Tuesday, September 22, 2009

ICAS Fast Facts -- September 22, 2009

ICAS LANDS SANBORN AS CONVENTION KEYNOTE

Mark Sanborn, a best-selling author and noted authority on leadership and customer service, will provide the opening keynote address for the ICAS Convention on Monday, December 7.

Sanborn will speak on “The Fred Factor,” a leadership keynote presentation that will reveal the secrets of extraordinary individuals who have learned how to reinvent themselves and their work to create added value for customers and colleagues without spending more money to do it.

One of the youngest speakers ever to be inducted into the prestigious Speaker Hall of Fame, Sanborn was recently honored with the Cavett Award, the highest honor that the National Speakers Association bestows on its members. Sanborn has published eight books and two dozen audio and video training programs. His clients include Enterprise Rent-a-Car, FedEx, Harley-Davidson, Hewlett Packard, Key Bank, KPMG, Motorola, New York Life, RE/MAX, the U.S. Department of the Interior, Time Warner, the United States Postal Service, Exxon, and Sun Microsystems.

“We each know how good we have become,” Sanborn says, “but none of us knows how good we can be. One of the most exciting opportunities we get each day is to pursue our potential.”

DEADLINE FOR 2009 ICAS MARKETING COMPETITION APPROACHES

Entries for the ICAS Marketing Competition are due not later than Wednesday, September 30, 2009. You may use the entry forms and information on our website by clicking on the following links. For Marketing Competition information, click here.

CONVENTION SAVINGS STILL AVAILABLE

ICAS members can save money on both their convention registration fees and the sleeping room rate at the Paris Las Vegas Hotel, but both opportunities require action within the next few days. The early bird convention registration deadline is Wednesday, September 30. The deadline for making your hotel sleeping room reservation in time to get an $18 per night discount is Friday, October 9. See below for additional details.

“We’re at that point in the year when everything starts to get a bit more expensive for those who procrastinate,” said ICAS President John Cudahy. “Especially this year, we don’t want anybody to pay any more than necessary.”

NEXT WEDNESDAY IS CONVENTION DISCOUNT DEADLINE

Pre-registration fees for the 2009 ICAS Convention are $25 less if you register by midnight on Wednesday, September 30.

“We recognize that this has been a difficult year for many of our members, so we’re trying to do everything we can to help air show professionals save a few bucks,” said ICAS President John Cudahy. “We also find that encouraging members to pre-register early helps us do a better job at preparing for the convention.”

The easiest way to register is to visit the ICAS website by clicking here. The website provides preliminary details on the entire convention, as well as all the information you need to register for this year’s big event. And registering on-line will save you even more.

HOTEL SLEEPING ROOM RATE REDUCTION EXPIRES ON OCTOBER 9

To help members save a bit more on their trip to Las Vegas for the 2009 ICAS Convention, ICAS has negotiated a rate reduction for hotel sleeping rooms at the Paris Hotel. Hotel management has agreed to an $18 per night rate reduction for most of the convention nights. The new rate is $99 – the lowest hotel sleeping room rate since 2000 -- and will be automatically changed for those ICAS members who have already made their convention hotel reservations. The original rate of $117 will still apply on the weekend nights of Friday, December 4 and Saturday, December 5.

The new rate will be offered for a limited time. After Friday, October 9, the rate will go back to the original $117 for Sunday, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.

To reserve your room at the discounted rate of $117 for Friday and Saturday, and $99 for Sunday, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, click here.

OOPS! WE HIT A NERVE THAT WE DID NOT INTEND TO HIT

In yesterday’s edition of the ICAS Operations Bulletin, in an article comparing air bosses to symphony conductors, we were a bit more controversial than we intended to be when we wrote, “The conductor selects the score; the air boss advises in the selection of the performers.”

