African Aerospace
and Defence 2006 will be held from September 20-24 -- in Cape Town. Show
organisers, Kagiso Exhibitions, made the announcement by fax late last week, on
the basis that AFB Waterkloof will not be ready on time. Its runways and
taxiways are currently undergoing major rehabilitation. The change of venue to
AFB Ysterplaat must still be approved by the South African Ministry of Defence,
the missive read. Meanwhile, the show's website,
www.aadexpo.co.za, still
blurbs that this year's show, now at a smaller venue, promises to be "an even
bigger event in 2006".
They anticipate further growth in exhibitor
and trade visitor attendance, consistent with the steady increased level of
interest the event has drawn since its inception ten years ago. "Feedback from
exhibitors and visitors indicates that AAD can play an important role as a
regional show. It is the biggest event of its sort in Africa, but from 2006 AAD
will have made the transition to being a truly Pan-African, rather than South
African, air, land and sea event," said exhibition director, Lynn Browne. "Once
again the show will be staged at AFB Waterkloof, located just a few minutes from
downtown City of Tshwane, about a half hour drive from Sandton - the Gauteng
Province's major hotel and hospitality hub," the site proclaims, oblivious of
the looming change of venue and the rash of hotel and other cancellations this
will cause. "In the past, some exhibitors and visitors felt the show was too
parochial in its focus. We've taken note of this and we're addressing this. A
strategic plan has been designed and implemented in order to avoid mistakes of
the past. As a result, we're really excited about the 2006 show, which promises
to be even bigger and better than in previous years," enthused (sic) Browne. She
says that one improvement in particular will make exhibitors and visitors happy:
In order to avoid a repeat of last year's unusual dust niggles, the South
African Air Force is pulling out all stop to further improve the site, including
surfacing of the perimeter track at AFB Waterkloof. Indeed!