ABERDEEN, S.D.(Aberdeen Insider)- Etix is the new ticketing agent for grandstand entertainment at the Brown County Fair.

That was the company recommended by the Brown County Fair Board and Fair Manager Rachael Kippley. County commissioners approved a three-year contract with Etix during their regular meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 17.

Etix works with the South Dakota, North Dakota and Minnesota state fairs. And, Kippley said, the company offers technical support and trouble-shooting.

In recent history, the fair has been working with Showclix, but the customer service hasn’t been great, Kippley said.

Etix will charge 15 cents per ticket sold at a box office — advance tickets sold at local businesses, for instance. The county will cover that total, Kippley said. Showclix charged 25 cents per ticket.

Both companies charge $2.50 per ticket for online purchases, and paying that is the customer’s responsibility.

Kippley said the fair is going to use ticket kiosks next year in hopes they make things easier for fairgoers. It will also ease the crunch at ticket booths, which can get busy before events, she said. The county might save some money for not having to pay as many workers at ticket booths.

The cost to rent kiosks from Etix is $175 each. Ticket scanner rental is $100 a month, and the point of sale system costs $175 a month.

In all, there were seven proposals from businesses wanting to be the fair’s ticket agent. Some offered more than one option.