[STARMAN 352ND]

A weakening economy has grounded the 2008 Redding Air Show.

Air show chairman Bill Wagner said Monday that Exchange Club of Redding members decided to cancel this year's show because businesses were unable to find enough cash in their budgets to become sponsors.

"In the past couple of weeks, two-thirds of the major frontline sponsors indicated that they wouldn't be able to participate or that they might be involved in a much lower level," Wagner said. "We felt it would be fiscally irresponsible to go ahead."

Many of those sponsors were tied to the downward-sliding construction industry, Wagner said.

"We needed to fill 12 frontline pavilions and, as of a week ago, pavilion sponsors for seven of those pavilions cancelled," Suzanne Tikker, the show's sponsorship chair, wrote in an e-mail to sponsors. "The news was devastating."

Wagner said that even though the show wasn't scheduled until Oct. 4, organizers decided to announce the cancellation well in advance to ensure that no one planned to attend.

Tikker urged potential sponsors to budget for the next air show in 2009.

Wagner said the event traditionally draws between 28,000 and 30,000 people in a weekend, and it costs around $200,000 to organize.

Almost all of the money to produce the show comes from sponsors or ticket sales, Wagner said.

The Exchange Club pays for lodging, a portion of fuel costs and also to book the civilian performers, Wagner said.

Rising prices -- particularly fuel -- factored into the decision to cancel the event, he said.

"There's just not a lot of places to cut," he said.

**I will tell you what i'm hearing they were not going to get the Angels or T-birds this year...They were trying for the Russian team and the Sponsors backed out.**

[Biggie]

Sounds like a load of crap to me, everyone wants to blame the economy for everything now, i dont buy it.

Heck if they charged 10.00 a ticket and got a kick in from sponsers and performers they would easily cover there cost and show a tidy profit all based on there numbers also. They say 25,000 to 30,000 people attend, at $10.00 a ticket plus sponser money and with a cost of $200,000.00 how can they lose.

More BS blaming the economy for bad planning or poor running of the financial end of the show.

Just my two cents :-)

Biggie

Originally Posted by STARMAN 352ND

A weakening economy has grounded the 2008 Redding Air Show.

Air show chairman Bill Wagner said Monday that Exchange Club of Redding members decided to cancel this year's show because businesses were unable to find enough cash in their budgets to become sponsors.

"In the past couple of weeks, two-thirds of the major frontline sponsors indicated that they wouldn't be able to participate or that they might be involved in a much lower level," Wagner said. "We felt it would be fiscally irresponsible to go ahead."

Many of those sponsors were tied to the downward-sliding construction industry, Wagner said.

"We needed to fill 12 frontline pavilions and, as of a week ago, pavilion sponsors for seven of those pavilions cancelled," Suzanne Tikker, the show's sponsorship chair, wrote in an e-mail to sponsors. "The news was devastating."

Wagner said that even though the show wasn't scheduled until Oct. 4, organizers decided to announce the cancellation well in advance to ensure that no one planned to attend.

Tikker urged potential sponsors to budget for the next air show in 2009.

Wagner said the event traditionally draws between 28,000 and 30,000 people in a weekend, and it costs around $200,000 to organize.

Almost all of the money to produce the show comes from sponsors or ticket sales, Wagner said.

The Exchange Club pays for lodging, a portion of fuel costs and also to book the civilian performers, Wagner said.

Rising prices -- particularly fuel -- factored into the decision to cancel the event, he said.

"There's just not a lot of places to cut," he said.

**I will tell you what i'm hearing they were not going to get the Angels or T-birds this year...They were trying for the Russian team and the Sponsors backed out.**