EAA AirVenture is a blockbuster event for Oshkosh and beyond

OSHKOSH - There's no question the biggest week for business in Oshkosh is the Experimental Aircraft Association's annual AirVenture convention. The event not only makes a huge impact on the city but also boosts the economy throughout the greater Fox Valley.

The yearly fly-in generates some $110 million for cities across the state, from Oshkosh to Appleton and as far as Milwaukee and Green Bay. And 75 percent of the more than 500,000 people that attend EAA come here from outside Wisconsin."

Craig Molitor, president of the Fond du Lac Area Convention and Visitor's Bureau, said for years, AirVenture has been Fond du Lac's "mac daddy" for tourism, next to Road America in Elkhart Lake.

Years later, EAA is still the biggest day of the year for hoteliers here. Visitors who don't stay in hotels camp out under the wings of their airplanes at Fond du Lac's airport. The convention is just a 30-minute shuttle ride away, after all.

"We’re lucky enough to have a steady stream of visitors to Fond du Lac," Molitor said. "When I first got (to Fond du Lac) seven years ago, I appreciated it. But I didn’t appreciate the emotion behind it. Hoteliers say we wait all year for this."

Since Bob Pollnow was knee-high, EAA has been among the biggest drivers of business for his family's tavern, Acee Deucee Sports Bar & Hall, 1329 Oregon St., Oshkosh.

For decades, the bar has been a haven for pilots and others who flock to EAA from around the country, Pollnow said. Acee Ducee is adorned with replicas of warplanes and mementos from past festivals.

It's an all-hands-on-deck affair each year. Family and friends man two bars in the tavern.

"It's our biggest event of the year by a long shot," Pollnow said.

Wittman can boast that it is the third-busiest airport in the state, behind General Mitchell International Airport in Milwaukee and Dane County Regional Airport in Madison, with 70,000 takeoffs and landings yearly.

There's some evidence, too, that the state is better-positioned to promote itself as a place for aviation. A Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. report indicated aerospace jobs grew nearly 57 percent between 2001 and 2011. Aviation-related jobs generate nearly $7 billion in economic activity here and create $3.5 billion in personal income according to the Wisconsin Department of Transportation. 

While the event is a consistent week-long boon for Oshkosh, the city is working to harness aviation year-round here.

Jason White, CEO of the Greater Oshkosh Economic Development Corp., will be among city leaders lobbying visiting companies to consider Oshkosh as a place to expand.

Last year, the city promoted a recently minted stretch of land near Wittman Regional Airport as an Aviation Industrial Park, which officials hope will one day host businesses in this industry. Though none have signed on yet, White is optimistic.

The convention marks a good chance to grip-and-grin with visiting companies, and show off the region's assets. 

"If you look at lodging and housing, that’s a big driver for that week," White said. "You have a lot of business people here. All of our regional airports drive a lot of momentum that week, doing aircraft maintenance, for instance. It’s basically everything you can think of."

Nate Beck: 920-858-9657 or nbeck@gannett.com; on Twitter: @NateBeck9

Source:  fdlreporter.com