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Just like the rest of Oshkosh, the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh campus will be taken over by airplane enthusiasts and visitors during the annual Experimental Aircraft Association’s annual AirVenture.

This year, AirVenture runs July 23-29. Approximately 4,500 guests will occupy UW Oshkosh residence halls–coming from all 50 states and about 25 countries, including Australia, Brazil, Germany, New Zealand and others, said Marc Nylen, director at Gruenhagen Conference Center on the UW Oshkosh campus.

“This is an amazing opportunity for us to play a role in shaping and influencing the guest experience of EAA AirVenture as a whole by availing the rich and varied resources of our campus,” Nylen said.

Campus guests will, of course, use UW Oshkosh residence halls, but they also will experience campus through dining at Blackhawk Commons and Reeve Memorial Union and working out at the Student Recreation and Wellness Center. Bus stops near Gruenhagen aid in getting visitors to and from the EAA grounds on the south side of Oshkosh.

Nylen helps an EAA guest

Nylen said it takes a team of six full-time staff and about 50 student workers to make sure the guests who are lodging at UWO for the week have a great experience.

“Each and every year, it is truly a homecoming, and ‘family reunion’ of sorts as guests look forward to their return to the City of Oshkosh, the UW Oshkosh campus and the EAA AirVenture grounds,” Nylen said.

UWO has been opening its doors to AirVenture visitors for nearly 45 years, Nylen said. It’s a point of pride for the University and an opportunity for student workers to leverage their expertise through interactions with people from all over the world.

“This gathering of aviation enthusiasts is massively important to our Gruenhagen Conference Center conference services operation, as is the single largest convention lodging opportunity that we offer each year,” Nylen said. “We are humbly grateful to each and every guest who chooses to lodge with us. They are special human beings, and it is a privilege to welcome them back annually.”

A welcome social will be held Thursday, July 26, to formally welcome our EAA AirVenture guests back to campus.
Travelers looking for last-minute accommodations should call the Guest Reservations Center at (920) 424-3226 or email uwoeaa@lists.uwosh.edu.
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