"Ben Sego" wrote in message
...

Thanks for the update. I didn't realize that this one had reared again.
Does this mean he can't find anybody else (S'NF aside) to try to ****
on? I really do have to hit the archives and catch up.

And now Sun-n-Fun wants to expand to be a year-round draw. Wonder what
Zoom's response will be. Here's the story from the Orlando Sentinal:

Aviation fans want to expand in Polk

By Christopher Sherman | Sentinel Staff Writer
Posted November 23, 2003


Organizers of Polk County's Sun 'n Fun Experimental Aircraft Association
Fly-In want to make that aviation event the best in the world and capitalize
on the fly-in's fame to attract visitors to the group's other programs
throughout the year.

In its nearly three decades, the fly-in at Lakeland Linder Regional Airport
has grown in size and reputation, offering aviation fans and newcomers a
chance to buy, sell, study or just look at a variety of aircraft. A recent
University of South Florida-Lakeland study put its annual economic impact at
$27.4 million and suggested it still has plenty of room to grow.

"We want to be the aviation event of choice in the world," said John Burton,
Sun 'n Fun Inc. president. "If we strive to offer the best, the numbers will
take care of themselves."

Those attendance numbers have been the subject of debate in recent years,
spurring Sun 'n Fun to commission the study in search of credible figures.

Investigators estimated last year's fly-in had 57,000 visitors, many of whom
visited more than once and boosted the count of people passing through the
gates to 160,000.

The attendance figures were a launching pad for the real question of
economic impact for the seven-day event that draws pilots, vendors and the
curious.

The best way to capitalize on an event with that kind of name recognition
and drawing power is to try to extend its benefits beyond just a week every
spring, the study concluded.

"When you do something that has a $27 million impact [in Polk County], that
is huge," said Jack Walters, director of the school's College of Business
Administration, who led the study. "They would like to develop a larger
calendar of events throughout the year to leverage the high visibility of
the event."

That is in line with Sun 'n Fun's strategic plan, Burton said.

Sun 'n Fun recognized years ago that it was not using all of its assets by
hosting an event only one week out of the year, said Burton, who was hired
to expand the organization from the fly-in to a year-round operation.

The organization is expanding the fly-in's core with year-round workshops
and seminars, and by providing outreach programs to the public.

A monthly Aviation Expressions lecture series during the fall and winter is
drawing a good crowd as well, Burton said.

Christopher Sherman can be reached at or
863-422-3395.