Industry’s great head-turners!

Having previously worked in the fashion industry, I can see why Amanda Stainer originally saw the perfectly natural symmetry between supermodel catwalks and supersonic aircraft runways.

In a career that has included stints at the Confederation of British Industry and The Events Organisation Company, and the rather exciting and colourful role of show director for the BBC’s Clothes Show Live, Amanda went on to join the Society of British Aerospace Companies (SBAC) before it became ADS Group and played a key role in helping form the commercial arm of Farnborough International Limited (FIL). Working with Prime Ministers during televised National Conferences and across the board with all the politicians of time, to running fashion shows at the NEC with eight catwalks has given her a good mix of dealing with both trade and public visitors.

If this back story hasn’t turned your head then it’s certainly turned mine, so I kick off by asking her to comment on the true value for aerospace manufacturing companies in exhibiting at Farnborough 2020 in terms of the event’s predicted growth, stand space sold and new features.

“So far, 91% of the available Farnborough 2020 stand space has been sold and committed to, which is a tremendous response since 2018. This is mainly because we increased our show features, such as Aerospace 4.0, which was very successful, well attended and will be growing the next time around to the extent that we will be moving it into hall 3 to be with the Innovation Zone and the Urban Air Zone. If you haven’t already booked for Farnborough 2020, please act quickly, because we don’t have a lot of space left!

“The 2018 event provided more ways for people to meet and network, and as usual, the delegation programme was really successful too. We continued to offer opportunities for the SME community with ‘Meet the Buyer’ and we also had the FINN sessions that were taking place throughout halls 3 and 4, which provided valuable opportunities for knowledge sharing and attracted high-level industry speakers and politicians. It was much more content-driven, and the information coming out of the FINN sessions led to more networking opportunities and an increased buzz around the hall, which was very much noticed.

“Feedback from the last show was exceptional and we are delighted that people loved the new entrance way, the permanent Hall 1 and how it really did lift the show. Overall, it helped people to communicate and network once they had entered the halls. It really did improve people’s attendance experience at Farnborough, and as a result, we’ve enjoyed a really high retention rate. We are also seeing a lot of growth in our international participation too, so all in all, we are confident about 2020 and look forward to a very good show. We go into the Paris Airshow feeling buoyant and look forward to seeing many of our clients at the event.”

What will you be doing at the Paris Airshow and has there been any scaling back by the show itself or exhibitors as a direct result of more difficult economic times?

“We have our own exhibition stand within the halls at Paris with main purpose of meeting existing clients and introducing them to the features, the opportunities to participate at Farnborough 2020 and how they achieve greater return on their investment. Of course, there are still those clients that we would like to see that have yet to book, so our presence at Paris will also be to make those clients aware of how they can attend Farnborough and what opportunities are still available. The Paris Airshow offers us a great platform and brand awareness, as well and an opportunity to meet existing and new potential clients.”

The voice of the industry

New philosophies like Industry 4.0 closely examine technologies, such as automation, additive manufacturing, simulation, virtual and augmented reality and digitalisation. What kind of take-up does FIL expect to receive for 2020 and future ones too?

“We are really fortunate to be part of ADS Group, who are the voice of the aerospace industry. They are able to guide us on Industry 4.0 and give us confidence about what we are doing in this respect. Aerospace 4.0 is an important part of the 2020 show and if anything, will be growing because interest is high.

“ADS Group’s director events & market development, David Scotter, has managed the ADS UK pavilion; for Farnborough 2020, all the aerospace clusters will be signing up and returning, and we are expecting the same number of players as last time.”

“The SME exhibitors form the backbone of the Airshow and one of its most exciting parts. The feedback we receive is that the Primes are really keen to see the SMEs and start-up companies attending because they are at the centre of some very exciting innovation. We realise that when SMEs exhibit, they can get lost amongst all the ‘noise’. We help as much as possible by inviting them to exhibitor briefings, offer guidance on how to get the best out of the Airshow and what to expect at Farnborough – especially if they’re a first-time exhibitor. We are also looking at how we can extend our ‘Meet the Buyer’ feature in terms of the kinds of feedback we are getting from the SMEs and how we can better help them with this feature.”

More bang for your bucks?

With long flights, busy train journeys and traffic jams – and then long queues at the show itself, are large airshows still the right way for companies to generate business whilst still getting a good return on their investment?

“I attend shows overseas, so I know how expensive it can be. FIL is always looking at different exhibition packages to see how we can best help our clients afford the cost of exhibiting with us - because we want them here. We are also conscious of delivering the right level of business too. We want to ensure they have a good show and as long as we ensure we deliver the product that people want - and they get the business that they want - then our Airshow will have been good enough for them to want to return. The vast majority of features and services we offer, such as the delegations programme and FINN sessions, are included as part of exhibiting costs. We’re focussed on creating value and ensuring that exhibitors do get the return on investment.

“We are delighted with our post survey independent research which says that we are ticking all the right boxes in that exhibitors and visitors alike got to see the people they wanted to. We are conscious of the cost, so we always benchmark against our competitors but most importantly, we try to ensure we deliver the business for them and what they came here to do and meeting their objectives is the most important thing to us.”

Looking forward, what will be the objectives for the Farnborough 2020 Airshow and looking back over your career spanning almost 20 years, what is the main reason why you’ve still got so much passion for your role in the job?

“We are seeing more international companies than ever before attending the Airshow and we have always stated that we are an ‘international’ show. We expect to break global attendance records for the 2020 show and are delighted to announce that India and Australia are hosting new pavilions; and Mexico, Turkey, Portugal and the USA have all increased their pavilion size.

“The reason I enjoy this role so much is because I’m always fascinated by the levels of innovation and creativity, and by the fact that Farnborough International Limited really is at the forefront of one of the best industries you could ever be in. It’s forever changing and there is always something new and creative taking place!”

www.farnboroughinternational.org