Cites "A Drastic Dropoff" In '06 Attendance

Is it yet another sign things have taken a turn for the worse at Sun 'n Fun? Representatives with Sonex Aircraft, LLC told Aero-News Friday the company will not be exhibiting at the 2007 Sun 'n Fun air show, due to what the Oshkosh, WI-based homebuilt kit manufacturer termed "a drastic drop-off in Sun 'n Fun attendance in 2006."

Sonex tells ANN the decision not to attend the 2007 show was weighed heavily by Sonex Aircraft, LLC management and staff -- and the decision has been made that Sun 'n Fun no longer provides adequate return on the significant investment required to maintain its presence as an exhibitor.

"We would like to stress that this decision has not been made by economic necessity, as Sonex Aircraft experienced record growth in sales over the past year," the manufacturer stated in a news release. "Our booth traffic and sales during EAA AirVenture Oshkosh has steadily increased, and hit record highs during the 2006 show. We will continue to focus our trade show exhibition efforts on AirVenture, which is the premiere exhibition event for the homebuilt aircraft industry, and is the reason that our facility is located in Oshkosh."

"The Sun 'n Fun exhibition budget will be re-directed into a renewed advertising and promotional strategy which will include broader-based advertising of Sonex and AeroConversions products and emphasis on Sonex Aircraft, LLC fly-in events hosted at the Sonex facility in Oshkosh, WI."

Sonex had a large presence at Lakeland 2006, with several aircraft on display (including a BEAUTIFUL Sonex, its aluminum skin polished to better-than-mirror finish, that participated in daily flyovers) as well as many customer-built planes in the parking area. The company also had a full staff on hand to answer questions.

As noted by ANN staffers at the 2006 year's show, Lakeland experienced a significant dropoff in attendance compared to past years... which haven't exactly been stellar. That drop has come as booth prices for exhibitors have skyrocketed -- leaving many exhibitors irked.

Just before the 2006 fly-in kicked off, another noteworthy presence -- Cleaveland Aircraft Tools -- announced it was begging off Lakeland, as well, due to the increasingly lopsided cost/benefit ratio.

• Listen To Cleaveland Tools' Mike Lauretson Explain Why He Said No To SnF

"Not attending Sun 'n Fun is an obvious break with tradition in our industry," Sonex stated, "however, we feel strongly that the show is losing is effectiveness for us as an exhibitor. We are committed to operating as efficiently as possible and continuing to offer our customers the absolute Best Performance Per Dollar with products and service that represent the best value in the marketplace."

As it has with other regional fly-ins such as Arlington or Copperstate, Sonex will support a continued grass-roots presence at Lakeland with its current customers. Their events will also be published on the Builders' Events page of the Sonex web site, available at the FMI link below.

FMI: www.sonexaircraft.com, Read Of Other Problems At Lakeland Over The Years