Helitech World Expo - 2021 [Archive]

KiwiNedNZ

1st Jun 2020, 21:33

Anyone know anything about this ??

Seems like a lot of hype over something that bombed last time. This company Prsym seems to have bought it from Reed but they are making the same mistake - holding it at Excel centre. And their list of exhibitors is just the list of those who were at Vertical Flight Expo 2019 - and I doubt many of them will be back.

Helitech 2021 (https://www.helitechworld.com/)Introducing Helitech World ExpoPrysm Group is delighted to announce the launch of Helitech World Expo, Europe’s largest event for the helicopter sector.

Welcoming 300 exhibitors and over 3,000 visitors, Helitech World Expo will empower the industry to reimagine the possibilities and get the edge in technology innovation, by connecting with the products, people and ideas that will transform the VTOL community over the next five years.

With innovative features including the Live Fly-in, Training Simulator, The Showroom, and the Masterclasses Programme, anyone with a commercial interest in the helicopter sector should be at the event.

The new event will be held on the 14 & 15 April 2021 at the ExCeL Centre, London. Join us as we connect you with products, people and ideas to fully succeed in the helicopter sector.

https://www.helitechworld.com/showimages/rural_blogs/topimage/ruralblog_24232.jpg (https://www.helitechworld.com/showimages/rural_blogs/topimage/ruralblog_24232.jpg)Share This Post On Social Media:

chopper2004

1st Jun 2020, 22:10

Should bring it back to my original neck of the woods at Duxford tbh..

So are the OEMs gonna play ball this time around or will it be left with European Rotors in Cologne?

cheers

PANews

2nd Jun 2020, 09:23

We tend to blame the failure of Helitech on not being at Duxford. I think we should see that the success of Helitech at Duxford as the success of the location rather than the event. Duxford is pretty unique and there are signs that even putting a helicopter show at a similar venue will not work either. ExCel is no worse that the RAI Amsterdam and yet that worked to a point. European Rotors the new European version of Helitech [dismembered] is scheduled for Cologne in November. That venue is as yet unseen but I see it as an ExCel/RAI in Cologne. No chance to fly in your personal helicopter even if there are airliners by then.

Industry is [apparently] supporting European Rotors despite it having all the wrong things with it that are cited for the ExCel/Farnborough event. No aerial access being the main gripe.

There is another helicopter show in the UK that has been attempting to take on the mantle of a new Helitech and that struggles. Heli-Expo may not have been to Duxford but it has tried various 'live airfield' venues over recent years [Wycombe and Sywell] that can be flown into by business or private flyers but it has not thrived. Nothing similar seems to work to well no matter where it is based. Unless the magic is wholly Duxford or Redhill before it.

The Helitech revival event last year at Farnborough did not work and neither did the event proposed for Silverstone a few years back. Despite it being cited as the prime reason that post Duxford failed, the Farnborough event offered a free fly-in option but few came [and I know the November weather was vile].

There is perhaps another important aspect that is rarely appreciated.

The key is the people that run the event and how they run the event. If either of those aspects is flawed neither industry or the people with come. As those usually nice people at HAI illustrated comprehensively a few years ago with a venue in Kentucky. It was financially a dead cert for the organisers but the attendees got a whiff of not being appreciated and did not enjoy a share in the organisers good fortune. They soon turned their backs. As a result no-one turned out in great numbers in 2016 and this year HAI was not in Louisville, Kentucky!
All things have a positive though. Those that did attend Louisville 2016 were able to have something like a dozen free Tote Bags each to take home.......

So Helitech World Expo could prevail but it mainly depends on the organisers understanding and appreciating the customer and putting on what the customer wants not what they, the organisers, think they want.

md 600 driver

2nd Jun 2020, 11:21

What they don’t seem to understand is that they had a great show at Redhill and Duxford which are both airfields and allowed visitors by air without restriction

they moved to excel, no fly in allowed visitors plummeted
then they moved to Farnborough visitors could fly in but it was extremely difficult and a lot of hoops to flyin Visitors really weren’t welcomed

now back to excel which I wouldn’t mind betting fails too

shame it was a good show

helipixman

2nd Jun 2020, 17:18

Well said md 600 driver

I was a regular visitor at all of the Redhill and Duxford Helitech shows, thats when it was a proper show with up to 80+ helicopters flying in each day bringing in potential customers. The halls always seemed to be full of people, lots of static helicopters to look at etc.

