JOHNSTOWN — In 1991, U.S. Rep. John Murtha joined a relatively small defense-industry gathering at the Holiday Inn in downtown Johnstown.

In the years since, what became known as Showcase for Commerce transformed into a fast-growing, nationally known defense exhibition – with Murtha at the center of that development.

Now, organizers are pledging to carry on with Showcase in the wake of Murtha’s Feb. 8 death at age 77. But they know that the event’s signature presence cannot be replaced.

“I do believe there will be an impact without Mr. Murtha. We know that,” said Linda Thomson, president of Johnstown Area Regional Industries.

“Our charge is to take the Showcase and what it has become, and to keep it going.”

JARI and Greater Johnstown/Cambria County Chamber of Commerce had held separate business gatherings prior to the present-day incarnation of Showcase.

The chamber hosted sporadic expositions at Cambria County War Memorial Arena. The primary purpose in the 1980s was to put area business owners on display in the midst of recession and high unemployment, said Bob Layo, the chamber’s president and chief executive officer.

Also, JARI was the organizer of the 1991 defense-related conference at the Holiday Inn.

The following year, the two organizations joined forces in an effort “that really started what we have today,” Thomson said.

Layo added: “It certainly got a lot bigger as time went on.”

And there is no doubt that Murtha played a key role as he continued to climb the House of Representatives’ seniority ladder. The Johnstown-based Democrat also was a longtime member of the House Defense Appropriations Subcommittee and spent time as that organization’s chairman. Murtha saw Showcase as an important engine for job creation in his hometown.

“If you look at the national companies that were coming in looking for subcontractors, they were here because it was his district,” Layo said.

The congressman also was a constant presence at the event, including his annual Friday-morning breakfast speech, his subsequent press conference and his tours of exhibitors on the arena’s floor.

“The congressman, and his personal attention to the show, made it a priority,” Thomson said.

The event grew so much that it filled the War Memorial Arena, spilled into the newly built Pasquerilla Conference Center and even shut Napoleon Street between the two venues.

Last year, more than

170 companies and organizations signed up to attend Showcase, and booth space was sold out. Announcements included about $110 million in government contracts along with a real estate deal between Lockheed Martin AeroParts and Concurrent Technologies Corp.

Organizers say this year’s Showcase, set for June 1-4, is expected to be very similar to last year’s. About 20 to 30 companies already have registered, Thomson said.

“We’ll have a much better gauge (of attendance) in April,” she said.

Local officials have expressed confidence that the area’s defense industry, having become proficient in landing competitively bid government contracts, will continue to thrive even without Murtha.

The same philosophy may apply to Showcase, where business-to-business networking is a big part of the event.

Also, Thomson has pointed out that only competitive-contract awards – not congressional earmarks – are announced at Showcase.

Thomson and Layo believe the event has grown to the point that its reputation – not politics – lures national companies to Johnstown each year.

“We’ve started to attract nonlocal companies that wanted to come here because of our show and the businesses that were here – not just because it was politically expedient,” Thomson said.

They add that, although Showcase has grown exponentially, it remains small enough to foster networking while not overwhelming attendees.

“I’ve heard from dozens and dozens of people,” Layo said.

“They say it’s the best show they go to in the country.”

More information regarding the expo may be found at www.showcaseforcommerce.com.