President and CEO Gene Cassidy on Tuesday, July 8, during a press conference held at the Brooks Building, ESE’s on-site business office. REMI was represented by Billy Leung, Vice President of Economic Consulting and Business Development, and multiple team members. Attendees included Senator Adam Gómez, West Springfield Mayor William Reichelt, Mary Kay Wydra of Explore Western Mass and more.

During his presentation, Cassidy conveyed the scope of ESE’s impact when he said, “The impact of Eastern States Exposition is not limited to the Springfield area, agriculture in Massachusetts or even agriculture in New England; we have touched 26 states and multiple Canadian provinces. This makes us arguably the most impactful agricultural fair in North America.”

The study revealed that ESE achieves the following:

• Creates 8,085 jobs across New England and New York
• Delivers $697.35 million in Gross Regional Product (GRP) across New England and New York
• Generates $13.1 million to Massachusetts sales taxes revenue
• Creates $6.2 million in Massachusetts income tax revenue

REMI also concluded that 3,149 people are attracted to and retained in the region due to the opportunities that ESE offers. The organization generates more than $439 million in personal income and $351.80 million in disposable personal income across all New England.

A few of the organization’s societal contributions include:

• 60.8% of all jobs created went to individuals without a college degree
• 5,646 jobs were filled by individuals in the bottom 20% of income earners
• 1,310 jobs created across the region supporting Hispanic employment

Employment growth was observed across all races, income levels and education groups.

“Our share of this money is quite small,” stated John Robison, proud member of the ESE Board of Trustees. “It is approximately $30 million. If we do well, we can retain about 20-30% of that to maintain and rebuild our facilities. The reason our share is so tiny is because of our nonprofit mission, which is to benefit both the fairgoers and all the people here in New England.”

Since 1995, when The Big E first extended from 12 to 17 days, ESE has donated 1% of its annual gross revenue to the town of West Springfield each year to build and bolster the Eastern States Exposition-West Springfield Trust. Local organizations are welcome to apply for grants through the trust for community betterment and enrichment efforts. In 2024, 26 groups benefited from the trust, including sports teams, food rescues and cultural centers. ESE’s overall contributions, including a sizable donation of $370,970 made on June 12 of this year, now total $5,425,220.

ESE receives no state or federal tax revenue to support its operations and relies upon the support of its devoted visitors.

About Eastern States Exposition

It’s always showtime at Eastern States Exposition (ESE), a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit corporation located in West Springfield, Mass. ESE is committed to excellence in providing opportunities for the development and promotion of agriculture, industry, education and family entertainment while preserving our New England heritage. The 175-acre campus holds five exhibition buildings, equivalent to 355,000 square feet of ground level indoor space. Their year-round, on-site dining and entertainment locations include Storrowton Village Museum, Eastern States Farmers Market & Wine Café, Storrowton Tavern & Carriage House. The facility also hosts more than 120 shows and events annually, such as The Big E, America’s only multi-state fair, and Hooplandia, the Northeast’s Ultimate 3x3 Basketball Tourney + Festival. For more information, check out EasternStatesExposition.com, or find us on social media.