| As part of its continuing effort to respond to member feedback and make the ICAS Convention a more useful and productive event for air show professionals, ICAS will be introducing several changes to this year’s big event.
On Monday, December 10, ICAS will conduct a three-hour workshop entitled “Beginner’s Guide to Social Media: Understanding and Using the Marketing Power of the Internet.” Conducted by a social media consultant, this introductory-level course will provide an overview of social media and why it works, as well as detailed discussions and explanations of all the major social media tools, from Facebook, Twitter and YouTube to LinkedIn, Flickr and Mobile smart phone apps. The social media workshop will be offered free of charge to convention delegates.
Also on Monday, December 10, ICAS will host two separate four-hour sessions on how to apply Safety Management System (SMS) philosophy to the challenges of maintaining safety in the air show environment. These two courses (one for performers in the morning; one for event organizers in the afternoon) will also be offered free of charge to ICAS Convention delegates.
For many organizations, filling out the FAA Form 7711-2 and the DD Form 2535 is a frustrating struggle with few resources for making the process simpler or clearer. At the request of members responding to post-convention evaluation surveys, ICAS will offer a 75-minute session on Monday, December 10 and it will focus exclusively on completing these two very important forms for U.S. air show event organizers. This session will be offered to all convention delegates at no additional cost.
Also on the afternoon of Monday, December 10, ICAS will host a one-hour panel discussion featuring the event coordinator’s from North America’s three military jet teams: the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds, the Royal Canadian Air Force Snowbirds, and the U.S. Navy Blue Angels. Organized and conducted as a hands-on opportunity to get specific answers to your most pressing and difficult challenges, this new program is your chance to get into the weeds on issues related to hosting a jet team.
On the afternoon of Tuesday, December 11, ICAS will host a two-part, two-hour session on how performers can best market their services to prospective air show customers. Developed specifically in response to performer requests for this kind of session, the program will begin with a one-hour introductory session and then roll right into a second hour of more advanced concepts, tactics and suggestions on air show performer marketing. This free session will offered as part of the break-out session portion of the ICAS education program.
Although full details are not yet available, this year’s education program will also include an increased emphasis on sessions and topics more suitable to veteran air show professionals. Sessions will include the challenges of developing a strong Board, important considerations in air show ticket pricing, developing and maintaining strong airport/airport manager relations, a roundtable discussion on advanced concepts in air show policy development, making effective use of media to promote your air show, a presentation by emergency response personnel from the Reno air races explaining how they executed their emergency response plan following last year’s tragic accident, and an enlightening session in which veteran air show professionals explain the lessons they learned from their biggest mistakes.
We have added a new social event. Immediately following the annual Chairman’s Banquet on the evening of Thursday, December 13, ICAS will host a new “after party” which will include dessert and a cash bar. The event will be your opportunity to recognize and congratulate this year’s ICAS award winners, and will also serve as your last chance to make contact with your air show friends and colleagues before you head home.
Other changes and additions are under development. Watch this space for additional news. But, in the meantime, make plans now to join us for this year’s convention, December 10-13 at the Paris Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada. |
