Air show organisers love big orders at their events and they don't come much bigger than Lion Air's $22.4 billion deal for the Boeing 737 Max and 737-900ERs placed at the Singapore Airshow earlier this year.
The headline-grabbing order from the Indonesian carrier was the icing on the cake for Angelica Lim, general manager (Aerospace & Defence Group) of Experia Events, the organiser of the show. "Singapore Airshow 2012 closed on a high note with a record value of deals and announcements worth over $31 billion, a threefold increase over the total value of deals announced in 2010," she says.
According to Lim, Singapore Airshow 2012 played a pivotal role in providing an avenue for companies to penetrate the Asia-Pacific market, especially at a time when the Western economies are in relative decline.
Over four trade days, the show played host to some 900 exhibitors from 50 countries/regions and 274 delegations from 70 countries. Nearly 45,000 trade visitors from 134 countries/regions attended, with over 30% coming from overseas.
So what can exhibitors expect from the next show in 2014? "We are looking forward to an enhanced Chinese presence in Singapore Airshow 2014, in line with the rapid growth of the Chinese aviation industry," says Lim.
"We also hope to attract more robust participation from India, Japan, Korea and our neighbouring countries, as well as a stronger European presence. As a testament to the show's achievements, over 75% of exhibitors have already reaffirmed their commitment to take up exhibition space in 2014," she adds.
"The robust networking opportunities that Singapore Airshow provides for the Asia-Pacific region and beyond make it a critical part of the ecosystem of Singapore's aviation and aerospace industry, contributing to the long-term sustainability of the industry and opening doors to key markets for local and global companies alike," says Lim.
Source: Flight Daily News
