Dayton expo center to stop hosting events

The Dayton Airport Expo Center will soon become an airport storage facility.

This weekend the expo center is hosting the Cincinnati-Dayton RV Super Show, and in March it will still be the venue for the All-American Outdoor Expo.

However, the building at 3900 McCauley Drive will no longer operate as an exhibition hall by June 30, when ownership transfers from the Dayton Convention Center to the Dayton International Airport, according to Dayton city officials, who cited extensive repairs needed amid budget pressures.

“Obviously, I am not happy with the decision. I don’t agree with it. I think it’s a mistake,” said Rob Lynch, president of Odyssey Management, which runs the Cincinnati-Dayton RV Super Show.

However, Lynch said the show, which draws about 15,000 visitors annually, will not leave Dayton. “The show is not going anywhere, we’ll just be later in January and we’re going downtown.” he said. “They are doing the best they can to accommodate me.”

The expo center was constructed in the 1990s to serve the annual Dayton air show. Management of the property was turned over to the convention center in 2009. The center has served as the longtime home for a variety of popular events, including the Advanced Manufacturing Technology Show and the Dayton Artistry in Wood Show.