The new organisers need to look at going back to the old way of allowing fly-in visitors... more people more customers. If not the organisers should drop the heli part of the title and just concentrate on the tech side. Like many others I know I am not going to visit until the helicopter gets the prime spot and visitors are able to fly in ! Its over to the organisers, after all helicopters are so versatile and you won't see any flying in an exhibition hall ! an airfield yes ?

I have a feeling this will fall on deaf ears ?

Hughes500

3rd Jun 2020, 14:45

I was asked to exhibit by the new people. They were trying to get smaller companies to exhibit with the promise of fly into Excel and ensuring a target audience would be there !

helipixman

3rd Jun 2020, 18:41

I was asked to exhibit by the new people. They were trying to get smaller companies to exhibit with the promise of fly into Excel and ensuring a target audience would be there !
Promise of fly in to Excel ? Have they got room for parking 80+ helicopters ? Duxford and Redhill did

Bell_ringer

3rd Jun 2020, 19:42

md 600 driver

4th Jun 2020, 08:36

Its a common theme, but realistically, what percentage of attendees actually want to fly in?
With the exception of demo aircraft etc.
From the numbers required to make an event profitable, I would be amazed if that was a major factor to the success of an event.
Exhibiting is a huge expense, if anything, this is the problem.

The exhibitors want to see potential purchasers the percentage of potential purchasers in the attendees increase with flyin visitors these are proven potential purchasers , I personally bought two helicopters at Heli tech in the uk at Duxford and Redhill it was a place you could go and see most new helicopters that were for sale arrange test flights but also you could go and look at various enhancements,training and maintenance items for your existing helicopter
Being a northerner Getting to excel on a train takes over 3 hours there and over 3 hours To return Plus time getting to railway station and return so upto 4.5 hours each way which means a overnight stay or a very short visit
For door to door from home to excell would be 1.5 hours if flyin was available at excell
Surely the exhibitors need to do Good business at the show , it costs them a fortune to Exhibit and if they don’t do additional business it’s not worth them exhibiting ,
Redhill and Duxford was also a place where helicopter owners ,pilots,training businesses would be able to meet up and network ,you could also go and see representatives from the CAA
The show organisers need to learn from the past

when the show was at Duxford and Redhill and flyin was allowed all helicopter manufacturers and their agents were exhibiting along with all the other associated aviation exhibitors

when the show moved and no flyin Or very limited flyin was allowed Visitor numbers were low and Not many helicopter manufacturers and their agents Bothered to attend

Point Made

KiwiNedNZ

4th Jun 2020, 08:45

Its a common theme, but realistically, what percentage of attendees actually want to fly in?

Bellringer - did you ever go to Duxford ?? If so then you wouldnt need to ask that question.

Back in the Duxford days there were rows and rows of helos of people visiting Helitech, in fact a lot of them even came from across the channel as well. I even remember when we had a couple of Apaches visit :)

These aircraft came and went all day and provided a lot of traffic for the exhibitors. They had shuttle buses that would go back and forth around the airfield to pick up crews and pax. It really was something and they were all traffic for the exhibitors.

Cheers

Ned

helipixman

7th Jun 2020, 15:47

This is what a helicopter show did look like and if the organisers take heed may look like again in the future !!

https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/2000x1325/helitech5_8b785f293f3a304f0972a004cb174b33f5363455.jpg
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/2000x1325/helitech6_58c8bad3a62a1b25d208fe9313675a5a57e4ebfa.jpg
https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/791x1202/helitech1_5d1700ef0317a520b9d6f052360f5222f36782b5.jpg
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/1211x791/helitech2_0607872ab49bd2c2ac04f23ca43bd60d7019b752.jpg
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/2000x1325/helitech3_bb5a1c7c5002e644e4e6aa08c70856dd0cf59c5f.jpg
https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/2000x1325/helitech4_7447ecaf597d1b32af70c11063f58225478f4909.jpg
All photos by Helipixman

helihub

10th Jun 2020, 16:56

Helitech (and it's 2019 rebrand Vertical Flight Expo) were run by Reed Exhibitions. The Sep19 event bombed, and Reed sold it to another expo company, who have resurrected the Helitech name in their rebrand. I'm yet to work out whether the new owners have figured that
(1) running a trade event two weeks before Heli-Expo may not be great timing. How many exhibitors will put their money into both events?
(2) given the event is back in a central London expo hall, the costs will be high for the organisers. They are not charging for entry, so they can only recoup their costs through expensive booth space. Will that work?
(3) the European Rotors event (this November) has tied up all the manufacturers because it has the full support of EHA and EASA. Will the manufacturers commit to two European events?
(4) the European Rotors event is being built around a long-running Rotorcraft Safety Conference, so it's not a "new event" as such and will already have some key people attending anyway.

md 600 driver

10th Jun 2020, 18:55

chopper2004

15th Jul 2021, 12:48

Any updates? I had a gander at the recent website and theres no mention of the OEMs? I did speak to someone at Prysm last week and they kinda hinted it was work in progress to chat with the OEMs.

