I have never been to Dayton, but have read all about it. I'm not even sure if I get to travel one day to the US of A that it will be on my itinerary. But Dayton is famous the world over in amateur radio circles because of the people who plan, run and attend it. Our new, small-scale event at Rosebud in South Eastern Australia is following the same formula and it is paying off.
Attend to the people, make them welcome, help them out and show them a good time, provide good facilities (well, maybe DARA need to put in some overtime on that one, if hearsay is correct), and smile a lot. We do it, it works! People attend, leave with a good impression and next year bring more folk back with them.
No fancy gimmicks, no major expense items, a cheap one-level entry fee and tasty tucker. (Food!)
Plus...plan, plan, plan, listen to feedback and give them what they want.
It's hard work, but hey, it's a labour of love and we all have a great time.
Long live Dayton! VK3PDG Mark