Straight from filming in Manchester with Ability and BBC2, it’s out to Geneva for EBACE with Cessna.
Following the subdued mood at MEBA in Dubai in November, there were fears that EBACE could be dead, with tumbleweed blowing across the stands and a low turn-out. Not so, in fact! While there’s less froth and hype than recent years, the mood seems to be of patience and quiet confidence for the long term. In the words of a Cessna sales manager, “There may be fewer people this year, but they’re the right people. They may not be buying today, but they’re talking to us about the planes they want as soon as things pick up.”
We represented Cessna on Monday morning in a media flight above the Alps with Lufthansa. It’s a wonder the XLS+ could get off the ground given the size of the breakfasts Lufthansa lined up! They had invited an interesting mixture of trade press and Swiss newspapers and it was judged a success. (Lufthansa comms director Aage Dunhaupt was praised for doing a nice turn as an airline hostess.) Lufthansa Private Jet and Cessna certainly have some great show daily coverage this week.
Yesterday’s Cessna press conference went well, with a decent turn-out and a polished performance by CEO Jack Pelton. Some quality interviews arranged on-site as well, including the Financial Times and CNBC. All in all, busy but good.