In the space of just a few hours, we received numerous phone calls and e-mails from event organizers, performers and air bosses asking that we present a somewhat different perspective. A sampling to balance the dialogue a bit:

“It’s clear that the air show community needs to talk more about air boss issues, but let’s make sure it’s a conversation and not a lecture. There are many different perspectives on this issue and, so far, we’ve heard only one side of the discussion.”

“A symphony’s management team does not allow its conductor to hire the musicians and an event organizer should not delegate his or her responsibility for identifying and hiring the air show’s performers.”

“I’m surprised that ICAS would endorse the idea that an air boss is anything more than an air boss. Our air boss has nothing to do with hiring and I believe that is true of most air shows.”

“There are a growing number of performers who believe, as I do, that air bosses are gaining responsibilities that fall well outside the scope of their traditional job description. In some cases, this is putting hiring responsibility in the hands of a very small group, some of who are using that additional power in the wrong way. This is upsetting a delicate balance that had been in place for many years.”

CHANGES HIGHLIGHT THIS YEAR’S CONVENTION

The 2009 ICAS Convention at the Paris Hotel in Las Vegas, December 6-9, will include a number of significant changes that may impact your travel plans to and from Las Vegas.

* The 2009 ICAS Convention will be held at a beautiful hotel that has never hosted an ICAS Convention before. The Paris Las Vegas Hotel is just a few years old. It’s located right on the Las Vegas Strip. And the meeting space, hotel sleeping rooms, and restaurant options are all ideally suited to ICAS.

* This year’s ICAS Convention will occur on different days of the week than you may be used to. The Air Force Air Shows Workshop will be held on Saturday, December 5. Air Shows 101, the Sponsorship for Events seminar and our traditional welcome reception will be held on Sunday, December 6. The first exhibit hall sessions, the opening keynote speaker and the announcement of the 2010 jet team schedules will take place on Monday, December 7. The second day of exhibits and our annual Marketing Competition Awards luncheon will be held on Tuesday, December 8. The final exhibit hall session, the final education sessions, and the traditional Chairman’s Banquet will be held on Wednesday, December 9.

* Because so many ICAS members will arrive early on Sunday, December 6 and because ICAS has received many requests to expand our educational programming, we will hold a number of break-out educational sessions on Sunday, December 6, one day earlier than normal. Typically, these break-out sessions would begin the next day.

* On the evening of Monday, December 7, country music recording artist Aaron Tippin will perform a members-only private concert for the ICAS membership. This 90-minute program is offered to convention delegates at no additional cost.

* After a successful experiment last year, the much-hated 7:00 a.m. booth selection session will once again be held on the previous evening, in this case, Tuesday evening, December 8 at 6:15 p.m.

* For the third consecutive year, the popular and heavily attended pilot safety de-brief will be held on the afternoon of Sunday, December 6, the day before the first exhibit hall sessions.

* For the first time, ICAS will also host a two-hour and fifteen minute air boss safety de-brief. Organized and conducted as part of the ICAS initiative to change the culture of air show safety, this session will be held on Monday, December 7 and is being offered as an opportunity for air bosses to discuss safety concerns of the previous season.

PRIVATE PILOTS WELCOME TO APPLY FOR STATEMENT OF AEROBATIC COMPETENCY

Prospective air show pilots wishing to apply and be evaluated for an FAA- or Transport Canada-issued Statement of Aerobatic Competency (SAC) are once again encouraged to do so. For a brief time earlier this year, ICAS had required a commercial pilot certificate, but – for a number of reasons – that requirement is no longer being made.

“As always, ICAS expects that any pilot will be not just proficient, but accomplished and deeply experienced in aerobatics before applying for a SAC card,” said ICAS Director of Operations Dan Hollowell. “But we are no longer prohibiting private pilots from applying if they are otherwise qualified.”

BOOTHS STILL AVAILABLE

The number of exhibit booth reservations for the 2009 ICAS Convention is actually ahead of where it was at this same time last year, according to Karen Connors, ICAS Exhibit Hall Manager.

