How a Convention Center, Airport, and Arts Drive Tourism

Summit County stakeholders reveal how strategic collaboration creates distinctive visitor experiences

In the competitive landscape of convention destinations, Akron, Ohio has carved out a distinctive position through strategic partnerships between the John S. Knight Center, the Akron-Canton Airport, and the region’s vibrant arts community. This collaborative approach has transformed Summit County into a destination that, as Gregg Mervis, President & CEO of Akron/Summit Convention & Visitors Bureau and the John S. Knight Center puts it, “punches well above its weight.”

The Akron-Canton Airport serves as a crucial gateway for convention attendees, offering both accessibility and an introduction to the region’s character. “We do have a corporate relations manager who attends many of the travel hospitality industry expos at the JSK Center to attract major conventions,” explains Ren Camacho, President and CEO of Akron-Canton Airport. “When there’s a huge convention, we offer signage and welcome tables featuring what’s happening at the convention for arriving attendees.”

This relationship extends beyond simple logistics. The airport shares valuable data with convention marketers about travel and attendance trends, communicates with its four carriers—Breeze Airways, Allegiant, American, and United—to ensure adequate capacity for major events, and participates in co-branding campaigns. “We partner with the Convention & Visitors Bureau to print and provide digital media for conventions, promoting the JSK Center, and the city of Akron as a premier meeting destination,” says Camacho.

Lisa Dalpiaz, Vice President of Air Service & Business Development at Akron-Canton Airport, emphasizes that their growth strategy directly supports the convention center. “Obviously growing air service means more capacity into the community, which increases inbound travel to Akron and the convention center.” Recent developments include Breeze Airways establishing their 11th nationwide crew base in Akron, creating 60 jobs by June 2025 and up to 130 by early 2026. A development that’s already influencing other carriers to expand service to the region.

Summit County’s Tourism Treasures

Summit County offers convention attendees a diverse array of attractions that combine natural beauty, cultural significance, and historical landmarks. Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens, the former estate of Goodyear Tire & Rubber co-founder F.A. Seiberling, is an iconic landmark. Visitors will want to make sure to plan time to tour the 65-room Manor House and 70 acres of landscaped gardens and grounds. Spend some time at a ball game at Canal Park, home of the Akron RubberDucks. Akron Art Museum houses more than 6,000 works of contemporary and modern art. Lock 3 is known as Akron’s Central Park and hosts concerts and festivals throughout the year.

The region’s natural assets provide a distinctive competitive advantage in the convention market. The Cuyahoga Valley National Park—one of the few national parks situated near a major metropolitan area is a significant tourism magnet. It was the 12^th most visited national park in the U.S. in 2024, with more than 2.9 million visits. Brandywine Falls, a 60-foot cascading waterfall, lies within the CVNP.

Outside of Akron, Summit County is filled with other notable attractions. MAPS Air Museum is a center for aviation history. Hale Farm & Village is a living history museum where visitors explore 19th-century life in Ohio. MGM Northfield Park features over 1,600 gaming machines, live harness racing, diverse dining options, and live performances. For a unique way to experience the CVNP, take a ride on the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad. Outdoor enthusiasts will also enjoy Summit Metro Parks, with 16 parks and over 150 miles of trails throughout the county.

The John S. Knight Center

The John S. Knight Center distinguishes itself in the competitive convention marketplace through strategic location, versatile facilities, and attentive service, elements that have become increasingly important as meeting planners’ expectations evolve in response to changing business travel patterns.

“We listen to our meeting planners and decision makers about what they’re looking for in this continuously evolving industry,” says Mervis. “Location and accessibility are key. Being within 500 miles of 50% of the U.S. population, with turnpike and expressway accessibility complemented by our airport partner just 20 minutes from downtown, makes us attractive to planners when they’re deciding where to host their trade show or convention.”

While most convention centers offer similar physical infrastructure, the JSK Center differentiates itself through technological capabilities and staff expertise. “Most convention centers are made up of walls. What makes the difference is accessibility to technical attributes and staff who can help with that technology,” Mervis notes. “We’re extremely fortunate to have our culinary team in-house, which allows our chef to apply his creativity and passion for the best experience.”

Sustainability initiatives further enhance the JSK Center’s appeal. “We’ve developed a farm-to-table program outside the building where we grow herbs and plants that our culinary team uses when preparing meals for groups ranging from 25 to 1,500 people,” explains Mervis. “We also partner with Reworks, a local countywide organization, to offer full zero-waste events in the building.”

The JSK Center maintains strong relationships with local hotels to ensure favorable accommodation arrangements for attendees. “Our hotel partners work really well with us on room blocks with low attrition clauses, which I know is important to meeting planners,” Mervis adds. These operational strengths, combined with continuous investment in facility upgrades and technological infrastructure, position the JSK Center as a compelling option for event organizers seeking venues that deliver both functional excellence and distinctive experiences.

Arts and Culture

Akron’s arts and cultural ecosystem serves as a powerful economic driver and competitive differentiator in the convention marketplace, offering attendees authentic local experiences that complement their business activities.

“What makes Summit County’s arts scene unique is how deeply embedded it is in community identity,” explains Nicole Mullet, Executive Director of ArtsNow. “Our venues differentiate themselves by offering authentic local experiences in addition to national touring productions. Seeing homegrown talent in a community especially known for music and arts, in a way that’s engaging, participatory, and community-driven, sets Akron and Summit County apart.”

