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NBAA 2011 Online Coverage October 19, 2011

Posted by ludozone in Aerospace, Conference, eBusiness Applications/Services, International Business Development, Internet Marketing, iPhone, Management, Social Media, Twitter.
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1 comment so far

A week ago today, the2011 edition of the annual NBAA convention came to an end in Las Vegas. Although the show was a great success “by every yardstick” with over 26000 registered attendees, many business aviation professionals also rely on online coverage to figure out what are the industry trends. So, as I have done in previous years, here is my take on how the show fared on the internet.

News Outlet Coverage

As always the main aviation news outlet were out in force to cover the show. There were no less than 4 production rooms at the convention center where teams from Aviation International News, Aviation Week, Flight Global and NBAA relayed important information online. The content numbers were impressive:

  AINonline Avweek FlightGlobal NBAA
Articles 230 21 130 55
Blogs 2 18 12 0
Videos 10 0 13 18
Photos 54 75 18 216
Daily
Magazine		 3 3 6 0

First of all, it was interesting see how NBAA stepped up in its own news coverage of the show with a team of freelance journalists and photographers. They produced quality material throughout the show and took advantage of their website and social media to distribute their content (some of it exclusive). Their website is a bit poor in potential interaction, but in my opinion, they did a better job than AviationWeek. AvWeek’s team continues to disappoint with the least amount of innovation, the smallest online content output and their ill-timed decision to part ways with their star reporter Benet Wilson (@AvQueenBenet) right before the show (although she did a very professional job covering the event for them from Washington).

For innovation, you had to look at AIN and Flight which both released a new version of their websites in time for NBAA. Both companies have recently invested heavily to upgrade their content management capabilities behind the scenes, which will allow them to grow the usability and features they can provide their online readers. At Flight, the changes were both cosmetic and premium user focused. It resulted in a redesign of the navigation features and (at last) in the introduction of a good comment function. As huge as these changes were internally, they left me and many other users underwhelmed by the new website. It is “OK”. I am sure the PRO users will get more for their money, but I did not get a chance to review that part of the site. For AIN however, the change in internal content management provided some much needed improvement to their old website. Because they switched to open platform Drupal, they were able to immediately take advantage of off-the-shelf widgets for twitter, Facebook and trending (showing the most popular article). It is definitely the most improved website of the four I reviewed and I really liked it. Because AIN continued to provide the most extensive content, in a well-designed new website, I think for the first time in my reviews, they have actually edged Flight Global for “best in show” (by the slimmest of margins).

With that said, all these news organizations continue to ignore the iPad as an important delivery platform at the show and off the show. These devices were everywhere in Vegas, and must be included in the content delivery plans of many aviation companies. Testing all websites for iPad compatibility is now a must. None of the four sites’ videos could be accessed directly (other than by jumping to the YouTube app). Furthermore, the daily magazines, available online on each respective websites, were not viewable on the iPad. And even though Flight Global and AIN have iPhone apps that work on iPad, but they have not been upgraded to take advantage of the content features of their new websites, nor do they feature conference specific filtering.

Social Media

Twitter was once again very active with over 2700 posts in the #NBAA11 during the show. The statistics from the archive show a healthy proportion of original content versus retweets as well as a crossover of users. Compared to last year the numbers are similar, but businesses were more directly involved with good interaction. A lot of companies took the opportunity to jump in for the first time, unfortunately most of them simply tweeted “Come see us at booth CXXXX”. Hopefully they have learned something by watching the event stream, joining others at the NBAA sponsored Tweet-up, or reading my advice (shameless plug!).

Amongst the companies most active in Social Media, Duncan Aviation continues to show exemplary behavior. They have been active on Twitter (@DuncanAviation) before and during the show, posted multiple blog entries, and deployed a show specific landing page that increased interactivity online as well as at the booth.

The Future

Technology continues to play a growing role in the world of aviation exhibitions. As mentioned before, the iPad was omnipresent both in delivering solutions, in marketing products and services, but also as an effective tool for attendees. The superior NBAA mobile app was also an interesting step towards changes that are upon us. For future shows, I think that the world of online and on site are headed for convergence with much activity taking place before the show online, while the actual onsite presence will become more efficient but will be shared online with others at the show and watching from afar.