Also there might be 4/5 helos on static display inside and possibly a few outside, but again they stressed it was a B2B event. My impression is having any rotorcraft on display is not high on their prirority but I could be wrong. But in saying that I guess with post covid, be lucky to get anything up and running.

Cheers

SASless

15th Jul 2021, 16:50

Bellringer - did you ever go to Duxford ?? If so then you wouldnt need to ask that question.

Back in the Duxford days there were rows and rows of helos of people visiting Helitech, in fact a lot of them even came from across the channel as well. I even remember when we had a couple of Apaches visit :)

These aircraft came and went all day and provided a lot of traffic for the exhibitors. They had shuttle buses that would go back and forth around the airfield to pick up crews and pax. It really was something and they were all traffic for the exhibitors.

Cheers

Ned

Amen! Duxford is the exact right place for many reasons! The place reeks of "Aviation".....and with Shuttleworth just up the road a bit....what more could one ask for....and throw in some of the Pubs in the area....and the B&B's.....always enjoyed going there.

nomorehelosforme

17th Jul 2021, 23:24

Chpprd

18th Aug 2021, 06:46

Still see this being advertised… is anyone expecting it to go ahead in 8 weeks time? I wonder if anyone will travel for it, Brits seem happy enough abandoning their masks and enjoying their freedom whilst deaths hit 170 yesterday and over 26,000 new cases. NZ by contrast into full lockdown with one new case….

It’s obviously up to each country to make their own choices and within that framework subsequently the same for businesses and individuals too. I’m not trying to suggest one way or other is wrong or right. But - is it reasonable to assume that many will stay away or simply not be allowed to travel due to national or company policy? If so, is it not best to hold this at a later date so exhibitors and attendees can get full value from it?

md 600 driver

18th Aug 2021, 14:22

i think it will be quite safe from a Covid point of view as not many people go there now not like the old days before they changed the format

Still see this being advertised… is anyone expecting it to go ahead in 8 weeks time? I wonder if anyone will travel for it, Brits seem happy enough abandoning their masks and enjoying their freedom whilst deaths hit 170 yesterday and over 26,000 new cases. NZ by contrast into full lockdown with one new case….

It’s obviously up to each country to make their own choices and within that framework subsequently the same for businesses and individuals too. I’m not trying to suggest one way or other is wrong or right. But - is it reasonable to assume that many will stay away or simply not be allowed to travel due to national or company policy? If so, is it not best to hold this at a later date so exhibitors and attendees can get full value from it?

JimmyOs

29th Aug 2021, 15:57

I am on the fringes of the rotor world- mostly supporting Mi-17s- but we are starting to pay attention to the bigger industry as we are representing a firm selling predictive HUMS. That said, my friends in the industry seem to all be going to European Rotors in Cologne, 16-18 November 2021. My friend at an engine overhaul facility gave us a few of their passes so if it works out I'll be there this year.

I did go to HeliTech a few years ago and it was a solid show- and the musuem was fantastic.

md 600 driver

29th Aug 2021, 18:03

they were the good old days at duxford

I am on the fringes of the rotor world- mostly supporting Mi-17s- but we are starting to pay attention to the bigger industry as we are representing a firm selling predictive HUMS. That said, my friends in the industry seem to all be going to European Rotors in Cologne, 16-18 November 2021. My friend at an engine overhaul facility gave us a few of their passes so if it works out I'll be there this year.

I did go to HeliTech a few years ago and it was a solid show- and the musuem was fantastic.

KiwiNedNZ

30th Aug 2021, 18:04

MD600Driver - looks like your 600 in some of the photos :ok:

md 600 driver

30th Aug 2021, 18:34

MD600Driver - looks like your 600 in some of the photos :ok:

yes it was I didn’t notice there was 2 in the uk same colours. But that was mine as it had company name on the side

KiwiNedNZ

31st Aug 2021, 09:33

I miss those days - prob the best helicopter industry event we ever had when it was run under the Spearhead banner. I still remember the last one we went to there as we sponsored the OFMC company Spitfire to do a flying display during the lunch break.

