Inside the Commercial Side of AirVenture
Published on August 2022
With all the noise and propellers and such, it’s hard to remember that AirVenture is a for-profit event. The numbers are huge: the EAA generates $26 million in ticket sales and another $16 million in retail booth rentals. Then there are $150+/week camping fees for either your airplane or the thousands of RVs at Camp Scholler, commercial sponsorships, movie tickets, helicopter rides, and fees for just about anything except to breathe and poop. EAA doesn’t even pay the airshow performers for their flights, which is another way to save a few shekels. EAA has done an excellent job monetizing AirVenture. So how does a company justify the expense of exhibiting at AirVenture? We chat with Aspen Avionics to see how the match adds up.
