Show Snapshot
Promoting
partnerships
over politics
US organiser Kallman Worldwide’s experience
at 2017’s Paris Air Show reminds us that national
pavilions are an invitation to global cooperation
- Words: Tom Kallman, president and CEO,
Kallman Worldwide (pictured right with
French president Macron)
I just returned from the Paris Air Show,
where it seemed the question on everyone’s
mind was, “What’s new in your country?”
Depending where you’re from, and where
you stand, you could easily mistake that as a
political statement.
Since the last Salon du Bourget in
2015, there have been more than 50
presidential elections around the world.
Add parliamentary or legislative contests,
appointed posts and related staff turnover,
and there’s a lot of ‘new’ happening
politically in most of our countries.
Considering the nature and outcomes of
some of those elections — notably in the
United Kingdom, France, South Korea, the
Philippines and the United States — you
could even be forgiven for hearing a tinge
of exhaustion in the question. For some, the
pace of change has been non-stop.
From Kallman Worldwide’s perspective
(organising US exhibitors at international
events since 1963, and at Le Bourget since
1995), the coincidence of the show with
political shifts in one direction or another
carried a bit of déjà vu.
Over the past 22 years the UK has had fi ve
prime ministers, France and the US have
each had four presidents, South Korea, six
and the Philippines, fi ve. Shifts happen.
Over the same period, global military
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Issue 4
2017
spending has grown from US$1tn to
nearly $1.7tn, according to the Stockholm
International Peace Research Institute.
Deloitte says commercial aircraft production
increased 120.5 per cent since 1996 to keep
pace with passenger and freight demand.
In other words, palace intrigue may be a
perennial conversation starter at the Paris
Air Show, but it’s not the conversation: the
business of Le Bourget would appear to be
politics-proof, or at least agnostic.
Thus the question — and more so, the
answer — is precisely why America and 26
other countries presented national pavilions
this year, and it has nothing to do with
politics.
National pavilions are a patriotic
expression of collective industry pride,
presented in the spirit of global partnership.
From nation to nation, they’re an invitation:
“Come see our country’s new equipment,
products and services. Show us yours. Let’s
work together.”
National pavilions are also practical. They
give participating exhibitors — especially
fi rst-time small and medium-sized
enterprises (SMEs) — instant equity and
scale. That’s why, as emerging economies
fl ex their industry muscles in global supply
chains, we’re seeing an increase in the
number of national pavilions and exhibitors
w w w.exhibitionworld.co.uk