2020 ICAS Convention
There’s Work to Be Done
The environment in which air shows are conducted in 2021 will be fundamentally different than anything we’ve ever seen. To plan and execute our events next year, the air show community has important preparation to do. And that process will get a big boost when the North American air show community gathers virtually in December for the 2020 ICAS Convention.
Generally, the virtual convention will follow the format of past ICAS Conventions. It will include one-on-one buyer/seller interaction via the virtual exhibit hall. The military performance schedules for 2021 and -- in the case of the Blue Angels and Thunderbirds – 2022 will be announced on the first day of the event. The convention will include multiple keynote speakers. The traditional day-long workshops will be held in a more “virtual friendly” format. ICAS is planning nearly 40 different break-out education sessions. And the recipients of the ICAS Sword of Excellence, Art Scholl Memorial Showmanship Award, Bob Hoover Wingman Award, and the ICAS Special Achievement Award – as well as the newest inductee into the ICAS Foundation Air Show Hall of Fame -- will all be announced in a series of interactive sessions throughout the virtual convention.
In addition, the ICAS Convention will include a number of small, interactive, facilitated discussions about the issues that matter most to the air show community right now. Because they will be recorded as they happen and immediately posted on the virtual convention website, every education session will be available for later viewing by all convention delegates. So, delegates who cannot participate when the session is conducted at its scheduled time can easily get that information later by watching a video recording.
Never Been a More Important Time to Attend the ICAS Convention
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The 2021 air show season will be historic. Pent up demand, the wide-open spaces of an air show ramp, and the interest and excitement generated by military and warbird flyovers this year during the pandemic will generate huge, enthusiastic crowds. The ICAS Convention will give all of us the tools, information and opportunities we need to plan our events and continue the process of recovering from the pandemic.
But, it won’t be business as usual in 2021. No matter what segment of the industry you work in, change will impact almost every aspect of your air show business. It will be those changes that we focus on during the 2020 ICAS Convention: what they are, how they will be implemented and what it all means for the air show business and individual air show professionals. We will dead aim at the new challenges facing the air show community as a result of COVID. From public health updates and crowd management techniques to new approaches for marketing and sponsorship solicitation during these unprecedented times, the ICAS Convention will provide you with the information you need to do business in this new environment. |
Time to Get Back Up
Over the last several months, the air show community in the United States, Canada and around the world has been knocked flat on its back.
And now, it’s time for us to get back up...
...to demonstrate our resilience...
...to come together as a professional community and collaboratively plan the way forward and support one another...
...and to continue the challenging and critical work of planning a post-pandemic air show season.
Virtual Exhibit Hall: Where the Air Show Industry Gets Down to Business
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For more than three decades, the convention exhibit hall has been the center of activity at the ICAS Convention. And that will be true again during our virtual 2020 ICAS Convention. ICAS expects to host more than 150 different organizations in our virtual exhibit hall. |
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Each booth will include detailed information on the organization, names and contact details for exhibiting personnel, website links, videos, searchable tags, downloadable documents, the ability to “chat” via integrated video conferencing software, and tools to help set and confirm appointments during our virtual convention. In addition, buyers will be able to use filters and search functions to identify precisely the right organization for their specific needs. The virtual exhibit hall has been designed and built to maximize productivity and efficiency for both event organizers and exhibitors. It will open early on Monday, December 7 and stay open through the afternoon of Friday, December 11. It will be closed only during keynote presentations. |
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Convention to Feature Multiple Keynotes
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The on-line format of this year’s convention will allow ICAS to increase the number of keynote presenters and host speakers who would not normally be able to join us in Las Vegas for our in-person convention. We have scheduled keynote presentations on each of the three days of our 2020 ICAS Convention…speakers who will help put the air show business and the challenges we face into perspective. In the early afternoon on each of three successive days, we’ll stop everything else we’re doing to focus on the remarks of our keynote speakers. |
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Education Sessions: Tradition + Innovation
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This years convention will provide the entire air show community with a chance to share information, compare notes, and anticipate and discuss the challenges of running an air show business in a post-pandemic world. We will hear from event organizers who were able to hold their events in 2020. We will hear from event organizers who scheduled and planned air shows in 2020 that they then had to cancel. |
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Public health experts and sponsorship specialists will join us. The military will share their plans with us. And we will provide you with the information and insights you and your organization need to be ready for the 2021 air show season. |
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Silver Lining: Reduced Cost to Delegates
Although most ICAS members would have preferred to gather in Las Vegas in December, there are advantages to our virtual format. Expenses related to airfare, hotel sleeping rooms and food & beverage will be eliminated with the virtual format. And
ICAS has lowered the convention registration fee from $565 to $375. That’s a decrease of more than one-third…making the virtual program more affordable and accessible to air show professionals in the United States, Canada and all over the world.
Watch this Space for Additional Details
The changeover from live convention to virtual convention has been dynamic. Our plans are changing daily as we work to plan and execute an event that rises to the challenges and opportunities that the air show community faces in 2021 and beyond. As the details of this program develop and evolve, we will be in frequent contact to share those details with you and to encourage your participation in this important event.
Questions?
For questions about the annual ICAS Convention, contact ICAS headquarters by calling 703-779-8510 or emailing icas@airshows.aero or visiting the Frequently Asked Questions section by clicking here.
Future Convention Dates
2021 ICAS ConventionMonday, December 6 - Thursday, December 9, 2021 Paris Las Vegas on the famous Las Vegas Strip |