Helitech to move away from Duxford???
 

Can there be any truth in this story? Seems a bit far-fetched to me..

Helitech considers move from Duxford to non-airfield location
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I suspect this is a bargaining tool to bring down the price at Duxford.

They tried to propose this back in 03

There is a lot of old school pressure to go to ExCeL..... on the basis that it will focus the attention on sales.

As we all know the place has its magic.

There comes a time where the IWM might see the Helitech team as its prisoner..... up goes the price .......its a case of who flinches first!

or are they thinking along the lines of Heli Expo with indoor displays?

Looking at the article, the last sentence mentions how two exhibitions in Europe were canned, is that supposed to mean that Helitech which has been running over 2 decades albeit in odd years, will be under threat?

Back in the day I attended Helitech at Redhill. Not sure why it moved from there, but Duxford appears to be a better facility so would be a shame if it moved again.

I think it left Redhill because there was not enough hard standing area, remember the last two times the show was there it rained heavily and the place was a mess. Hope it stays at Duxford, nice to fly in there and the atmosphere is special, I for one won t be attending if it moves to London.

The mention of the cancelled shows is only part of it.... the events organisers have changed ownership and the characters actually doing the job have changed almosts annually. Lots of blood letting in this market. You may recall the Helicopter Show that did not happen at Silverstone... the characters involved in that were once part of Helitech and it was the new/current Helitech that was at the centre of getting the Silverstone event crippled......

Watch your back seems to be the pattern here!

If they did decide to go to ExCeL there may be plenty waiting in the wings to spread the acid and repay past 'favours'.....:E

PAN,

Hmmm you're suggesting it could be all out war in the boardroom perhaps?? :) :E:mad:

Though whats the real real reason behind the Excel proposal? If its old skool then surely for over 2 decades they appreciated the outdoor scene!!

Unless Reed are secretly own a percentage of the Excel Centre ....:}

chopper2004 is correct - think 'Heli-Expo' meets 'National Lampoon's European Vacation.'

I/C

Well folks its official 2013 - Excel, 2014, Berlin
 

I've just had an email confirming the move to ExCel.

Home - Helitech

I'm pretty sure I will have another one in a few months confirming its cancellation.

A shame, it used to be a reasonable day out.

A helicopter show without helicopters flying in and out to a helipad on the day doesn't really inspire me to visit. I won't be going.

shy

yup wont be going for same reason, unless London City will accept helicopters on the days

To visit no more!
 

Well I for one have not missed a Helitech since the early days at Redhill.

Duxford was something special, and I for one will not be visiting the exhibition at the new Venue!

Hopefully someone will come along and hold a replacement for Helitech at a suitable venue.

An airfield not too far from Cambridge would be ideal, especially if there are other interesting historic attractions for the family nearby, museums perhaps!

tigerfish:(

"A helicopter show without helicopters flying in and out to a helipad on the day doesn't really inspire me to visit. I won't be going."

Wot 'e said.

Yup. Big mistake.

Phil

There is of course another aspect to this in that in another press release on this subject it is stated that in future Helitech is to be an annual 'wandering willie' helicopter show and will appear in Berlin in 2014 [and perhaps never return to the UK on a regular basis?].

Annual helicopter show. There is one of those each year in the USA.

This stance from Helitech is of course exactly the opposite to the message they were putting out when destroying the Silverstone show.

OK so its an industry ploy to kick away the potential competitor from your path by fair means or foul. [looks like foul won this time] but remember that they then said that 'industry does not want and annual show'.......

Reed has a good Pedigree in Helitech based on it being a UK show, the earlier foray to Helitech Portugal [the bottom left hand corner of Europe] failed by location so where it goes needs to be carefully judged. Duxford worked.

There is another annual Helicopter Show already.... for a decade it has been quietly sitting in the Czech Republic [Hradec Kralove 18-19 May 2012 and 9-11 May 2013] ....... this looks as if REED could be out to destroy that and any other competitors as well.

Then there would be no choice.:{

Even if it's the only one we won't be exhibiting in London. As you say, Duxford worked and foreign shows are way disruptive. Three days at a show without a distraction like the war museum is just too much. I usually see all the people I want to see in the first morning anyway.

Not only that, I wasn't terribly happy with their customer service at the last one.

phil

Agree completely, a helicopter event next to City Airport, no chance to fly in, not a good move, the whole experience was watered down on the move to Duxford, however at least it retained the helicopter movements, this will deter alot of exhibitors and visitors from going. Also we have been here before with the London Air Show, not a great success either.

We need a new event to cater for the industry!

I also agree a Helicopter Show you can't fly in and is not even easily travelled to, is a complete waste.
Coupled with the fact that if you wanted to find out about the products on offer and couldn't....

Is NPAS running this as well :E:E:E

Hmmmm with the 'International' emphasised on the tittle, the location in Excel (Reed's not exactly excelling in this case :}:}:mad:) I'm wondering if its for the benefit of those flying into any of the London Airports all bar the Kiddies one.

Does anyone know / heard of anyone flying in from abroad moaning about the hassle to come up to my old neck of the woods in Cambridge from LHR, LGW LCY in recent years and somehow the organisers might have heard a moan or two, then felt compelled that it to be London or bust to make it more convenient for anywhere outside UK?

