Well it is done, over.
It is so easy to criticise the whole thing.
A couple of halls in ExCel, in truth two thirds of the floor space was drones not Helitech.
The 300 exhibitors, 100 speakers a misrepresentation, there is an alternative word, the 45 or so actual attending exhibitors mainly unhappy with the footfall and just two helicopters and an autogyro to kick the tyres/skids of.
It was not the Duxford Helitech we say we recall, no Redhill wellies required, indeed Vertical Flight at Farnborough was bigger.
But it worked on many levels.
In that hall were the industry. Emergency Services, CAA, the MROs. Yes they were not exhibiting which must have been painful for the organisers but (if you are any good at people spotting) they were there and dozens of conversations and meeting were taking place with the exhibitors who were equally aware of the identities of their anonymous visitors. The biggest pain may have been felt by the exhibitors who did not know who they were in the presence of.
At the end of day one a straw poll showed grounds for a disaster that many had predicted. At the end of day two by which time many of those important people had returned because they had not finished their intended business there was a wholly different attitude. I am aware that several exhibitors signed up for next year.
There are caveats, but Helitech was not a business disaster.