... the numbers are down, but not anemic. According to an association source, last year's S&D attracted some 2,400 attendees; it was hoped that that number might grow this year to 3,000 for an event that has methodically been growing for the past decade. Didn’t happen.
The source estimates that some 1,900 attendees have signed up to date, with the show running Wednesday through Friday. What is most interesting about that number is that about 40 percent of those in attendance registered after the beginning of the new year. While last minute sign-ups are nothing unusual for any conference, that percentage is extraordinary. (In other words, NBAA thought it was facing a disaster, but that also didn’t happen.)
Not sure if there is a connection, but something that stood out in two interviews with charter operators today was that while both stated that business is down as much as 35 percent over a year ago, both saw "spikes" during the past few weeks. One has to wonder if others didn’t experience a spike as well, and decided that maybe the sky isn’t falling and that they ought to make sure their folks are educated and that they need to keep their shingle visible.
Meanwhile, news comes that Congress has decided that it won’t ban business aircraft use from companies that participate in the Troubled Assets Relief Program, much to the relief of many. Word is, reps from Wichita, KS went knocking on Barney Frank’s door and said they’d like to discuss jobs. Hard as it is to believe, he apparently listened. (The irony, of course, is that these same Congressmen/women who like to posture disparagingly against bizjets are the same folks who live and breathe the benefits that business aviation gives them in their jobs and on the campaign trail.)
Exhibitors at Schedulers & Dispatchers 2009 see this event as a gauge of what’s to come in the year ahead. It’s not as bad as many expected. There are a few no-shows among exhibitors – companies that ‘ate’ the exhibit fee but felt they were ahead by not spending money to send representatives to hawk their wares. Understandable, but not a good marketing move. One new customer can justify the expense. Hiding the company shingle at a time when new business is a priority makes little sense.
Whether or not S&D '09 is a gauge for the rest of the year is difficult to tell, of course. But it’s an indicator – after all, from an exhibiting standpoint, this is a second-tier event. As those two charter companies both stressed today, this is a time to reevaluate, cut unnecessary costs, and call on employees to put thought into how the company can be more efficient without resorting to layoffs or worse. It’s also a time to keep the company shingle visible.
Thanks for reading. jfi