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Ellen Belcher is the Dayton Daily News opinion pages editor. She writes about state government, education, the environment, higher education and all things Dayton.
Martin Gottlieb is an editorial writer and columnist for the Dayton Daily News opinion pages. He focuses on the political process itself and does such national issues as war, the economy, taxes and Social Security, as well as a hodge-podge of local and state issues.Home > Blogs > A Matter of Opinion > Archives > 2009 > July > 22 > Entry
Editorial: Air show, expo putting Dayton on map
Very few of the estimated 80,000 people who went to the Vectren Dayton Air Show last weekend saw what came before it.
As thrilling as the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds always are — admit it, they give you chills every time — what preceded the entertainment was way more important.
The four-day United States Air, Trade and Technology Expo — which attracted almost 1,400 people and many of the country’s biggest aerospace companies — was designed as a chance for businesses and researchers to hear about projects the military, the federal government and NASA have cooking — and how that could translate to work for them.
In this economic climate, to have so many businesses represented can only be seen as a certified success.
Specifically, many of them came wanting to know what the government is looking for in advanced manufacturing, alternative fuels, sensors, unmanned air systems and more. Not coincidentally, these are areas of expertise that a growing number of Dayton businesses and researchers have, in large part because of the Air Force’s presence here.
If the expo’s volunteer organizers — that’s right, all volunteers — hadn’t been able to assemble such a jam-packed, meaty schedule of speakers and diverse exhibitors, you can bet that, in this economy, executives would have stayed home.
The fact that Wright-Patterson Air Force Base is in Dayton, and that the Air Force was so clearly using this as an opportunity to put out appeals for its needs, made all the difference in the world.
But if the people running the show weren’t organized, didn’t have the contacts to attract first-rate speakers and weren’t aggressive about selling the opportunity, the week could have been a bust.
This year’s event represented a resurrection of sorts, and it had to go well if it’s going to get traction in the future. (The exposition used to be a regular event, but it was discontinued in the 1990s.)
The plan is to hold the event every other year, with the ambitious goal of becoming the United States’ equivalent of the Paris Air Show and the Farnborough International Air Show. Make no mistake; tons of business gets conducted at those events, and deals get sealed because of them.
Some registrants are saying what they liked most was the caliber of speakers they heard from. That sort of word travels: Give people quality, and they will come back and bring their colleagues. That’s nothing but good for Dayton.
The stars couldn’t have aligned any better for Dayton, with Monday being the 40th anniversary of the moon landing. The National Aviation Hall of Fame’s weekend dinners and recognition ceremonies brought together 12 Apollo program astronauts at a momentous time. That, too, was an impressive selling point.
By Monday, the actual anniversary, Neil Armstrong and “Buzz” Aldrin were at the White House and being feted nonstop in the media. Some of their weekend, though, was in Dayton.
The air show can and should be more than a weekend where tens of thousands of adults and kids crane their necks to see how daring and precise pilots can be.
It’s also a profound, special and logical economic development opportunity for a community that, 100 years after the Wright brothers flew, is still very much connected to the future of flight.
Permalink | Comments (3) | Post your comment | Categories: Editorials, Ellen Belcher, Local Business, Wright Patterson Air Force Base
Comments
By Bill McCabe
July 23, 2009 9:33 AM | Link to this
I had the opportunity to work as one of the volunteers for Dayton Defense. What a pleasure it was to work with such a fine group of people. Kudos!By Kelly
July 23, 2009 11:24 AM | Link to this
Isn’t it funny that the DDN editorial board just can’t bring themselves to mention that Congressman Turner played a big part in making this trade show happen by securing the funding to determine its feasibility? Also, those great volunteer groups should have been mentioned by name: The Air Force Association and Dayton Defense. Together, these people are keeping the economic engine of our region alive.By Michael
July 24, 2009 10:35 AM | Link to this
What a wonderful thing that there’s a large forum where tax leaches can find great ways to do projects together and fleece the taxpayers making things that go “boom”.