THE Make Smoking History Wagin Woolorama's new secretary Amy Kippin is a dynamo.
She is just a few months into the job and already has a good handle on the intricacies of how the 40 plus-member committee makes the Woolorama juggernaut roll on.
Ms Kippin was born and raised on the family's mixed sheep and cropping property at Woodanilling and Woolorama is familiar local territory.
"I grew up coming to Woolorama just because that's what families do around here and I was also heavily involved in the dressage and show jumping scene in the Great Southern area," Ms Kippin said.
She learned her administrative skills, working for a short time at Wagin Shire council early in her traineeship then spent more than six years working in the Woodanilling Shire office.
Ms Kippin moved to Perth to start a university commerce degree where she worked in the not-for-profit disability sector while studying part-time.
But she decided she was not completing her degree as fast as she wanted and decided to return to Woodanilling to finish it.
"Woolorama (March 6-7) was a great opportunity and I can see myself having a really positive influence," Ms Kippin said.
"It's pretty exciting to be part of Woolorama because most the work is during the uni break so it keeps me busy.
"A new and exciting thing we have happening this year for the first time is that we are accepting online entries through a program called Nominate and it will reduce a lot of admin time and make it more accessible for exhibitors wanting to send in entries."
Already horses-in-action and mounted games entries are accepted only online to conform with procedures established by their overarching organisations that demand competitors enter via the Nominate system.
"They are quite comfortable using it and we will begin phasing it in for all the other sections but we will still accept manual entries," Ms Kippin said.
"Our aim is that in a few years' time the majority of our entries will be coming through the on-line system and it will include online payment as well as camping bookings.
"The Nominate system collates all the entries and it will be easier and quicker to publish (competition) results as well and they will be accessible through our website."
These days Ms Kippin does less competitive riding and is more involved as an official judge at the Perth Royal Show, around regional WA and interstate.
She was a Katanning Equestrian Association committee member for six years, including two years as president.
Ms Kippin also works with Woolorama treasurer Sonya Harcourt-Smith, trade fair secretary Helen Shalders and media liaison Diana Blacklock, who is encouraging people to keep up to date with Woolorama news via Facebook and, soon, Instagram.
Ms Blacklock said social media had become an increasingly popular way for people to engage with Woolorama and the number of questions from people she has received through Messenger made her believe the 2020 event was experiencing a new wave of interest.
They hope to encourage this interest by getting people to post their Woolorama selfies, let their friends know where they are and for exhibitors to share their successes.
But for those who want to put away their phones for the day, there is the old-fashioned way of finding out what they want to know.
This year look for people in the bright fluoro vests printed with "ask me a question".
Planfarm has generously sponsored 25 vests to be worn by stewards in each section and around the ground in different areas for the public with more general queries.
