Another big job is organizing the 700 person workforce the arena requires during the Stock Show.
Brian Maliske says, "That doesn't include all the stock show people that come in to do the showing of their live stock. And it doesn't include all the Sutton Rodeo people that come in to do all the setup for the actual contract animals themselves. So we're having on staff here: between our staff and Sutton Rodeos, there's well over a thousand people that are working this event."
That 1,000-person-workforce also does not include the vendors and the people working for them. So by the time you count the vendors and their staff, there are probably close to 2,000 people working the stock show, drawing a paycheck of some kind from somebody. And that still doesn't count the rodeo cowboys, and all the rest of the entrants in all the livestock shows and sales, and all the rest of the events the Stock Show involves. It's a huge event: the biggest of the year for the Civic Center.
Brian Maliske says, "The next few days will be busy days, particularly for the vendors, who have to move a lot of stuff into the civic center, and the event center, and set it all up."
The Black Hills Stock Show and Rodeo starts officially on Friday, although some slack and futurity events will take place before then.
