Wednesday, February 24, 2010

ICAS Fast Facts - 24-FEB-10


IT’S MEMBERSHIP RENEWAL SEASON       

All dues paying ICAS members must renew their membership between now and March 31 to maintain their membership status, continue receiving ICAS membership benefits, and be included in the 2010-2011 ICAS Industry Guide, the Who’s Who in the Air Show Industry publication that ICAS publishes each year.

To renew your ICAS membership for 2010-2011, visit the ICAS homepage (www.airshows.aero) and click on the big red “Click Here” button at the top of the page or call ICAS headquarters at 703-779-8510.

ICAS AIR BOSS ACADEMY: LIMITED SPACE STILL AVAILABLE

Following up on the success of its inaugural ICAS Air Boss Academy last fall at the MCAS Miramar Air Show in San Diego, ICAS has scheduled a repeat performance for October 28, 29 and 30 at the Fort Worth Alliance Air Show in Fort Worth, Texas.

Like the traditional ICAS Academy that ICAS has organized many times during the last decade, the new Air Boss Academy uses an actual air show to provide a small number of ICAS members with a unique opportunity to get a hands-on, practical air show education. The Air Boss Academy will focus very specifically on the processes, customs, lingo, procedures, mannerisms and habits of safe, effective air show air bosses. The program’s first offering was well-received by the ICAS members who participated last fall.

To reserve your spot, contact the ICAS headquarters office at 703-779-8510 or by e-mail at icas@airshows.aero.

BULK QUANTITIES OF DEMOGRAPHICS BROCHURE AVAILABLE THROUGH ICAS

Bulk copies of “Marketing in the Thrill Zone,” a twelve-page brochure with demographic details about the composition of the air show fan base in North America, are available from ICAS for $3.00 per copy.

Professionally designed and printed on quality paper stock, the brochure provides a statistical profile of air show audiences throughout North America, including household income, education, age, gender, home ownership, and other information useful to you and your prospective sponsors as they consider the marketing opportunities available at U.S. and Canadian air shows. Click here to download an order form that you can use to order your copies.

THUNDERBIRDS CHANGE COMMAND

Lieutenant Colonel Case “Basket” Cunningham took command of the Thunderbirds on January 15 at the team’s Nellis AFB hangar. Cunningham replaces Lieutenant Colonel Greg Thomas who led the team through the 2008 and 2009 air show seasons.

Cunningham graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy in 1994. Before his assignment to the team, he was the Director of Operations for the 43rd Fighter Squadron at Tyndall AFB, the squadron responsible for training pilots in the F-22A Raptor. He has logged more than 2,000 hours with more than 1,800 hours in the F-15C, F-22A, and F-16C. He becomes the 33rd leader of the Thunderbirds.

SNOWBIRDS CHANGE LEADERSHIP, LEADERSHIP STRUCTURE

The Canadian Forces Snowbirds have altered their leadership structure for the 2010 air show season.

Former Snowbird #2, Major Maryse Carmichael, will be promoted to Lieutenant Colonel and assume command of the squadron. She will remain at the team’s home base of Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan during the air show season.

Major Chris Hope, formerly Snowbird #5 during the 2003, 2004 and 2005 air show seasons, will assume the role of Team Lead and Snowbird #1.

The Snowbirds will now also report to the commander of 4 Wing, a CF-18 fighter base in Cold Lake, Alberta. In this their 40th anniversary year, the Snowbirds will fly at 34 shows in 2010.

AERO NEWS NETWORK FOCUSES ON AIR SHOW BUSINESS

The new media journalists at Aero News Network used last December’s ICAS Convention as an opportunity to conduct a series of interviews – principally with performers – about a wide range of air show related issues.  To view these 5-10 minute videos, click on the links below:






FOUNDATION SEEKS NOMINATIONS

If you know somebody who has changed the air show business or earned legendary status in our industry, the ICAS Foundation encourages you to consider nominating him or her to the prestigious Air Show Hall of Fame. The ICAS Foundation is accepting nominations for the 2010 Hall of Fame induction now through June 1. Click here to review eligibility requirements and download a nomination petition form.

The Air Show Hall of Fame was created in 1995 to recognize those individuals who have made significant contributions to the air show industry.  The Hall of Fame is now home to over 40 heroes and legends representing the performers, announcers, event organizers, aircraft designers, and other innovators who have changed the face of air shows.

ICAS ENCOURAGES MEMBERS TO BE AWARE OF ANTITRUST REQUIREMENTS

For more than a century, it has been a tenet of federal antitrust laws in the United States that all price bids will be made honestly, without discussion between bidders, and without any explicit or implicit agreements between competitors to set prices at a certain level. In the U.S., this is not just the law; it’s a universal expectation among both businesses and consumers.

But in an industry that is as small and price-sensitive as the air show business, it can sometimes be difficult to remember that price fixing or collusion on products or services worth a few thousand dollars is just as illegal as price fixing on multi-million dollar contracts. Moreover, it is the nature of the air show business that many professionals in our industry are not otherwise exposed to issues related to collusion, price fixing, or other anti-competitive practices.

To that end, ICAS encourages all of its members – but particularly those members who may from time to time submit bids for goods or services – to take a minute to educate themselves on issues related to anti-competitive collusion.  Click here to read a brief, non-technical, three-page anti-trust primer published by the Antitrust Division of the United States Department of Justice. If you still have a question about what constitutes illegal behavior in this area, contact your attorney, explain your circumstances and ask for an opinion.

© International Council of Air Shows, Inc.
750 Miller Drive, SE, Suite F-3
Leesburg, Virginia 20175
Phone: 703-779-8510

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