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Chamber touts aerospace gains and warns Tinker & the Primes may outgrow Reed Center
Summary
The Midwest City Chamber reported membership gains and previewed the Tinker and the Primes aerospace conference; Chamber CEO Shana Bennett said exhibitor demands may force the event outside the Reed Center unless market research yields solutions, prompting council requests for earlier, deeper coordination.
Shana Bennett, president and CEO of the Midwest City Chamber of Commerce, told council the chamber’s membership is up and previewed the upcoming Tinker and the Primes international aerospace conference, which she said will bring about 1,300 attendees, roughly 72 exhibitors and several international partners to the Reed Center next week.
Bennett emphasized the conference’s economic benefits, including supplier interviews and vendor participation. She said some prime contractors and exhibitors have asked for larger exhibit footprints than the Reed Center can currently accommodate, and the chamber has begun market research to determine whether moving portions of the event off-site will better serve exhibitors and preserve the conference’s future in the region. Bennett named high-level speakers planned for the conference and said the event helps position Midwest City in aerospace attraction efforts.
Several council members expressed concern they had not been included earlier in preliminary discussions about vendor logistics and venue options and asked the chamber for more regular communication. "When there is something to report and a plan has been developed, those conversations — I’ll be more than happy to provide those presentations," Bennett said, and she committed to producing board lists and updates to city staff as market research proceeds.
Next steps: The chamber will continue market research, and council asked staff and chamber leadership to coordinate on logistics so the event’s local economic benefits are maximized and the city is part of future venue‑planning conversations.