Do you have any thoughts about NBAA or the future of this kind of show? Is there anything I missed online? Let me know what you think.

NBAA11 Mobile App Raises the Bar High for All Future Aerospace Shows September 29, 2011

Posted by ludozone in Aerospace, Conference, eBusiness Applications/Services, International Business Development, iPhone, Management, Social Media.
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2 comments

If you read my critique of previous Aerospace trade shows, I have always said that exhibitors needed to do more with technology to get noticed at such events. Attendees have a limited amount of time to spend in the expo hall and they will be armed with a predetermined list of booths to visit. I am a big fan of mobile apps, and I have been looking forward to the possibilities of making trade show going a much more efficient experience. But so far, I have been disappointed with what has come out. For example, the 2011 Paris Air Show app was far less that exciting. However all of that changed this week.

For the 64th Annual Meeting in Last Vegas next month, NBAA has just released the official NBAA11 trade show app that sets the bar very high for all future large aerospace events. The FREE app, created by Core-Apps and available for iPhone, Blackberry and Android, is nothing short of brilliant. Finally!

FIVE BEST THINGS ABOUT THE NBAA11 MOBILE APP

  • No Internet Connection Needed – When you open the app, it updates the information if you have an internet connection. But to use the app, no connection is required. Everything is already there! Exhibitor info, maps, documents, news, twitter feed, etc… are all available as of the time of your last connection. This is an absolute requirement for large shows where connectivity is usually very difficult to maintain.
  • Booth Categories and Map – You can find exhibitors easily through an alphabetical directory or a category directory. This is very efficient. For example, if you are looking for a new base of operation, you can easily find in a list all the airport representatives at the show. You can then jump to a zoom-able map, exhibitor contact info, description, and (if you have connectivity) their website.
  • Booth Tagging, Tracking and Notes – In preparation for the show, you can tag the booths you would like to visit and create notes for the topics you would like to discuss. Once in Vegas, you can update the notes as you visit the exhibitors and flag the booths you have seen. At the end of the day or the show, you can email yourself all your notes for follow-up or reporting.
  • Events List with Personal Calendar – The app comes with a personal calendar for the days of the show. From the conference agenda, you can add the sessions that interest you to the calendar, then add your own meetings. And if your meeting will take place at a booth, the app will add the location information automatically.
  • Central access to important document and feeds – From the main menu, you can also access important documents, YouTube videos, and the NBAA Facebook page. This is a very convenient way to have all the event information in a central location although some of these features do require connectivity.

THREE THINGS THAT COULD MAKE THE APP EVEN BETTER

  • Trending and Social Networking – Since the app knows the exhibitors that are tagged and visited, I would love to see trending on a map. Rating and/or public notes could be additional information collected by the app. This would be a great way to find hot products or important innovations. If that trending can further be curtailed by my sector of interest, the opinion of renowned experts, or by the habits of the “friends” I have connected with (perhaps through LinkedIn), we could start seeing some interesting efficiencies.
  • Booth Tagging of News – As news gets submitted to NBAA over the wire or via press partners, the items could be tagged with the relevant booth numbers to make them available directly from the booth page. This would allow visitors to see the latest items relevant to the exhibitor right as they approach the booth.
  • Check-in and Directions – “Visited” flags are great, but “Check-ins” are better. It would allow visitors to keep track of where they have been, but also to provide them with direction to where they need to go directly on the map. Combined with the social aspects above, this would also allow colleagues to find each other on the show floor if the check-ins are made available to the network.

I know this app will be a huge success at NBAA 2011. And I hope that other show organizers take notice and build upon this strong foundation. Exhibitors should also push for this development as it is one of the best ways for them to rise above the fray at these large shows.

Do you have an opinion of this app? Are you planning on using it at the show? What has been your experience?