“There are definitely some very good booths left, but the pace of reservations has picked up significantly during the last several weeks,” said Connors. “Based on phone calls and e-mails, it looks like the next two or three weeks will see even more activity. So, if you’re thinking about getting a booth, it would be a good idea to do it soon.”

If you have not yet reserved your booth, click here to get detailed information on the cost and location of available booths. You can also call (703-779-8510) or e-mail (connors@airshows.aero) Karen Connors at ICAS headquarters to reserve your booth on the exhibit floor at the world’s largest air show industry business meeting.

ICAS REITERATES EXHIBIT HALL SELLING POLICY

ICAS is once again reiterating its long-standing written policy on sales efforts on the show floor by non-exhibitors: "Selling privileges on the ICAS Convention exhibit hall floor are limited to organizations that have contracted and paid for space assignments. No other persons or organizations will be permitted to sell products or services, solicit contributions, distribute advertising materials, or demonstrate products on the exhibit hall floor. Organizations that choose not to pay for exhibit booths will not be permitted to use the exhibit hall floor as a venue for selling or promoting their product or service. Non-exhibiting personnel observed selling on the exhibit hall floor will be asked to stop such activities. If these non-exhibiting personnel refuse to stop, they will be asked to leave the hall."


“Every year, we have a couple of people show up who say that they had not heard about the policy or felt that it did not apply to them,” said ICAS President John Cudahy. “Although we’ll certainly do it if the situation requires it, we don’t like playing the role of enforcer on the trade show floor, so we’ll be working doubly hard to get the word out early and avoid any embarrassing situations at the convention.”

SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL IS THEME FOR WELCOME RECEPTION

The “fan-ware” of ICAS Convention delegates will set the theme for our traditional welcome reception on Sunday, December 6 during the ICAS Convention. With the New England Patriots vs. Miami Dolphins game playing on three huge video screens in the reception hall, ICAS members will show their fan affiliation with football jerseys, hats, and other apparel. Professional, collegiate or high school, come dressed to let us know where your football allegiances lie. We’ll have prizes for the best-dressed.

HINTON IS YOUNGEST RENO CHAMPION

(From AVweb) Steve Hinton, Jr., the 22-year old son of longtime air show performer and ICAS member Steve Hinton, Sr., became the youngest pilot to win the top prize at the National Championship Air Races in Reno on Sunday, September 20. Hinton flew the highly-modified P-51 Strega to victory in the Gold Unlimited race at an average speed of 491.8 mph, almost 13 seconds ahead of second place finisher John Penney in Rare Bear, the highly-modified F8F Bearcat. It was Hinton’s second appearance in the Unlimited Class, but he’s been around the sport since he attended his first Reno races when he two weeks old.

THANK YOU TO 2009 CONVENTION SPONSORS

Many thanks to our 2009 ICAS Convention sponsors: AirShowBuzz and The Horsemen, Air Boss & Consulting, Inc., Julie Clark’s Chevron Mentor T-34, Stallion 51, Aerostars, Air Boss, Inc., John Klatt & Air National Guard, Team Chaos, Insurance Technologies & Programs, Eddie Andreini Airshows, CAF/Tora Tora Tora, AirSupport, LLC, Shannon & Luchs Insurance Agency, Jim Peitz Aerosports, Nalls Aviation, Greg Poe Airshows, Mach 1 Productions , Jacquie ‘B’ Airshows, Mohr Barnstorming, Team Rocket, Gordon Bowman-Jones, Chuck Vincent’s Eagle Air Aerobatics, Goulian Aerosports, ValleyWide Communications, Rob Reider and OnBoard Images.

For information on how your organization might become a sponsor of the 2009 ICAS Convention, contact ICAS headquarters by phone at 703-779-8510 or by e-mail at icas@airshows.aero.

© International Council of Air Shows, Inc.

750 Miller Drive SE, Suite F-3

Leesburg, Virginia 20175

Phone: 703-779-8510

Website: www.airshows.aero

E-mail: icas@airshows.aero

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