It seems that trade shows are getting larger and larger all the time. That’s a welcome trend, since it means that our industry is growing and reaching more popularity, not just among companies and exhibitors but in terms of attendees who are coming to see all that these trade shows have to offer. But, there was one recent trade show that was bigger than just about any of the others. Perhaps that is fitting because the products on display were also enormous. We’re talking about the 2013 Paris Air Show, of course.
The trade show featured nearly 350,000 attendees and over 2,000 exhibitors. That’s a staggeringly large number, even if it was over an entire week. There were so many unique exhibits and trade show booths ranging from pop up displays to the largest custom exhibits. The best of the aerospace industry was truly on display as all kinds of companies showed off their aeronautical chops with some truly interesting and impressive technology.
The trade show was also held on what has to be the largest area for a trade show this year. The space allotted for exhibitors was 32 acres! That’s about 25 football fields! This was a great opportunity for marketing, networking and even making sales at the event. By the end of the week, nearly 15,000 aircraft had been sold. The trade show booths featuring pop up displays and impressive graphics were definitely eye-catching, but it was hard to keep your eyes off of the giant flying machines.
One of the largest of those flying machines was Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner, which was prominently featured at the show. One was grounded for tours of the interior, while the other was flown to show off its smooth ride and in-air amenities. In addition to the 787 Dreamliner, there were thousands of other aircraft on display as well as aircraft technology that is upcoming.
One of the most impressive pieces of technology was an electric taxiing system which is installed into a plane’s landing gear and can save hundreds of thousands of dollars on fuel per aircraft each year by not requiring the aircraft to use its jet engines for taxiing. This also will significantly reduce harmful carbon emissions as well and make airplanes more environmentally friendly.
The Paris Air Show was certainly a one-of-a-kind trade show, but of course it will be happening again next year. So, if you happen to be in the city of light during this time in 2014, it might be worth a trip, especially if you are an aviation aficionado.