Aviation demands innovation. Alternative fuels, remote technology and electric aircraft advancements require applying new skills, knowledge and tools to proven systems.
The Aeronautical Repair Station Association’s 2021 Annual Conference illustrates this dynamic. Team ARSA turned a four-day in-person March event into a livestreamed television experience. Its success reflects the aviation industry’s history of stimulating creativity while staying faithful to foundational concepts. The “foundation” of the conference’s success is the experience that brings speakers, sponsors and participants back year-over-year no matter how the content is delivered.
Making the transition from a familiar in-person event, to a four-day-long live broadcast, was an exercise in focus on the essence of innovative success — provide the best elements of the event in a new way.
High-Level Engagement
Since 2018, Conference Week has kicked off with a day of high-level meetings between leading ARSA members and senior U.S. executive branch officials. These “Executive to Executive Briefings” (or E2E) improve the government, foster industry engagement and educate policymakers about maintenance industry needs. This year’s agenda included visits with the U.S. Departments of State, Labor and Commerce, as well as the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
The most hair-raising part of that first day is getting from one meeting to another. Going to the “home turf” of each administrative agency is impactful — how many folks can say they’ve been to the White House and four government agencies in one day? On the other hand, it means hustling down sidewalks, hailing taxis or rideshare cars, navigating security checkpoints and filling unfamiliar conference rooms.
This year, getting to the next meeting simply required logging into a new online session. The result: participants connecting from Alaska to Costa Rica were able to have the same meaningful exchange without fear of losing identification cards, taking off belts and shoes seven times in a day or missing lunch, not to mention anything important going on back at the office.
Hands-On Participation
The annual Legislative Day brings the maintenance industry’s most-invested advocates to the U.S. Capital City. Armed with ARSA’s legislative priorities and their own knowledge and concerns, these grassroots leaders wear out shoe leather crisscrossing Capitol Hill for meetings with members of Congress, staffers and committee personnel. With the release of ARSA’s Annual Fleet & MRO Market Forecast and the presentation of the association’s Legislative Leadership Award, the day showcases the maintenance industry and creates a platform for industry leaders to advocate for their companies and workers.
Traditionally, Legislative Day has been an intense exercise in scheduling meetings in the busy Capitol Hill environment. ARSA’s most-persistent members pride themselves in packing four, five, even six individual meetings into a single day, ping-ponging between short sessions with House and Senate offices.
In 2021, Legislative Day participants were encouraged to set up online meetings for March 10 but were reminded that thanks to technology, they could be flexible and even continue engagement after the event was over. As ARSA’s chief lobbyist Christian Klein knows well, most offices on the Hill have become quite adept at video meetings. Decoupling engagement from a single trip to Washington opens a year-long set of opportunities to connect.
Hard Hitting Insight
The Repair Symposium remains the backbone of the conference experience. Registrants mark their calendars for both the keynote address and “Opening Salvo” conversations with international regulators. Discussions moderated by ARSA regulatory experts span an entire morning and provide a roadmap to the complex international system of regulations and bilateral agreements. Rounding out the day were industry-focused sessions on workforce development and industry business conditions. Symposium content offers a primer for repair stations to comply, survive and thrive.
Those who participated in the Annual Conference got used to hearing me reference “four continents of engagement.” For those who weren’t there — I hope you’ll access the recordings — the 2021 Opening Salvo included presentations from the U.S. FAA, UK CAA, EASA, ANAC Brazil, Transport Canada and the Chinese CAAC. While ARSA has always enjoyed strong global participation, thanks to technology, it reached unprecedented levels at in 2021.
Helpful Partnership
Conference week always closes with the association’s annual meeting — a time that highlights the association’s achievements and solicits input about future activities. A high-demand global industry provides few opportunities for the slow pace of personal connection. Three hours spent together debating and shaping the association’s world-wide priorities facilitates new initiatives and renewed commitment to tackling longstanding and new challenges.
This year the last day of production allowed — with a special guest appearance by FAA associate administrator for aviation safety Ali Bahrami — the core of the association’s team to speak directly to its most-involved members. The day produced some of the week’s best moments, demonstrating the personal engagement and value of the people who make the association work.
Making Innovation Live On
The association’s innovative approach to its proven system allows the event to live on past the livestream. Visit arsa.org/conference for information about accessing the event’s recordings and content.
When finding alternatives — whether powering an aircraft or presenting an event — the end goal is to use new or better technologies efficiently and effectively. The new way may never replace the old — in-person is better than livestream for most humans — but it can, and did, deliver an equivalent result. Further, it will enhance the traditional in-person event by ensuring speakers and attendees from anywhere in the world can participate.
Brett Levanto is vice president of operations of Obadal, Filler, MacLeod & Klein, P.L.C. managing firm and client communications in conjunction with regulatory and legislative policy initiatives. He provides strategic and logistical support for the Aeronautical Repair Station Association.