FlightGlobal updates its iPhone App, makes good progress November 30, 2010

Posted by ludozone in Aerospace, eBusiness Applications/Services, Internet Marketing, iPhone, Social Media.
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In my previous “FlightGlobal and AINOnline Apps Reviews”, I noted that although FlightGlobal should be recognized for its pioneering effort to bring Aerospace news to the iPhone in a comprehensive app, their first version had a number of shortcomings. Earlier this month, FlightGlobal released its new version 2.3 with a much improved implementation.

First of all, the application has been greatly simplified. It is faster and easier to use than version 1. It provides News, Blogs, Videos, and Images in a clean and simple interface. It is good to see that the twitter feed and jobs sections are gone, thus allowing the app to focus on a sole purpose: keeping up with industry happenings. Navigation is reduced to four buttons at the bottom of the screen. The main “Home” button gives you the news headlines, latest videos, new pictures, and latest blog posting in a straightforward scrollable screen. If that was all FlightGlobal improved on, it would already be a giant leap forward. However, there is much more to this version.

The application now cashes text and photos anytime it connects to the Internet, so most articles, images and blog pots are available for viewing offline. The app also uses imbedded text, picture and video browser, no longer requiring a user to jump out of the application. These two aspects were the biggest drawback of the previous version, so I was very pleased to see them fixed.

But the main new feature of this version is the “MyFG” section. This tab is completely customizable to allow the selection of specific news from 12 different categories as well as 11 blogs. This provides the user with a “customizable” view of the news, relevant to their specific topic of interest. In this example, the user can configure the app to only show headlines related to aircraft and airline safety in the “MyFG” tab. This is extremely useful and is definitely the most distinguishing factor for this app.

I could not find any major “flaws” with the design. It is a read-only app with no ability for interaction and sharing on social networks, but it is better to not have these functions than have them implemented in a clunky way. My only other comments are merely annoyances that should be easily fixable in a point release. In the Home section, the blog logos don’t seem to load so it is hard to tell which blog the headline is from. Once a blog post is open it is also hard to tell where it came from. I like the “bookmark” feature that grays out the  news articles and blogs you have already read, but the flags don’t carry across tabs (a post read in the “blog” tab still shows unread in the “home” tab), which slightly defeats the purpose.

This version is now definitely an iPhone app you should download. Its distinction from the current AINOnline version is merely a question of personal preference rather than functionality. And apparently, many users are downloading the app. When I contacted FlightGlobal regarding this upgrade, they revealed that they have had over 10,000 downloads of the free app with a current rate of 50 new users per day as opposed to 15 per day for the old version. Next on the horizon for FlightGlobal is an Android version of the Aerospace news app as well as other iPhone app(s) providing access to their data products.

What do you think of the new app? What should the next improvements be? What other kinds of Aerospace app would you like to see on the iPhone?

FlightGlobal and AINOnline iPhone Apps Reviews May 18, 2010

Posted by ludozone in Aerospace, eBusiness Applications/Services, Internet Marketing, iPhone, Social Media, Twitter.
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4 comments

When FlightGlobal released its A&D News iPhone app a few months ago, I downloaded it in the first couple of days. They were the first A&D media company venturing on the platform and they were rushing to get it ready in time for the Singapore Air Show. Last week, AINOnline released their own iPhone app which they have been working on for a few months. Both apps are free and they offer very different features, but which one should you be using? Let’s take a look.

Before jumping into the details, it is important to note that these apps are pioneering a new platform for our industry. Both Michael Targett (FlightGlobal) and Chad Trautveter (AINOnline), the respective Online Editors, insist that this is just “version 1” and that they have many improvements in the work for future versions. So it is important to judge the application in their current state rather than in regards to the “could be” state.

