Warm Welcome for Asian Aerospace at Farnborough
19 July 2006 - Farnborough Air Show - Reed Chalet A19
Clive Richardson's speech at Breakfast Briefing
Warm Welcome for Asian Aerospace at Farnborough
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Asian Aerospace International Expo and Congress 2007, to be held at the brand new, US$300 million AsiaWorld-Expo venue in Hong Kong, September 3 - 6 next year, will be like no other aviation event currently in existence.
Why is this?
Well, for a start, it will no longer be a traditional air show - a number of people have said to us the world does not need another air show - and of course they are right - which is why we have absolutely no intention of delivering one.
But what we do intend to offer you, and will deliver, is a focused B2B marketing platform for the world’s commercial aerospace manufacturers and suppliers to meet, engage, discuss, and ultimately do business with, Asia-Pacific’s buyers and influencers right across the commercial aerospace sector.
Last week Boeing published their latest market outlook where they forecast a US$2.6 trillion market for new airplanes over the next 20 years. Asia Pacific is forecast to represent 36% of this market - the biggest chunk worldwide - and Asian Aerospace in Hong Kong can now effectively play its part in connecting these hugely important customers with the global airframe, engine and systems manufacturers and suppliers.
There will no longer be a traditional flying display at Asian Aerospace in Hong Kong - no military fast jets drowning out important post lunch discussions - but for those airframe manufacturers who want to demonstrate their craft, they can, either as part of the daily CDF programme, or even by special arrangement, make dramatic flights over the spectacular Hong Kong harbour, in sight of the half million plus Hong Kong business community, and followed by the famous Hong Kong laser and firework display from the roofs of the skyscrapers - yes we have clearance in principle to do this.
But let’s be clear, whilst Asian Aerospace will welcome the best and brightest budding aviation students it will not be open to the general public. There will be no public weekend, no picnics, no fighting with endless traffic problems, no wasted time for your key executives - but simply a 4-day, high impact business forum that we hope you will view as a cost-effective way to spend your marketing dollars in the world’s most important aviation market.
Ladies and gentlemen, at the very core of Asian Aerospace 2007 will be what we believe will become a globally important congress - organised in conjunction with our friends and partners at Flight, and including the intellectual and readership resources of Flight International, Airline Business, Flight Show Dailies, Air Transport Intelligence, and the group’s numerous e-publishing products.
This collective strength has been harnessed to organise and deliver a high quality, cutting edge, congress programme, involving multi-subject tracks like MRO, Training, Aerospace Supply and Airport Infrastructure.
The Congress will also take place at AsiaWorld-Expo, so it will be totally integrated with the Expo, and with break out sessions on the floor of the Expo itself, the Congress will provide top suppliers and top buyers the opportunity to discuss the very hottest challenges facing the region’s aviation professionals, particularly in the booming markets of India and China, where aircraft are pouring in, but infrastructure and training are lagging behind.
And as for the Asian Aerospace Expo itself, companies like Lufthansa Technik, HEICO, HAECO, GAMECO and AMECO Beijing, have already spotted the distinct marketing opportunities being offered, and have booked substantial stand space.
We believe the whole area of training, absolutely fundamental to the successful development of key markets within Asia-Pacific, will constitute a major component of the whole event, and last week Australia’s biggest training company, Aviation Australia, confirmed over 100 sq. m. of indoor exhibition space - the most they took at earlier Asian Aerospace events was 36 sq. m.
Three weeks ago we were delighted to welcome Boeing to the growing list of exhibiting companies, and they have publicly declared their satisfaction at continuing their partnership with Reed Exhibitions, in support of our flagship aviation event. They have contracted for almost 300 sq. m.
And not just individual companies, but some leading country associations, namely SBAC in the UK, and BDLI in Germany have officially declared their support for the show, and in the case of Germany, official German Government support has been secured.
So far, discussions here at Farnborough have given us further space bookings and further encouragement, and the SQMS will substantially grow gain.
As part of our overall visitor programme we will be operating a hosted buyer programme, no longer the brass and braid of senior military delegations, but the serious commercial ambitions of top airline and airport officials, helicopter and business jet operators, MRO and FBO operators, particularly from the world’s most exciting aviation market, China. We are also considering including key press and financial analysts to this list of hosted buyers.
Overall our visitor programme is multi-faceted, but includes an extensive trade advertising campaign; utilising the key readerships of our publishing partners; exercising a pan regional PR campaign, including roadshows into key countries like Japan, Korea, China and India; full flexibility for our exhibitors to invite as many contacts as they wish; working closely with the several HKSAR Government departments and the CAAC in Beijing, who are all officially supporting us; fulfilling an ongoing tele-marketing campaign out of our Beijing operation; and of course our co-location with Aircraft Interiors Expo Asia is fundamentally all about maximising visitor opportunities for both events.
Many people have already asked us, why Hong Kong? . . . three reasons really:
1. Hong Kong is still the most cost effective and complete business gateway to China;
2. Hong Kong is being increasingly used by Chinese industry as their window to the world;
3. Hong Kong remains the most important aviation hub in Asia-Pacific, and a global hub network - half the world’s population is based within 5 hours flying time of Hong Kong.
In commercial aerospace the power base for Asia has most certainly moved north, and the latest indicator of this is ANZ’s announcement last week, that after 40 years it will cease its operation in Singapore and concentrate on its key markets of Hong Kong, China and Japan. Its two flights daily to London will now connect through Hong Kong, not Singapore. In recent years Hong Kong’s much respected and lauded airline Cathay Pacific and its airport partner HKIA have won more "best of" gold medal type awards, than any other hub combination. Hong Kong has for many years realised civil aviation is not just a tool of commerce, it is the lifeblood of a rapidly globalising world.
Ladies and gentlemen, I make a direct pledge to you all today. Asian Aerospace International Expo and Congress 2007, in Hong Kong, September next year, will be the first step to become the most influential business event of its kind anywhere in the world. It won’t happen overnight, of course, but we will not stop until we have achieved our strategic goal, and until all of you are able to say to us that this is a truly cost effective way to spend your marketing dollars in this most important of markets.
Thank you all for your kind attention. Our chairman Mike, John, myself and our global sales and marketing team will now mingle amongst you, listening to your requirements and answering your questions. It’s been a pleasure addressing you all this morning, and we hope to see you all in Hong Kong in September 2007.
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Above notes were used by Clive Richardson in his address to around 80 industry executives in the Asian Aerospace / Reed chalet on the third morning of Farnborough 2006. His comments were supplemented by presentations by John Rutherford, Associate Director General of the Hong Kong Government’s Invest HK agency and Kevin O’Toole, Director of Strategy of Flight Group.
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