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Dayton unable to host boat, outdoor show next year

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By Jim Morris, Contributing columnist 11:54 PM Saturday, November 5, 2011

For what has become an all too sad case of economic reality in these parts, Dayton will not have a boat show or outdoor show in 2012.

After last year’s Dayton Hunting & Fishing Show disappeared and with its annual boat show attracting fewer people than ever before, promoter Rob Lynch of Odyssey Events decided it was time to pull up stakes and skip Dayton.

At one time, about six months ago, Lynch decided to forgo the boat show and put on a combined boat-sportsmen’s show. But after trying to sell that idea to boat dealers and other vendors, he decided it wasn’t going to work and pulled the plug on Dayton to devote his attention to another part of the country.

“When you work with the same boat dealers year after year, they become like family,” Lynch said. “A few years ago, we had 28 dealers. Last year, we had eight. I couldn’t sit there and watch the show go down anymore. It wasn’t fair to the dealers we still had. And we were losing money.”

After trying several other ideas, Lynch moved to the Gulf shores of Alabama where he is concentrating on putting on several shows in the Orange Beach area.

“The economy not just in Dayton, but the whole Midwest has really taken a hit,” he said. “If you draw a line from Indianapolis through Cincinnati and then to Columbus, trying to put on a show any place north of there is a real challenge. A large number of Fortune 500 companies have left the area, taking along a lot of jobs. When a number of those companies come back, the climate likely will improve, but nobody knows when that is going to happen.

“On the other hand, the economy in southeastern states has begun to turn around. Not so much Florida, but states such as Alabama, Georgia and the Carolinas are doing well again.”

Lynch also promotes RV shows around the country and will continue to hold the annual Cincinnati-Dayton RV Super Show at the Airport Expo Center, Jan. 13-16 and 20-22. Interestingly, he has had great success with RV shows while boat shows have been dying.

“The RV market is much stronger than the marine market right now,” he said. “The RV show in Dayton has built a reputation and has drawn more people year after year.”

In addition to the weak economy, Lynch pointed out another factor that became apparent when his company tried to put together the sportsmen’s show.

“We talked to several tackle dealers who have been hurt by economic conditions, but just as much they have taken a hit from people buying tackle online. I don’t know if that’s ever going to change,” he said.

Lynch also has canceled the fishing show he started last year near Middletown. That pretty much leaves the southern Ohio market to the company that started shows in the area in the first place: Hart Productions.

Hart will put on the annual Cincinnati Travel, Sports & Boat Show from Jan. 20-22 and 25-29 with the final five days featuring the annual Cincinnati Hunting & Fishing Show. Hart also puts on the annual Columbus Sports, Vacation & Boat Show at the state Fairgrounds from Feb. 9-12.

“Our show (Cincinnati) is now sold out,” promoter Chip Hart said. “We have been doing this a long time. We know what we are doing.”

Outdoors columnist Jim Morris can be reached through his website at www.examiner.com/outdoor-recreation-in-dayton/jim-morris or by email at sports@DaytonDailyNews.com.

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