Note: FlightGlobal Released A New Version of this App in November 2010
See Complete Review Here

Click to watch videoThe FlightGlobal iPhone app (Search for “FlightGobal” in AppStore) strives to be very complete and uses many different features. At a high level, it offers 5 sections: news, blogs, twitter feed, videos, and jobs. The interface is configurable to arrange and display your favorite sections at the bottom of the screen. The app is designed mainly as a “jump point” to other apps. The News section only contains the headlines, and links to the main website in the Safari app for the whole article. The Video section links to the YouTube app. The Jobs section has more information, but still requires jumping to the Safari browser for proper formatting and interaction. The Twitter section lists the tweets from the entire FlightGlobal team, however, it requires that you jump and login to the Twitter website on the Safari app for interaction such as retweeting or opening the embedded links. The Twitter section also seems to lag behind the current timeline by as much as several days. The Blog section has the most content (with full blog posts and pictures) although some of them simply embed the main website page. The Search section only returns hits from the photo gallery, so it is not very useful to parse the news and blog items available. This is a big setback to find the news you want as the app does not allow the categorization of news between Airline, Business, MRO, Defense, etc… Most pages have the ability to email someone a link to the story, using the iPhone email app. The app does not work offline and it reloads all data every time it opens. It also has no resiliency so every time you come back from another app, it takes you back to the home page rather than the page and/or item you were reading.

Click to watch videoThe AINOnline iPhone app (Search for “AINOnline” in AppStore) takes the very pragmatic approach to delivering basic content to mobile users. The app is organized in three main sections: Headlines, Categorized News, and Calendar. The Categorized section provides grouping of news items in no less than 15 different topics ranging from Airlines, to Avionics, to Defense, and Rotorcraft. The main menu at the bottom of the screen is configurable to allow your favorite categories to be accessible quickly. The rest are reached through the “More” button. Each section contains at least a couple of week’s worth of news articles. The display provides a chronological list of headlines and synopsis. Each item can be read in its entirety by clicking on it. When reading a specific item, you can send a link via email or post it on Twitter. There are also links to the full web version in Safari to access the pictures and other features. The calendar provides links to each event’s website as well as a useable phone number (click to call). All th eexternal apps are imbedded in the viewer so you do not have to leave the application when jumping off. There is also an omnipresent search feature that scans the entire content, however it cannot be restricted to a single category. The most attractive part of this application is that it can be used off-line. Because the app only contains text, updates when connected are extremely fast. You can do a quick refresh over WiFi or 3G before boarding the flight and have hours of reading available while off-line. The app also resiliency, so if you close it, you get back to the last screen you were on.

As I said before, this will be an evolving medium. Perhaps that is why AviationWeek is late to the table with no iPhone app development underway only “considerations“. Greg Hamilton, their Online Publisher, argues that their mobile website works well on iPhone and that it serves the needs of their audience. It doesn’t work off-line, but using WiFi it is fast and offers many of the features I like in the AINOnline app. It is a valid alternative approach that also has the advantage of covering all platforms, not just the iPhone. But when it comes to leveraging the unique features of each Smartphone system (like customization or integration), AviationWeek offers only the “lowest common denominator” approach. It is interesting to note that neither FlightGlobal nor AINOnline offer a mobile version of their site, arguing that the Smartphones display their regular site well enough. I am not convinced that it is a good argument. The AviationWeek mobile site is definitely the best way to get A&D News on the other Smartphones. And aren’t there more BlackBerrys than iPhones in use in the A&D industry anyway?

But if you are an iPhone user, the AINOnline app is much more useable than the FlightGlobal app or the AviationWeek mobile site. It works “off-line”, has all the content you need organized in easy-to-use categories, allows customization, and avoids unnecessary bells-and-whistles. So until new versions come out, I would say definitely download the AINOnline app.

For future versions, I’d like the apps providers to consider a few additional features:

  • The offline mode is extremely important so I can read the news anywhere and at anytime. This will be even more important for the iPad version! The app should therefore allow for quick text download with the option to download larger items such as pictures on demand (either as a setting or via a button in the item)
  • Provide resiliency to allow me to return to the last place I was in the app after I come back.
  • An indicator of what items I have already read with the ability to “Mark all Read” and selectively sort and display on this criteria would optimize reading over multiple sessions. (“Where was I again?”).
  • Full reposting of the stories via email, Twitter, Facebook, and Digg using APIs rather than application call-out. This is the best way to generate traffic back to the main website.
  • Customizable search with the option the save my favorite queries. This way, if I am interested in “Airbus” I can re-run the search every time I open the app. I should also be able to limit the query to a specific category.
  • Provide a “favorite” button and section to save stories of particular interest.
  • Provide a “like” button to create trending and create a “most watched” section based on it.
  • Provide YouTube integration via an imbedded mobile interface (in HTML5) rather than jumping out to the external app.
  • Create a separate “Major Events” app to handle Farnborough, Paris, and NBAA to allow special features and content, rather than trying to cramp everything in the main app.

