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Trade, technology expo brings focus to Dayton

Businesses get chance to hobnob with each other and Air Force officials

Bob May, a vice president for global research organization Battelle Memorial Institute, said of the United States Air, Trade and Technology Expo.:

Ty Greenlees/Staff Bob May, a vice president for global research organization Battelle Memorial Institute, said of the United States Air, Trade and Technology Expo.: "It's got lots of advantages – networking and sponsorship."

ENLARGE PHOTO

Aerospace trade show born out of study

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By John Nolan, Staff Writer Updated 7:36 PM Saturday, July 11, 2009

This week’s aerospace trade and technology show, affiliated with the Vectren Dayton Air Show, offers a forum for companies to gain high-value visibility among potential business partners and senior Air Force officials who oversee research and development programs.

So, companies large and small jumped at the chance to be sponsors and organizers of the United States Air, Trade and Technology Expo. Several executives said they wanted to be part of an event that organizers hope will bring prominent businesses and military officials to Dayton every other year from across the country, and perhaps overseas as well.

Battelle Memorial Institute, a $5 billion global research organization that serves the Air Force among other U.S. government customers, saw the expo as a valuable opportunity to see, and be seen by, other prominent defense contractors and key Air Force leaders.

“It’s got lots of advantages — networking and sponsorship,” said Bob May, a retired executive director of the Air Force Research Laboratory and Aeronautical Systems Center who now heads Battelle’s business serving the Air Force across the country. Battelle’s Air Force business is part of its $740 million national security global business.

The expo offers Battelle officials a forum to meet other potential research partners from universities and companies, May said.

Battelle’s federal service includes managing six U.S. Department of Energy research laboratories and supporting the University of Dayton Research Institute’s work in developing an aerospace fuels research facility for the Air Force Research Laboratory at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base.

The business visibility was an attraction for Larry Dosser, president and chief executive officer of Mound Laser & Photonics Center in Miamisburg, which provides laser materials processing services for customers in aerospace, medical devices and other businesses.

“It’s part of business: letting people know who you are and what you do,” Dosser said.

The Dayton Air Show board, the Air Force Association and DaytonDefense, the regional organization of defense contractors, announced in 2007 that they would work together to revive the aerospace trade and technology show that began in the 1990s as an air show-affiliated event, but faded away after a few years.

What resulted is this week’s Tuesday-to-Friday aerospace event that includes presentations by senior Air Force, university and corporate officials; technology displays, and meetings between business and Air Force leaders to discuss the service’s needs for corporate research and development support. The Exposition Center at Dayton International Airport is the site.

Aerospace coordination

The United States Air, Trade and Technology Expo was established in conjunction with the Vectren Dayton Air Show, also at Dayton International Airport. It ends on Friday, July 17, so that attendees have the option to stay on for that weekend’s Dayton Air Show and the National Aviation Hall of Fame’s annual enshrinement weekend events.

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