SASP To Expand In 2022

The Strategic Air Show Partnership (SASP) program operated by ICAS and the ICAS Foundation will expand in 2022.

During the 2021 air show season, ICAS conducted two national social media marketing programs in the mid-summer and early fall to raise air show awareness throughout the United States and Canada. These continent-wide campaigns were paid for by ICAS.

In addition, ICAS and the Foundation collaborated to conduct a series of local social media campaigns focused on promoting ticket sales to specific shows in specific communities. Although ICAS provided the creative components and the project management time and resources, the advertising placement fees were paid for with a small (25 or 50 cent) fee that seven participating air shows added to their on-line ticket transaction and then directed to the ICAS Foundation at the conclusion of their event. Participating shows included Oregon International Airshow, Thunder over Michigan, Wings over Houston, California Capital Airshow, Wings over North Georgia Air Show, Minden-Tahoe Aviation Roundup, and Atlantic Canada International Air Show.

Each one of the local social media campaigns was developed with a built-in continuous feedback loop. Every time a post or ad was sent out through Facebook, ICAS analyzed the results and used them to improve the next series of ad buys. And the data analytics generated for show #1 were used as the starting point for show #2. Everything learned from show #1 and show #2 was then used to target the campaign for show #3. And all of the data for all of the shows was shared with all of the seven participating shows. So, participating events were learning at a rate much faster than the standard one-show-per-year rate.

This beta test-type roll-out in 2021 has paved the way for a more extensive program in 2022. ICAS will once again run a general air show awareness program throughout the United States and Canada, but the money spent on the seven local campaigns this year will increase three-fold.

Air shows interested in learning more about or participating in the Strategic Air Show Partnership program are encouraged to reach out by email to Adam Glowaski, ICAS Director of Marketing at aglowaski@airshows.aero.