What do you think of the apps? How do use them? What would you want in future versions? The best way to make the apps better is to discuss them and suggest new ideas. But first, pass the word and have as any people as possible download the apps so publisher can measure the interest.

Online 787 First Flight: A Missed Opportunity for Boeing? December 16, 2009

Posted by ludozone in Aerospace, eBusiness Applications/Services, FaceBook, International Business Development, Internet Marketing, iPhone, Social Media, Twitter.
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10 comments

Yesterday was a really exciting day for the Aerospace industry with the fantastic first flight of the Boeing 787. After more than two years of delays, the beautiful bird finally took off and she was majestic. The event was covered worldwide in the main press and television, but many of us were simply riveted to our computer screen and iPhones for play-by-play of the action at Everett.

After the first flight of the Airbus A400M last week, this was the second such event where Twitter was a great source of up-to-the-minute information. FlightGlobal’s @flightblogger started posting the night before and delighted us with stories, pictures and even video of the event. Reading him made you feel like you were almost there. We got weather updates, a look behind the scenes, and even a detailed flight plan! Right before the flight, many of the folks lining both sides of the runway were posting updates and pictures. In total, the #787 and #787FF hashtags recorded over 2500 posts on Twitter in a span of 24 hours. Although CNN and FoxNews had live video streams (with ATC!!), their journalists were not well versed in the matters surrounding the event. Boeing also had a live webcast featuring seven different cameras but most of what was reported there had already been posted of Twitter earlier.

When the moment arrived, I had the CNN and Boeing videos side by side on my screen, as well as the twitter feed at the bottom. My very own news desk! I could feel the excitement build in my stomach as I saw the plane started to taxi (from two different angles) and could hear the cheers from the crowd. The Twitter posts were coming fast and furious from all corners of the world, in many different languages! This was an historical event and everyone in this great industry was overjoyed. @VictoriaOnAir posted what many felt: “So, did the eyes water as she took off :O) we cried like babies, here.”

As the flight continued, we could follow the aircraft’s every heading, altitude, and speed change live on Flightaware.com, and when ZA001 headed back to Boeing Field early because of weather, we were all ready to see the landing live online! In the evening, Randy Tinseth, Vice President, Marketing for Boeing Commercial Airplanes posted a nice entry on his blog with great photos and informative links. All in all it was a remarkable and unforgettable day. And yet, I cannot stop wondering if Boeing missed a HUGE opportunity.

In the age of social media and instant communication, why didn’t Boeing take charge of online coverage and capitalize on this event (and the rest of the flight test program) to upgrade its imagine as well as inspire future travelers and young generations of Aerospace engineers? The industry always talks about attracting new talent, so what better image than this revolutionary aircraft taking off to foster new dreams?

Here are four things Boeing could have done to take advantage of this milestone:

1. Take charge of Twitter. Set up the hashtag early and start sharing information directly from the “horses’ mouth”. Select a few key personnel to share their behind-the-scenes adventure: ramp engineer, flight planner, program engineer, etc… They could each send one or two posts a day with a couple of exclusive pictures to create early buzz. Then on the day, they can take 30 seconds to send an update: “787_Ramp_Bob: ZA001 pushing back!” Set up a Twitter List of all the partners on the program and encourage them to share their views from a supplier and customer point of view. Finally, taking a page out of NASA’s strategy (see @Astro_Mike), even have a couple of posts from the pilots during the flight (i.e. relay them by radio! No distractions in the cockpit, please). Continue the stream of information throughout the test program. I guarantee many will follow.

