Trade Shows advice

[jemax]

Hi all,

I have only been in the Helicopter business for just over a year and am a 210 hour piston pilot, so no experience of Helitech or any other aviation trade shows.

Question is what advice can anyone give me to help build contacts and potential future job opportunities at the show?

Reason I ask is in my previous career I have been to many trade shows, but usually the people running stands are busy selling their own product without wanting to be hassled by Wannabee's.

Are there any particularly dead times, early or late when it would be better to grab people's attention? Would exhibitors be open to this type of approach or would I create a name for myself by bugging people? My aim is to get to the 250hours and start instructing, so would like to gear my efforts in that direction.

Any advice at all would be appreciated

[uncle ian]

The exhibitors at these shows pay an exhorbitant amount to be there. They really don't want to be spending time advising newcomers to the business unless they see a potential customer. We are all potential customers so they ought to pay you as much attention as any other visitor but reality is that, for the most part, they see you as a pain in the ****.

Good luck anyway!

[Flingwing207]

An anecdote to allay your fears:

In 2002, I combined a visit to the school I ended up attending (Helicopter Adventures) with a trip to Heli-Expo in Orlando. I had exactly 4.1 hours in helicopters (and a lot of study). In regestering for the event, I put as a company name the name of a video-production business I had formed and run a few years earlier - EdgeWorks.

I had a bit of experience wandering around big trade shows, but was still amazed by the mass of aircraft, technology and people. I just stopped by every booth that looked interesting (from self-propelled helipads to NVG demonstrations). Most cases people would ask what "EdgeWorks" was, so I (being fleet of mind) told them it was a "just-in-time training video production company", for instance if you wanted to quickly make a video to help a mechanic install that Huey tail boom upgrade (It was only a partial fabrication, I had done quite a few training tapes in the past). I ended up writing my phone number on the back of a few business cards!

Anyway, I got to the Schweizer exhibit where they had a silent auction on a 1200-hour 300CB. I knew just enough to know what a helicopter like this would sell for, so I dropped in a lowball (but realistic) bid. I also got to meet Paul Schweizer, who was quite happy to talk to a low-hour student. (A week later, I got an email telling me that while I did not win the bid for the 300CB, they considered it a serious offer and here were three more for sale, was I interested?)

In the end, I had met a few folks and learned a LOT about the industry side of things. I had tried ANVIS-10 NVG goggles, three flight simulators and had coffe and chocolate biscuits courtesy of Eurocopter. I saw a really big Bambi Bucket. I talked with representatives of all the big operators there, they also seemed happy to talk to a student pilot, and it helped paint a picture of the level of professionalism required to succeed.

I would say just go there and be the person you are. You won't be applying for a job at the show, but you may well meet the person who will be interviewing you down the road. Hey you're going to the show because you're a helicopter geek, right? Just don't knock anything over!

[jemax]

Fortune favours the brave, just really excited about going to my first Heli trade show as a Pilot, hope I don't end up babbling too much.

Guess it's about enthusiasm and hopefully making a good impression.

Thanks

[PANews]

Which day?

I suggest you avoid the first day and aim for the last [Thursday]. By then most of the business frenzy will have died down.

This year there will be some major visitor extractions to a nearby conference on the first day so you might expect the Wednesday to be busier than in previous years.

If you are not in a full-blown hurry spend a day getting them to talk to you or just waiting and watching and then go in on another day with a game plan formulated overnight.

Good luck

[tall and tasty]

jemax


I am a freshman to this too, my aviation history has been with the planks of the trade. But I am just going to go along and when allowed off our stand just wander around and find out who's who what companies have to offer and what is generally out there.

Good advice about just be you as alot of people can see through someone pretending to be something they are not especaily as the industry is close knit.

It is a good opportunity to network by just asking a few questions, taking brouchures and being interested in the product they are promoting.

Maybe bump into you there

Good luck

TnT

:ok: