Business View Magazine - May 2025

is the type of meetings and how people are meeting, traveling, and gathering differently than before.The number of events and attendees are up, but the way they visit and the experiences they want have changed and morphed.” The John S. Knight Center’s upcoming schedule highlights this positive momentum. “We have several significant corporate trade shows coming up, which are always high volume for the building and our hotel partners,” notes Mervis. “We have a significant number of local events, which is great for our community partners. We’re hosting the Ohio Economic Development Association, bringing 400 economic development experts from throughout the state. In partnership with the airport, we’ll welcome the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association for a flyin with over 800 people and 400 aircraft on display, along with vendors at two different airports.” COLLABORATIVE SUCCESS While destination marketing organizations frequently tout collaboration as a core value, Akron’s tourism stakeholders have cultivated operational 58 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 12, ISSUE 05

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