Northlands

Name

Northlands

Legal name

Edmonton Northlands

Website

https://northlands.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1879

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Event Management & Venue Services

NAICS

Amusement Parks and Arcades (7131), Support Activities for Animal Production (11521)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Agricultural Services (700)

akta.pro primary industry

Family, Kids & Education Fairs (MPAGAFAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Agriculture, Farming & AgriTech Shows Organizers (THAHABAM), Fairgrounds & Expo Parks (THAHAAAH)

Keywords

• Community event management
• Agricultural exhibitions
• Venue rental services
• Agricultural education programs
• Corporate event sponsorship

Headquarters

HQ city

Edmonton

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Event Admission and Ticketing: Revenue generated from ticket sales to K-Days, Farmfair International, and other public events. General admission model for fair-goers.
2. Corporate Sponsorships: Sponsorship revenue from brands seeking to connect with Northlands' event audiences. Northlands offers VIP corporate hosting and brand exposure through events.
3. Exhibitor and Vendor Fees: Revenue from agricultural exhibitors, vendors, and commercial tenants at Farmfair International and other events.
4. Venue and Facility Rental: The Edmonton EXPO Centre serves as a venue for third-party events and conferences. Northlands Park Racetrack & Casino operated thoroughbred and harness horse racing with gaming.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Northlands is a not-for-profit community service organization that produces and operates large-scale public events—most prominently K-Days (Edmonton's largest annual summer fair) and Farmfair International (one of Canada's premier agricultural livestock shows). It also operates the Edmonton EXPO Centre as a multi-use event venue, delivers agricultural education through its Urban Farm and youth programs, and generates revenue via event admission, exhibitor fees, corporate sponsorships, and venue rentals.

Product overview

Northlands is an Edmonton-based organization that has been operating since 1879, dedicated to cultivating community excitement through events and agricultural programming. The organization produces major events including K-Days (Edmonton's largest annual summer celebration) and Farmfair International (one of Canada's premier agricultural shows). Northlands also operates the historic Northlands Park Racetrack & Casino, manages an Urban Farm for agricultural education, and supports community programs through sponsorship services and volunteer coordination. The portfolio includes award programs like the BMO Farm Family Awards and scholarship opportunities for agricultural students.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• K-Days: Edmonton's largest annual summer celebration fair, held annually at the Edmonton EXPO Centre
• Farmfair International
• Northlands Agriculture
• Northlands Park

Products and services

• K-Days Edmonton's largest annual summer celebration fair, held typically in July for 10 days. Features midway rides, concerts, agricultural exhibitions, food vendors, and family entertainment. Originally known as Edmonton Exhibition. Northlands produces and operates this event.
• Farmfair International One of Canada's top agricultural shows and livestock exhibitions, held annually at the Edmonton EXPO Centre. Features cattle shows and sales, Heritage Ranch Rodeo, Extreme Cowboy Competition, and international buyer delegations. Targets farmers, ranchers, and international livestock buyers.
• Edmonton EXPO Centre Venue Rental The Edmonton EXPO Centre is made available as a multi-use venue for third-party conferences, exhibitions, and events when not hosting Northlands-produced events. Provides scaled, flexible event and conference space to enterprise clients.
• Sponsorship & Corporate Partnership Programs Tailored sponsorship packages connecting brands to Northlands events. Includes media exposure, brand awareness campaigns, and VIP corporate hosting services. Targeted at regional and national brands seeking audience reach through Northlands events.
• Urban Farm Agricultural education facility at Northlands offering public tours, school programs, and youth clubs including Youth Ambassadors and Northlands 4-H Club. Features hands-on activities, animal exhibits, and the Urban Farm School program. Targets students, teachers, families, and youth interested in agriculture.
• EPCOR RiverFest Partnership Northlands was contracted to support the EPCOR RiverFest annual river valley festival, providing project management, sponsorship activation, volunteer management, and support for land and water activities. The event involves floating down the North Saskatchewan River.