Such cultural infrastructure provides convention attendees with compelling reasons to extend their stays. “While people are looking to fly in conveniently at low cost, stay in a comfortable hotel, and have a great meeting at a convention center, what really makes a difference is the experiences they can have before or after,” says Mervis. “If they come a day early or stay a day late, bring a spouse, friend, or partner, they can enjoy the small nooks and cranny bookstores, vintage shopping, craft brew places, the Akron Art Museum, the Akron Children’s Museum, and Lock 3 entertainment venue.”

The region boasts significant cultural assets that draw both local and international attention. “We have iconic venues like the Akron Civic Theatre—a historic theater in downtown—EJ Thomas Hall, Blossom Music Center which is the summer home for the Cleveland Orchestra, and Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens that draw national and international performers,” Mullet notes. “We also have experiences like the High Arts Festival, the Akron Arts Expo, the BE Artistic Excellence Festival, and the Rubber City Jazz & Blues Festival.”

These offerings are made accessible to convention attendees through coordinated efforts. “We have fantastic partnerships with the ASCVB and airport who help push out information to visitors,” explains Mullet. “We also have Summit Live 365.com, an event website and directory for arts and culture in Summit County where visitors can find unique galleries, artists, and hidden jazz hotspots.”

Post-Pandemic Recovery

The convention and performing arts sectors have experienced notably different recovery trajectories following the pandemic, with Akron’s cultural scene showing particularly strong resilience compared to national trends in audience attendance.

“Unlike some other communities, we’ve seen a significant uptick in live performance attendance since the pandemic,” reports Mullet. “The Akron Civic Theatre and Live Akron are programming over 300 nights a year. On any given night through the Live Akron Collaborative, you can find multiple experiences within walking distance of the JSK Center and most downtown hotels. We’ve been remarkably lucky to have very smart arts administrators who are paying attention to both national trends and what our local community wants to see.”

This cultural vibrancy complements the convention center’s own recovery, which has returned to pre-pandemic levels while adapting to evolved attendee expectations. “The trajectory continues to be upward and onward. We are matching and slightly ahead of pre-covid levels,” says Mervis. “The key differentiator 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 fly-in 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 partnerships that translate this principle into tangible economic results, distinguishing the region’s approach from more superficial cooperative efforts seen elsewhere.

“If you look up the word ‘collaboration,’ it has a definition. If you come to Akron, it has action and results,” emphasizes Mervis. “The three entities represented here are proof of that. There’s artwork all over the airport that Ren facilitates, artwork all over the convention center that Nicole has helped facilitate, and all our cultural partners understand the importance of economic vitality in the community.”

This practical collaboration manifests in coordinated visitor experiences that benefit all stakeholders. “We all work well together. We don’t just say it, but we actually do, and we all trust one another, which is really important,” continues Mervis. “We all prove with results and only call on one another when we genuinely think something’s going to work, creating trust and culture within our organizations to move things forward.”

The integration of arts programming with convention activities exemplifies this approach. “There is no one more welcoming than Gregg Mervis in the county,” notes Mullet. “They do a phenomenal job working with us when we’re bringing in a conference or partners from across the country. Hotel packages are always easily set up. We get great insight from the CVB team on where to carve out room blocks and ensure that, depending on transportation needs, visitors are right where they need to be.”

Tourism infrastructure development in recent years has intentionally reinforced these connections. “A new signage package in downtown Akron includes listings of arts and culture assets so people can walk around and see everything that’s happening downtown,” explains Mervis. This systematic approach to destination development has enabled Akron to optimize limited resources, creating a visitor experience that feels more cohesive and comprehensive than might be expected in a mid-sized market strategy, increasingly recognized in destination management as more effective than siloed promotional efforts.

Growth Priorities for the Region

As Akron approaches its bicentennial celebration in 2025, key stakeholders are aligning their strategic priorities to strengthen the region’s position in the competitive convention and tourism marketplace, with each organization pursuing complementary initiatives that enhance the destination’s overall appeal.

“Growth and innovation are the most important things over the next 24 to 36 months,” states Mervis. “We envision continued facility upgrades, expanded offerings, and deeper community partnerships that will solidify Akron as a key event destination. Downtown synergies are important with everything that’s evolving. Greater collaboration with businesses, entertainment venues, and our event spaces will continue to make us attractive for visitors and residents alike. It’s important that residents enjoy all these cultural assets and meeting facilities, which keep them strong and help their bottom line.”

The airport’s expansion of air service capacity directly supports these ambitions. “The more capacity we can get into the community, the more folks we can serve and increase inbound travel to Akron and the convention center,” explains Dalpiaz. “All four of our carriers, two low-cost carriers and two legacy carriers—are growing, and we’re always in conversation with others. Breeze Airways opening their 11th nationwide crew base here means more capacity from great places around the country. They’re successful enough that they’re catching the eye of other carriers.”

ArtsNow is developing new ways to integrate cultural experiences into the visitor journey. “We’re really excited about arts and culture-based tourism itineraries,” says Mullet. “We’re helping people find public art around Akron and Summit County and tour different theatre groups. We’re also increasing investment in creative placemaking, making our public spaces more engaging for visitors and residents—whether that’s adding lighting, bringing programming into unusual spaces, or elevating neighborhood brands and identities.”

These coordinated efforts denote a mature destination management approach that recognizes the interconnected nature of visitor experiences. By aligning airport accessibility, convention center capabilities, and cultural assets, Akron has positioned itself to compete effectively for business and leisure travelers seeking authentic, accessible, and engaging destinations.

AT A GLANCE

Who: John S. Knight Center

What: Convention center with strategic partnerships with Akron-Canton Airport and ArtsNow

Where: Akron, Ohio (Summit County)

Website: www.johnsknightcenter.org