News Summary

DAYTON — Corporate executive Michael Emoff expects to serve one more year as board chairman of the Dayton Air Show, then hand off that post to someone else, while remaining on the 23-member, all-volunteer board.

Emoff said he originally had planned to serve two years as chairman of the United States Air & Trade Show board — the official name of the air show board — but is now entering his sixth year. He plans to stay on as chairman in 2009, when an aerospace trade and technology show is planned in conjunction with the air show, before turning over the post to a candidate he wouldn't identify.

"I think now is a good time," Emoff, who is also chief executive officer and owner of Shumsky Enterprises, a Dayton-based promotional products company, said in an interview. "The air show is healthy. We've got a good budget, a good management company."

The air show is teaming with the Dayton Area Defense Contractors Association and the Air Force Association, an organization of current and retired Air Force personnel and supporters, to put on the 2009 trade and technology show.

But the air show won't be a financial partner in the trade show because its priority is the aerial performances, Emoff said.

Grevious & Associates Inc., a private Muskegon, Mich., management firm hired to run the Dayton Air Show, has a year remaining on its second three-year management contract. But because the firm has done an efficient job, the air show board has added an option year that will automatically extend the management arrangement unless the board should decide to fire Grevious, Emoff said.

He praised the job done by Terry Grevious, a former airport administrator who Emoff said has run the show in a businesslike fashion. Grevious and his company have run the Dayton show since 2004. He formerly also operated a Muskegon air show but has dropped that to focus on Dayton, Emoff said.

In 2007 and 2008, the air show's management released initial attendance estimates of 80,000 and 76,000 for the two-day shows in those years.

But management since has readjusted the actual attendances for those years to 70,000 and 57,000, respectively. Those involve all people at the site, including paid and complimentary admissions.

Brenda Kerfoot, the show's general manager, blamed the differences on using "eyeball factors" for the attendance estimates, at a time before the reliable information became available.

Vectren Corp., the show's title sponsor, and Kroger Co., its presenting sponsor, are each under contract through 2009.

Both companies said they haven't begun discussions with the show's management yet about whether to stay on beyond then.

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2242

or jnolan@DaytonDailyNews.com.