The biggest annual gathering for the rotary crowd, Heli-Expo, opens this Sunday in Anaheim, Calif., with a full slate of product announcements, safety and management seminars, forums and workshops, an awards banquet, a job fair, and lots more. The state of the economy is sure to be a major topic of discussion, though the helicopter segment has so far felt less pain than many other aviation businesses. Production appears to be relatively stable and mass layoffs have not occurred, according to FlightGlobal. The main attraction at Anaheim is the chance to check out all the newest and best products and services in one place, with technical briefings from the exhibitors. This year’s show has attracted a record 583 exhibitors, including 88 showing for the first time, and 73 helicopters are scheduled to be on the show floor.
At last check, registrations were running close to the numbers for last year’s show, which set a record with over 17,000 attendees and exhibitors. Online registration is still open. The Expo, held at the Anaheim Convention Center, runs Sunday through Tuesday. The show is organized by Helicopter Association International, the professional trade association for the international helicopter industry.