Quantifiable outcome

• 702,327+ attendees at K-Days 2019
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• EPCORcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 May 2019EPCOR is the title sponsor of the annual EPCOR RiverFest event. Northlands was contracted by the River Valley Alliance to support the festival's growth. Northlands provides project management, sponsorship activation, land and water activity support, and volunteer management for the river valley festival.
• River Valley Alliance (RVA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 May 2019The River Valley Alliance contracted Northlands to support EPCOR RiverFest. This partnership is intended to expand each year to align with the festival's growth. Northlands' role includes project management, sponsorship activation, support for land and water activities, and volunteer management.
• BMO Bank of MontrealflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerBMO has been the sponsor of the BMO Farm Family Awards for over 50 years, recognizing farm families from across northern and central Alberta. The award honors both farming business practices and community involvement. BMO has supported the Canadian agriculture community for over 200 years.
• City of EdmontoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNorthlands works with the City of Edmonton on event programming and facility management. In 2021, Northlands engaged in discussions with the City and Explore Edmonton about the future of K-Days and Farmfair International.
• Explore EdmontoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerExplore Edmonton (tourism organization) works with Northlands on event strategy and tourism promotion. Discussions in 2021 focused on the future of K-Days and Farmfair International events.
• Government of AlbertacoreOthersNorthlands works with the Government of Alberta, including Alberta Health Services for health protocols and public health guidance. Northlands also supports government priorities around agriculture, community development, and tourism.
• 4-H AlbertacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNorthlands supports 4-H Alberta through Farmfair International programs including Family Day activities. 4-H is a youth organization focused on building leaders in agriculture and community.
• Edmonton Public LibraryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEdmonton Public Library partners with Northlands for the Explore Agriculture program at Farmfair and the Edmonton Mini Maker Faire at K-Days, promoting agricultural education and literacy.
• TELUS World of ScienceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTELUS World of Science partnered with Northlands for the Edmonton Mini Maker Faire at K-Days 2019, promoting science, technology, and maker education.
• Skills Alberta CanadaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSkills Alberta Canada partnered with Northlands for the Edmonton Mini Maker Faire at K-Days 2019, promoting skilled trades and technology careers.
• Edmonton New Technology SocietyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEdmonton New Technology Society partnered with Northlands for the Edmonton Mini Maker Faire at K-Days 2019, supporting technology and innovation education.
• Vignettes Showcase Inc.minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVignettes Showcase Inc. partnered with Northlands for the Edmonton Mini Maker Faire at K-Days 2019, contributing creative and artistic programming.
• Community Leagues and Business AssociationsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerNorthlands works with community leagues, business associations, and not-for-profit organizations to build community connections and promote events.
• Horse Racing Alberta (HRA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHorse Racing Alberta and Northlands extended the horse racing license to Northlands Park Racetrack & Casino until the new Century Mile Racetrack opens. This partnership governed thoroughbred and harness racing operations.
• University of Calgary Faculty of Veterinary MedicineminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe University of Calgary Faculty of Veterinary Medicine conducted sold-out calving workshops at Farmfair International 2019, providing technical agricultural education.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• National Western Stock Show: Denver's premier livestock show, rodeo, and exhibition held annually since 1906. Directly comparable to Farmfair International in purebred cattle shows, international buyers, and the blend of agricultural commerce with consumer entertainment.
• Canadian National Exhibition (CNE): Toronto's annual end-of-summer fair featuring midway rides, agricultural exhibits, concerts, and food. Directly comparable to K-Days in scale (1.4M+ attendees) and consumer entertainment format, operating as a similar community-anchored exhibition.
• Pacific National Exhibition (PNE): Vancouver's annual fair and exhibition featuring rides, agricultural displays, concerts, and competitions. Directly comparable to Northlands as a long-running Canadian municipal/regional fair with agricultural roots and broad consumer entertainment programming.
• Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo: One of the world's largest livestock exhibitions and rodeos, drawing 2M+ attendees annually. Directly comparable to Farmfair International in scale, livestock showcases, scholarship programs, and agricultural community engagement.
• Calgary Stampede: One of Canada's largest annual exhibitions and rodeos held in Calgary, Alberta. Directly comparable to Northlands' K-Days as a mass-attendance consumer fair combined with agricultural programming (ranching, livestock, and community celebration), operating in the same Alberta market.
• Minnesota State Fair: One of the largest U.S. state fairs drawing nearly 2M attendees annually with strong agricultural programming. Comparable to K-Days in mass-market consumer entertainment, midway rides, and livestock/agricultural exhibition blend.
• Royal Agricultural Winter Fair: Toronto-based annual agricultural exhibition showcasing livestock, equestrian competitions, and farming. Directly comparable to Farmfair International's livestock showcase, international buyer focus, and agricultural education programming.

Broad incumbents

• Exhibition Place (Toronto): Toronto's large multi-venue exhibition grounds hosting the CNE, trade shows, and conventions year-round. Comparable to the Edmonton EXPO Centre as a multi-purpose exhibition and convention venue, though at significantly larger scale and with a broader event portfolio.

Regional players

• Western Fair District: London, Ontario-based agricultural society operating year-round events, gaming, and venue rentals. Comparable to Northlands' multi-vertical event/venue model but serving a different Canadian region with no direct territorial overlap.
• Provincial Exhibition of Manitoba: Brandon, Manitoba-based annual exhibition featuring agricultural displays, rodeo, and consumer entertainment. Comparable to K-Days and Farmfair in combined agricultural/community fair format, but operating in a different Canadian province.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/northlands
• Facebookfacebook.com/NorthlandsEdmonton
• Instagraminstagram.com/northlandsedmonton

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Northlands