Lesson 01
County fairs are the heartbeat of agricultural tradition and community pride.
About Midway Metric
Modern fair management software — built by exhibitors, proven by fair leaders, and designed for communities.
James Boyle, Summit County (Ohio) Junior Fair Board president, built Midway Metric for that fair with the board and Cathy Cunningham.
Born on the grounds
Not in a boardroom
Midway Metric wasn’t designed in an office by developers who’ve never stepped foot in a show arena. It was created right on the asphalt, in the livestock barns, and amid the late-night prep work that defines fair week.
For years, the Summit County Fair has been more than an annual event — it’s been a second home. Growing up raising and exhibiting livestock and serving on the Junior Fair Board, you learn two things quickly.
From managing vendor spaces and directing crowds to updating show schedules on the fly, static paper maps and fragmented tools just weren’t keeping up. The idea had been brewing for a long time: fairs deserve dedicated, affordable digital tools built specifically for their flow.
All it needed was the right spark.
Lesson 02
Running a fair involves an enormous mountain of complex, fast-moving logistics.
The catalyst
A board meeting, a $3,000 quote, and a clear next step.
The turning point happened in a fair board sponsorship and marketing meeting alongside board directors, my dad, and Cathy Cunningham.
The board was reviewing digital mapping and interactive event platforms. Commercial apps like Grandstand were on the table, but they carried steep fees around $3,000. For county fairs where every dollar is vital for youth programs, ground upkeep, and community exhibits, that kind of recurring cost is a major hurdle.
Sitting in that room, the path forward became clear.
The turning point
“I can build that.”
The Summit County Fair board placed their trust in the vision, stepped up as the official beta testing ground, and provided the live environment needed to build a real solution. Midway Metric was officially born.
The partnership
Working with Cathy Cunningham
Cathy Cunningham
Executive Fair Manager · Ohio Fairs Hall of Fame · Summit County Agricultural Society
Midway Metric exists today because of a shared belief between tech innovation and agricultural leadership. At the center of that is Cathy Cunningham.
As Fair Manager, an Ohio Fairs Hall of Fame inductee, and a lifelong champion of Junior Fair programs, Cathy carries an immense workload. Her days are a non-stop rotation of board operations, vendor coordination, state compliance, and putting out daily fires.
Yet through all the chaos, she always made time. Whether it was walking the grounds to test layout accuracy, offering candid feedback, or replying to development questions with a detailed review email at 9:00 PM on a Tuesday night, Cathy’s dedication never wavered.
Without Cathy’s trust and leadership, Midway Metric would have remained just an idea. Without the hands-on drive to solve these problems from the ground up, the platform wouldn’t exist.
It’s a true partnership built on hard work, mutual respect, and a shared passion for making the fair experience better for everyone.
In the field
Constantly overhauled, continually tested.
Midway Metric isn’t static software. We are constantly in development — overhauling features, refining interactive maps, and running rigorous local stress tests so that when gates open, everything runs seamlessly without missing a beat.
What we value
What it means for your fair
Built by insiders
Designed with direct understanding of barns, shows, vendors, and gate flows.
Fair-friendly pricing
High-end digital mapping and schedules without $3,000+ commercial price tags.
Community-first
Tools tailored to help fair managers, Junior Fair boards, exhibitors, and families connect easily.
Bring Midway Metric to your fair
Every county fair deserves modern tools.
Interactive tools without draining the annual budget. As we expand across Ohio and beyond, we are partnering with select fairs for dedicated onboarding and introductory pilot rates. Let’s talk about custom interactive maps, real-time schedule updates, and a platform tailored to your grounds.