2. Reach out to the fans. Set up a 787 FaceBook fan page and select 10 Boeing employees aged 30 or less to run it and share their adventures. Give them Flip cams and have them post videos and notes as well as answer questions. Young people want to “hang” with other young people. Show them Boeing is a hip and cool place to work. Run a video contest on YouTube for a 30 second clip about “Why I can’t wait to fly on the 787!” First prize: two seats on the first delivery flight! Again, take a page out of NASA and invite 50 non-professional bloggers to cover the event. NASA did that for the launch of STS-129 and it was a resounding success. Word of mouth is the best publicity one can get!

3. Use the technology. The Victoria Secret fashion show had its own iPhone App for a two-hour television show. Why wouldn’t the nine months 787 Test Flight Program have one as well? News, photos, videos, merchandise, job postings, contests can all be part of it. Again, coming across as a “modern” company is crucial to attract new generations. Finally, don’t try to do it all yourself. Boeing should partner with Flightaware.com to continue to show test flights. Partner with local tourism bureau to make it easy for people to witness the planes by providing tips, hotel and restaurant info, and up to date take-off/landing info.

4. Educate the students. Over the next nine months, multiple test aircrafts will take part in a grueling flight program with almost daily developments. Why not partner with educational publishers or local universities to develop high school lesson plans around the program. Think about the subjects that can be covered: math, physics, geography, environment, history, and information systems. Students want to see that what they learn is relevant to the real world. This airplane is very relevant and it may well inspire them to join the Aerospace industry.

So I wish we could have done this yesterday, but may be it is not too late. Many of these ideas can still be applied by Boeing and others (are you listening AIA?). I look forward to seeing what comes next and how the Aerospace will continue to venture online in 2010.

But I am not holding my breath. Are you?

Apple buying Twitter: time to wake-up the Aerospace industry? May 5, 2009

Posted by ludozone in eBusiness Applications/Services, International Business Development, Internet Marketing, iPhone, Social Media, Twitter.
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1 comment so far

If you have simply dismissed the Twitter phenomenon to simply another “craze”, you might need to wake up and smell the money. This morning a rumor is spreading around the world: “Could Apple buy Twitter?” This $700M acquisition would accelerate the tsunami size change that is happening to the business world.

Integrating Twitter with the Apple platforms such as iTune and iPhone will create huge revenue dynamics for the hardware manufacturer. In addition, it could integrate a Twitter API into version 3.0 of the iPhone SDK, thus creating an explosion of new mobile applications. With the DoD speaking recently about the use of iPhones in the military, this news lands smack in the middle of our industry like a major “WAKE UP” grenade!

In the aerospace world, only media and airlines have jumped into the Twitter fray so far. Major Aerospace and Defense news outfits such as Aviation Week and Flight International and some of their best contributors (e.g. Benet Wilson) are very active. But as with many Internet based applications, the B2C world seems to be engaged first. Airlines are racing to help customersby creating new support models every day. Not surprisingly, JetBlue and SWA were engaged first, but now everyone is jumping on the social media universe (United joined last week).

However, the fundamental shift is much more profound. Traditional ways of communicating with customers, suppliers, partners, and recruits are completely changing. And it is changing fast! Today, people want to collaborate and discuss. They want to query and discover. They no longer want to be talked at, sold to, dictated, or instructed. They can filter a company attempts to use traditional methods of communication completely out. Traditional mail, fax, and even emails are now very ineffective in reaching people outside (and inside) your company.

The Aerospace Industry as a whole (and particularly in the USA) needs to SHIFT to a more engaged and interactive model if it wants to attract the next generation of employees to collaborate on all the innovative projects the customers are demanding. The same way that traditional companies have lost market share to new businesses embracing the Internet in Information Technology (Linux), News (Google), Music (iTunes), and Automotive (Swatch, Tata), I can see a day very soon when brand new Aerospace and Defense companies spring up from the collective ideas contributed globally to blogs and tweets out on the Internet.

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