Trade Shows / Air Shows
Posted on | January 2, 2010 | No Comments
When you think about trade shows, most of the time you’re thinking about going to check out the boats, cars, electronics or new products. I’ve been to all kinds of trade shows looking at new products that were coming to market; sometimes, I have a booth or serve as a representative for our company at a trade show.
I had never really considered the work involved in setting up a trade show until I was placed in charge of coordinating an airshow from my days in the Navy. It’s amazing how many different kinds of trade show booths and variations of display tables that are on the market.
The thing is that the Navy didn’t really let me go crazy with spending money on the display tables so we had to scrounge for set up ideas. We found tables in the warehouse and made our own banner stands
for some of the premium displays like the F-22 Raptor and F/A-18 Super Hornet. At that airshow, we hosted the Thunderbirds. They were a little better funded and brought their own pipe and drape displays. It was set up like a VIP room where people could go in and meet the pilot’s just off of the airfield. The Navy did allow me to pick-up some nice table skirts for some of our display tables!
I prefer it that way. I didn’t want to waste tax payers dollars unneccessarily. For the most part, people are coming to see the planes fly. Everything else is for comfort and for entertainment between the flying sessions. People get to walk around and meet the pilots, sometimes go inside the aircraft static displays. Vendors always come in to sell models, t-shirts, patches, food and beverages. Many times the squadrons also sell their gear such as coins, t-shirts and patches.
If you’ve never been to an airshow, it’s free to the public and a great display of your tax payer dollars at work. There’s a great sense of pride and excitement. Go early, get a good seat, check out the static aircraft, and have a great time. Don’t forget your sunblock!!!
Comments
Leave a Reply