Loved all the helos that used to fly in and park across the other side of the runway, even had the odd Apache that came and parked for a visit.

Maybe someone could make it happen again because the Reed event is total crap - in my opinion. Went to the first one in the city and never went back.

heli1

31st Aug 2021, 10:14

So true Ned.....I went to the first ones at the Excel Centre only because our company had a booth there,but declining footfall and the travel problems soon put an end to it. What's the point of a helicopter show if you can't show them off. Haven't been at all since the new crowd started "a big sell" to get people to attend .

Cyclic Hotline

31st Aug 2021, 23:34

I've attended a large number of these shows, and to be quite honest, they have lost the intent and value to the participants. Helitech was always well attended, relatively easy to access and good local accommodations that resulted in many people staying in the general area which meant you could meet and entertain the people you were there to see. It also attracted a huge number of everyday people from within the helicopter industry, which is where much of the true value came from. Excel or RAI was not a good location as it's in the middle of nowhere in a big city, which meant everyone dispersed at the end of the day and you couldn't find anyone, as they might be staying anywhere. Farnborough had a similar issue, although the venue was reasonable, the attendance was vague, and many exhibitors were thoroughly disappointed.

Personally, I find all these shows of good value as I get to engage with a lot of different people from around the World, and happen to know a large number of the attendees. Holding these shows in venues away from centres of helicopter operations has however caused a significant decline in access to the operators and individuals that are the principal reason for attending. By the same token, the helicopter industry is becoming dominated by people with not the slightest interest in helicopters, simply in the business of making money from them, and that is what the organizers seem to be targeting. Excel, Cologne or RAI is of very little value to me from a business perspective as it won't attract the customers and individuals I need to see. Our budgets are tight, many organizations still have significantly restricted travel and the continued unknown of Covid driven travel restrictions and changes, makes many hesitant to invest in this. Why bother going, if no one else is going to be there because of the location, Covid or simply because they are unsure of the value of the investment.

Eventually, someone will determine these shows are not financially viable, and there is a good chance there will be no helicopter shows in Europe once again. Perhaps then some bright spark will get down to basics and actually put on a helicopter show in a good location that includes helicopters and the people that make the business function. I am currently not planning on attending.

KiwiNedNZ

1st Sep 2021, 01:41

I know this was briefly discussed on a thread ages ago - but would Duxford even entertain the idea of another heli being held there. Just wondering if its worth the industry itself seeing if they could make a show happen back at Duxford rather than waiting for a faceless global entity like Reed Elseveer who dont really give a toss about the industry to grasp the idea that shows at places like Excel will never work. Thoughts ??

PANews

1st Sep 2021, 18:51

Whilst I totally agree that for Helitech type events Duxford worked its magic and ExCel struggled the unanswered question is 'why?'

In two weeks time there will be a really successful show on at ExCel that includes a few military helicopters and perhaps a jet fighter and a few drones. It is called DSEi and, although it is clearly not a Helitech, there are synergies and no one ever complains about where it is! In fact the number of complaints about RAI was low...... Perhaps it is a typically British thing or even a specific Duxford thing. I cannot say that returning Helitech to Redhill would have much of an attraction for me, but others may feel different. In the same vein no-one has proposed the alternative venue as Biggin Hill, Wycombe or North Weald so it is not necessarily just an outside venue easy to reach [which each of those and more are]. Two of those have Spitfires so it is not that either.

It must be a unique Duxford thing.

I have just had the line up of the speaker programme pointed out to me. So far there seem to be a couple of dozen speakers. Oddly though according to the list, so far there are around a dozen "Keynote Speakers" .... forgive me I thought Keynotes were special people and you only one or two per conference in that they set out the theme for the rest of the speakers. Over egging and devaluing the whole idea of a Keynote. Then there is the line up of speakers...

G-ARZG

2nd Oct 2021, 10:45

This looks an underwhelming event!
`Over 300 Exhibitors' they proclaim on the cover of their brochure, which includes an exhibitor list of just 109 enterprises (and even some of those are in the co-located 'Drone-X' gig). Not an auspicious prelude

PANews

2nd Oct 2021, 15:18

perhaps the 300 exhibitors are the people booked in to look after the stands!

