CONVENTION INVITATION

Dear Colleague

I hope to convince you to come to the European Airshow Council Convention next March.

• The aim of the EAC is to “Promote excellence and Safety at Airshows”
  
• The EAC Board has a Chairman from Belgium and Board members from France, Malta, The Netherlands, Switzerland and the UK.
  
• Our objective is to make airshows safe and successful: so join us, learn from the experiences of others and make your own contribution...
  
• The European Airshow Council is open to everyone involved in the Airshow world including: Display pilots, Performers, Organizers, Military and Civil Authorities and Regulators.

EAC – ANNUAL CONVENTION – 5-7 MARCH 2009 13th Annual Convention – where and when. 
On behalf of the Chairman of the European Airshow Council, may I invite you to attend our annual Convention?  It will be held at our normal venue in the Holiday Inn, Hasselt, Belgium from Thursday 5 to Saturday 7 March 2009.  This time, as we have worked hard keep costs down in the light of the current economic climate, there will not be a special Pre-Convention Seminar on Thursday afternoon.  We will be holding the Official Reception on Thursday evening at 1930 hours.  However, the main Convention is throughout the Friday and on Saturday morning.

Who will be there?  
Leading figures in the Airshow industry from all over Europe and beyond, including performers, organisers, Military and Civil Aviation Authorities and Display Teams, will gather again for the meeting.  Last year 140 delegates from 25 countries were represented and its undoubted success has stimulated the continued growth of the organisation.   The speakers include multinational, experienced experts as well as those who are learning from experience and sharing them with all delegates in an informal atmosphere with ample opportunities for face-to-face discussions.

Why is the 2009 Convention important?
The theme for the last Convention was “Too many accidents– how do we improve the safety of the Display Pilot?”  Since that meeting we have supported continuing research and we will update all delegates on the work of the Human Resources Working Group during the coming Convention and we anticipate a presentation from Cranfield University to describe their research work over the past year. 

The Theme for 2009 is “100 Years of Airshows – from safety to marketing: have we made good progress?”  We will address the questions raised in our theme and focus especially upon improving safety as well as learning lessons from experience.  We will also look at a century of excitement and growing safety awareness and a wide variety of interesting and challenging Presentations will be of interest to all who attend.

Top Speakers
Speakers will include the inside story from the Director of 2 Excel Aviation, home of the ‘Blades’ aerobatic team, which has the unique distinction of being the world’s only globally-accredited formation aerobatic airline and whose marketing and sponsorship experiences will be of interest to all delegates.

 For organisers the nightmare scenario is to have to cancel the show.  The biggest military airshow in Europe had to be cancelled on both days at Fairford in July 2008 and the Director of RIAT will share the challenges he and his organisation had to cope with.

The challenges of airshow operations in the face of demands for awareness of the environment will be given practical treatment by Swiss and German speakers. 

The “lessons learnt” practical experiences are always valued by delegates and display pilots speakers from the Netherlands, Belgium and the UK will emphasise aspects of safety at Airshows.  That and much more promise a lively and interesting Convention!

Fees and accommodation charges have not increased for 4 years. 

Great efforts have been made to minimise costs for the delegates.  The Fees include the Official Reception on Thursday, all meals on Friday and session hospitality.  They also include the very popular informal ‘Airshow Dinner” on the Friday evening, allowing delegates an invaluable opportunity for relaxed discussions. 

Should you wish to use the special prices offered for the excellent Holiday Inn accommodation, you should make your booking via myself by telephone or e-mail to get a preferential rate, and settle your account with the Hotel before departure.  (Please do not try to book directly with the Hotel via the internet)

Partners welcome. 
Partners are welcome; they traditionally enjoy participating in all the social events and they will be offered a separate and optional visit programme to the local area.

All details are on the Website including on-line Application Form
The EAC’s website page “Conventions/ Hasselt Convention 2009” has all the details you need. Key information can also be found on the following web pages:

• Provisional Programme
• Fees and Hotels
• Travel and How to Pay
• On-Line Application Form
• Getting there directions
• Arrival instructions – pick-up arrangements on arrival in Belgium
• Cheap travel opportunities from the UK

Please do not hesitate to contact me for assistance and information

Yours sincerely

Bob Dixon

Board Member & Executive

On behalf of the Chairman and all members of the Board