Heck many vendors from out West show up for the Expo in Kzoo. Doesn't seem like many Eastern vendors make the trip the other way. The Kzoo expo seems to be going strong (I'm going again this year) and it isn't exactly a prime airport hub. Maybe its because distances are just generally longer between population centers out west. An event held in the Midwest is going to be within a 3-4 hour drive of many large/medium sized cities and a lot of rural areas. The northwest is a hotbed of top-notch bowyers and other vendors, I would think an Expo with the proper format and location could be successful.
Burnsie