August 5, 2019

2019 Paris Air Show Delegates Home

2019 Paris Air Show Pierce County WA USA delegation

Team Pierce County lands hot leads at 2019 Paris Air Show

What a week it was at the 2019 Paris Air Show – from connecting with aerospace companies from around the world, to a surprise boost for Boeing and some mind-bending technology. The air show held June 17-21, 2019, is in the books, and Team Pierce County is back home with dozens of leads that will be worked over the months ahead.

Joining the delegation led by the Washington State Department of Commerce, the Pierce County team included: Jason

Team Pierce County at the International Paris Air Show. From left: Jason Whalen, Lisa Goodman, Betty Capestany, Dave Morrell and Bruce Kendall.

Whalen, EDB chair, City of Lakewood deputy mayor and partner, Ledger Square Law; Dave Morrell, Pierce County Council member; Lisa Goodman, The Benaroya Company marketing director and EDB board member; Betty Capestany, Pierce County Economic Development Department director; and Bruce Kendall, EDB president and CEO.

Leads, leads, leads

Pierce County delegates met with more than 60 companies from Europe, Asia, America and South America, representing 6 business retention cases and 55 recruitment cases. The group came away with 11 “hot leads” and 35 “warm leads.” Now the work continues as the EDB and its partners ensure companies receive follow-up information about available sites, workforce pipeline and incentives.

“It was critically important for the EDB and its partners to be part of the Washington State team, especially considering the huge role Pierce County plays in the state’s aerospace industry,” EDB Chair Jason Whalen said. “If we’re not at the table, then we lose opportunities.”

Paris by the numbers

If you think the 53rd International Paris Air Show is a big deal, you’re right. The event is the largest and longest-running aerospace trade show in the world, established in 1909 and held every odd-numbered year since 1949.

“The importance of air shows can’t be overstated,” Bruce Kendall said. “They provide the highest concentration of aerospace companies on the planet and are a terrific chance to build lasting relationships that can lead to companies investing in Tacoma-Pierce County.”

The aggregate numbers from this year’s air show speak volumes:

2,453 exhibitors from 49 countries
$140 billion worth of contracts signed
316,470 visitors
276 official delegations from 98 countries and 7 international organizations
140 aircraft on display
2,700 accredited journalists from 87 countries

Other highlights of the Paris Air Show included:

Big order for Boeing. Day 3 brought the announcement that Boeing landed a letter of intent for 200 737 Max jets from the International Airlines Group(AIG). Amazon also put in its order for 15 more Boeing 757s for its fleet.
Top players duked it out. Airbus had firm orders, letters of intent and memorandums of understanding for 595 airplanes, while Boeing had orders for 234 planes. Overall, 938 planes were ordered over the course of the air show.
Tech took center stage. Big themes were personal personal technology, electric aircraft innovation, artificial intelligence, and the convergence of aerospace, medical devices, automotive and rail technologies. A “SpaceTrain” prototype, still under development, is designed to travel 700 miles per hour on a single track between cities. Imagine a future where you can commute between Tacoma and Spokane in a half-hour.

Check out Bruce Kendall’s daily updates published in the South Sound Business Journal.

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