Agreed with PAN, Heli Expos been runnning damn near 6 deacdes every year, so why rival it. Plus every other year, pre term time, theres either Paris or Farnborough organise half if not a year earlier not to mention the Berlin Airshow :) :)

I'm also hoping this will continue to be a free event as my gut instinct is telling me,
that with the cost of hiring exhibition halls, it may not be a free lunch for long.

Cheers

Helicopter movements at London City Airport
 

I very much doubt that ANY helicopters will be allowed to land at LCY during Helitech 2013. There is a Section 52 Agreement which specifically prohibits helicopter movements at LCY.

Interesting feedback !I have been attending HeliTech since the very first one in Aberdeen...indoors with a conference timetable and no helipad equalled disaster.
The move to Redhill and fly in arrangements worked well,amd that continued at Duxford where exhibitors and visitors by my conversations appreciated the difference and more relaxed setting compared with HeliExpo.
The latter works because it is the American way to have big Conventions .Not so sure in UK and Europe with different languages,customs and approach to shows.Portugal failed..so did Geneva and the Helicentre at ILA Berlin this year and previously was poorly attended too.
Furthermore the hassle for many to travel to east London ,not to mention hotel costs for the smaller exhibitors is bound to impact on numbers.
Will be interesting to watch the progress over the coming months.

I rather suspect that Reed's have shot themselves in the foot and would not be at all surprised to see an alternative to Helitech 2013 in the offing.

As someone who worked on Helitech for 9 years this is very sad news!:(

Silverstone
 

All is not lost; we will relaunch The Helicopter Show at Silverstone for 2014. It’s 30% less expensive than Helitech, no landing fees, central UK location, in a purpose-built exhibition and conference centre overlooking the static park, and promises a really good day out. Our organising team was involved in – iand for several years owned – Helitech from its launch in 1986 in the days of Captain Eric Brown & Jan Willem Sturman up until 2005 so we have a bit of an understanding of our role as organisers

Count me in.....

Phil

Count me in shame it's not next year

Can't we also have a poll set up to monitor either to support a helitech move or not, then see what reed think about it

Silverstone, yes please.

How about one show on Adriatic seaside in May 2013. :cool:

Couldn't agree more 9A+ :ok:

And suggest San Nicolò airport (aka Venice-Lido "Giovanni Nicelli"). ;)

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-8...+Lekner%29.jpg
Elidolomiti's A109K2 I-AGKL ay San Nicolò (Giovanni Nicelli) on 20th July 2008 (Photo: Julian Lekner)

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Agree, nice one, but me considering bit bigger one....
check PM pls

Helitech 2013 organisers confirm no day visitors by air

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Helitech 2013 - an embuggerance?
 

I don't know about anyone else but this whole thing appears not to have been thought through. At all, it seems to me. What's the 'no space for daily visitors to the event' mean? So we cannot come out of the City to the event (assuming we are there in teh first place), but are required to congregate at unspecified 'consolidation points' for transportation to Excel. On a personal yardstick I shall be thinking very hard about whether I attend - East Anglia to Duxford is a relatively easy run by car, not expensive, no hassle and an enjoyable day or two; with the prospect of witnessing flying 'machinery' of all kinds. London, by contrast, does not tick any of those boxes - VFR

Helitech 2013
 

EHA behind this?

Probably.

http://www.sherv.net/cm/emo/laughing/rolling.gif

C’mon and stop the wining, this could actually turn helitech into proper “heli-expo like” expedition in up to date facilities not just some sheds build out in a field the week before.
There must be plenty of other “fly-in” events for you guys to show off
You can’t fly your private bird to Heli-Expo and there’s been no problems with that.
It must be that Helitech is answering demands from the big exhibitors, the ones who pay the most.

The great unknown in this debate is whether it is those on Rotorheads that are right or Reed.

With the best will in the world I doubt very much that the majority of the buying attendees of the Helitech we know [as opposed to the one in the future] are going to be in this forum giving a view. The important figures in the industry - the executives who sign off on the Billion pound deals - are probably largely missing and the call is whether the debate here has enough representation of the people that matter to what Helitech now is about.

So we, the pilots, enthusiasts and coal face workers [that I assume are the main attendees of Rotorheads] voting against the Reed decision mean nothing sensible. We all know that the main footfall of both Helitech and Heli-Expo relates to those that might be labelled 'spotters' to a greater or lesser degree.

The other call is whether those flying in aboard a mix of machines fall into the category of those that buy one second hand machine every 5 years or ten brand new super-copters every year.

Now if behind all those secretive handles here on Rotorheads there is a 'Mr Bond' [or even two] there may well be a need for a declaration of their identities! :cool:

PA

Not sure that is true, I dont think Mr Bond waits for Helitech or HeliExpo to go and have a look then decide to buy ! The show is more around the small to medium operator with small companies show casing their wares. I think the big boys are only there as the other big boys are there, but only showing their smaller wares. After all what company is going to turn away Mr X who likes the look of a new 350 and has cash to spend and has just flown in in his R44 !!