As per my last post on DSEi the event was a little quieter, no doubt the covid factor, but no one was noticeably complaining about the location or the level of business in depressed times. The aircraft content was low and mainly provided by the USA military. Quite a few ships though. In contrast the co-located security event was deadly quiet on both days.

It will be interesting to see if Helitech World pulls its so far bad reviews back by content and audience. The event does not necessarily need to have the manufacturers except for the tyre kickers but it is clearly an uphill task the organisers face without them

PANews

6th Oct 2021, 22:20

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.

PANews

7th Sep 2022, 19:51

I do not seem to recall any thread being started on Helitech 2022.... so I will 'follow myself' in reporting on the first day of the 2022 event. Normally there are people making plans to meet there, complaining that they could not land their personal helicopter on the external car park and that the number of hardware exhibits was expected to be down on last year. None of that.

Last year there appeared to be a small chance that the organisers could get their act together and bring something of a turnaround in the fortunes of Helitech Expo.

The marketing misrepresentations of last year continued and until a few weeks ago they were still promising 300 exhibitors and speakers that really were unaware that they had a speaking slot lined up. Those details got up some noses big time.

This year the 50/50 split between 'helicopters' and drones of the Drone X show degraded to around 80/20 in favour of unmanned.

A sorry tale.

md 600 driver

7th Sep 2022, 20:00

I think The reason that on one has commented is because there is no one going so no one will be upset or bothered you can lead a horse to water but you can’t make it drink

PANews

8th Sep 2022, 08:47

Industry was there, but few on the booths, they were walking the floor and networking with those they recognised. In addition, the audiences for the presentations were pretty good as were some of the speakers who were supposed to be there. It was not a dead loss professionally but on balance those I spoke to considered that in view of the 80-20 split the event had now crossed over the line of aviation representation [versus drone] and was truly a dead loss. The high end exhibitors had already decided that they were not looking to return next year by 1pm on day 1. Some simply failed to turn up in the first place.

Bringing a Westland Lynx 3 as a centre piece was a mind boggling misunderstanding of what the event was about. The coffee was good though.

So it was not a case of no-one went, it was a fast waning business event that was not attractive to the 'ordinary' buyer that just wrecked all the little good will that remained yesterday morning.

heli1

8th Sep 2022, 08:58

Having looked through the catalogue sent to me and listening to the organisers hype ,I decided the idea of travelling to and through London by car/ train/tube was simply not a productive way of spending a day there.Looks like I was right!

Luther Sebastian

8th Sep 2022, 11:39

Majority of the stands were for drones / associated tech. Ex-Sikorsky guy I spoke to (we had time for a nice long chat, thoroughly enjoyed it) gave me to understand that they wouldn’t be back. No OEMs, they’ll be at Cologne. Think I will too. [In a green side note, I emerged from the hall after three hours with lots of brochures, but not one plastic bag!]

Hughes500

8th Sep 2022, 12:24

Organisers have been told often enough by the industry, but fallen on deaf ears I am afraid

chopper2004

3rd Sep 2023, 16:10

anyone heading down end of this month?

I have been informed there will be nil a/c on display due to the Excel's owners being blamed by the organisers. The issue is there are several other exhibitions happening so no a/c possible to be flown in and dragged in. Strange considering when DSEI is on, there thankfuuly are a/c on display either outside or inside (ok I know its mainly US Army).

I think everyones view its more DrineX than anything else.

cheers

Luther Sebastian

3rd Sep 2023, 16:51

I’ve been getting emails for weeks, then they phoned me up and I ‘explained’.

PANews

4th Sep 2023, 18:59

I’ve been getting emails for weeks, then they phoned me up and I ‘explained’.
ido not think that there will be many aerospace people gathering at ExCel, certainly few exhibitors of note, but it does attract some of the curious!

mainlya drone event all told.

helihub

5th Sep 2023, 15:34

ido not think that there will be many aerospace people gathering at ExCel, certainly few exhibitors of note, but it does attract some of the curious! mainly a drone event all told.

Agreed. Since the OEMs (under the auspices of EHA) set up European Rotors, they don't go to Helitech. EHA got EASA buy-in to co-locate the new exhibition with the latter's long-running Rotorcraft Forum, which already had hundreds attending annually in EASA's home city of Colone. Hence the first two runs of European Rotors were there - and from this year both the exhibition and the conference starts to tour Europe, initially in Madrid. Expect another country next year - likely France or Italy - but don't hold your breath for it to return to UK , which is outside EASA-land