Is private aviation marketing missing something? By Cdr. Bud Slabbaert, Chairman/Coordinator of the Caribbean Aviation Meetup - 'Caribavia'.

It didn’t happen just once that a five-star resort in the Caribbean asked me for my advice on finding a private charter for a guest of theirs.

I’m not a broker and don’t intend to become one. Sure, I have a network of many aviation service providers because of my event organizing activities - and I'm able to make recommendations to the hotel/resort in question. But then I wonder; where is the connect between charter brokers and the hospitality industry stakeholders or tourism offices at the destination that I'm the one asked for a recommendation?

Maybe the broker marketers are focused too much on attracting the clients they already know, which may turn out to be just an assumption. It reminds one of the three categories of knowing:

1. You know,
2. You don’t know and find out specifics, or
3. You didn’t know what was to be known and are missing out on information and opportunities.

It may take some intelligence to figure out the last. It could help to acquire additional revenue, to develop a niche market, or have an edge on the competition.

It is common that aviation conferences are organized and then sponsors are asked for financial support. I some cases, it's like begging. The sponsors are thinking “what’s in it for us?” and usually it's just ‘exposure’. Certainly, an event should have a neutral format. However, companies are serving the market. Shouldn’t they have some input in the format or characteristics of an event?

One of the potential sponsors of our event requested to be able to display a helicopter. Normally such a thing would be done at an event partner’s airport, but I looked into the matter and was able to offer the venue's premises. The chopper will be displayed right at the hotel/resort, and what better way to display a seaplane than mooring it at the pier of the venue resort? That is worth more than all the banners and other hoopla that are usually offered to a sponsor. Does it influence the conference content? No! But it gives the industry a better chance to show of how it serves the market.

As a conference or exhibition rises to become the 'rooster in the pen', it often becomes the same old ‘cock-a-doodle-doo’ event. Maybe Organizers should approach potential sponsors asking what their interests might be and then consider how such cooperation could enhance the ‘power’ of an event and create new event features.

No location in the world is more dependent on aviation than an archipelago region.

It can be a testbed for aviation performance. It's a great location for spectacular aviation photography - of business and private aircraft - not forgetting helicopters or the drones of the future.

Small airports with enormous challenges can demonstrate the value of an aircraft or aviation product under difficult circumstances. Ever seen a sea-cliff-sea runway that is only 400m/ 1,312ft long?

Juancho E. Yrausquin Airport [TNCS](right) is an airport on the Dutch Caribbean island of Saba that has the shortest commercial runway in the world, flanked on one side by high hills, with cliffs that drop into the sea at both ends.

In the past, I was in charge of business aviation development for an airport. The day I received the assignment, I wondered how the heck am I going to do it? I knew that 101-marketing was not getting anywhere in creating significant growth, so I decided to visit the operation center of one of the largest business jet fleets. I didn’t go there to make a sales pitch. In no time I learned almost every detail of their operation. Most important of all, I found out about the problems that they have to deal with when flying to various destinations. No sales pitch, but rather my simple, straightforward question to the head of operations: "What if we can prevent those problems or dilemmas?”

‘My’ airport was inspected three times and became a preferred airport. Bizav traffic grew significantly. Maybe, it’s just because an old fox knows more tricks to get a rabbit out of a hole than a puppy with a degree!

A straightforward person can create a static discharge in a board room where the members have world class antennas for career or competition dangers. Often the executives believe in and support what I call “Swamp Marketing” for methodically dragging customers into a sale, but no one wants it because it sucks. Marketing is a very complicated skill and communication is the heart of it. Marketing lacking smart strategy is like an artillery battery pointing in all directions, loaded with blanks and firing at will; lots of noise, no hits and it may even backfire.

The four examples above may suggest what is missing in private or business aviation. The examples may not have wings but be assured that nothing flies without communication.

A landing at St.Barth airport (TFFJ) in the French Caribbean with its 646m/2,119ft runway is like what an Olympian experiences when taking off from a winter sport ski jump; five meters or less above the slope and decreasing until touch-down.

www.caribavia.org

BlueSky Business Aviation News | 26th November 2020 | Issue #583

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