Taking flight

The helicopter sector has quite literally flown into Amsterdam for the fourth edition of key industry event European Rotors. The doors to the RAI Amsterdam opened yesterday amidst an impressive arrival from a vast range of helicopter models including the Bell 429, the Airbus EC135 and the Guimbal Cabri G2, heralding the start of a buoyant few days with a dramatic display of helicopter innovation and aerial skill.

The three-day event is now well underway, playing host to around 230 exhibitors and an anticipated visitorship of 5,400 attendees from over 70 countries worldwide. Ahead of doors opening yesterday, the Smart Display team was busy behind the scenes, installing a total of four stands on behalf of both clients old and new. Having spent months designing stands fitting for leaders in the helicopter field, Smart Display built for a truly international portfolio of brands; Alpine Air Support, Helispares, Nampa Valley Helicopters and Dart Aerospace, hailing from Switzerland, the UK, Idaho and Montreal respectively.

“We have welcomed industry professionals from throughout Europe and the rest of the world to explore the latest advancements, share knowledge and shape the future of vertical flight,” says Fredrik Kampfe, chairman of show organiser the European Helicopter Association. “European Rotors 2024 is set to be our most exciting and comprehensive event yet, and we are proud to host this premier event in Amsterdam, a city renowned for its innovation and connectivity.”

Prior to its relocation to RAI Amsterdam, European Rotors hosted its first two editions in Cologne, and moved to Madrid’s IFEMA Centre last year. It was in Madrid where Smart Display first got involved with the event, designing and building initially for Helispares and later Alpine Air Support, both of whom returned to Smart Display for the 2024 show.

For Andrew Priestley, sales manager at Helispares, Smart Display was the obvious choice to project manage every aspect of the overseas exhibition.

“If we were building the stand and transporting the merchandise ourselves, exhibiting overseas would be a challenge,” says Andrew. “But Smart Display takes all of those challenges away. We feel like we are dealing with a company that actually cares and gives us 100 per cent, even though we are one of many customers.”

In the lead up to the exhibition, the team at Helispares has also found having a local UK stand builder to be advantageous.

“It’s just easier to have someone local, in the same timezone that we can meet in person if necessary,” admits Andrew. “It’s important to travel overseas to speak to those companies who may not have considered looking outside of mainland Europe for their supply needs, and it is made so much easier by working with Smart Display. We literally just have to pack our bags and business cards and turn up at the show.”

Inspired by the positive experiences of Andrew and all the team at Helispares, fellow helicopter parts supplier Alpine Air Support also appointed Smart Display to take care of its stand design and build.

“I didn’t want the language barrier that comes with working with a local stand contractor when we first worked with Smart Display for the Madrid edition,” says Peter Lewis, CEO at Alpine Air Support. “The Smart Display team produced a really good proposal with excellent designs and the communication has been great.”

European Rotors is open to visitors until 7pm tomorrow. If you have an exhibition either in the UK or overseas, talk to us about how we can maximise your show presence with a bespoke stand build you can use time and time again #wemakeevents.