Australia's national helicopter and drone conference and exhibition, Rotortech, has been rescheduled to October, it was announced yesterday.
Originally set down for Brisbane in June, uncertainty surrounding the COVID-19 situation caused organiser AMDA Foundation Limited to move the event to 14-16 October.
Ian Honnery, CEO of organiser AMDA Foundation Limited, said the change came after weeks of consultation with major partners and stakeholders
“The preservation of public health will always be our paramount commitment,” Honnery said. “Although government restrictions on gatherings and travel may be lifted by our original June dates, we have decided to act early and delay Rotortech 2020 to October in order to provide clarity for our stakeholders.
“This will allow industry to focus on managing through the COVID-19 crisis, with an October Rotortech 2020 then bringing the community together as a strong industry recovery event before operators are fully committed to the coming fire season.”
Australian Helicopter Industry Association president Ray Cronin said that Rotortech was important to the industry and could provide a platform for industry recovery in the post-coronavirus environment.
"The success of Rotortech 2018 showed that the Australian helicopter industry needs a forum to highlight both the challenges and successes in our industry," Cronin said.
"Rotortech is the industry's own forum for sharing this information for the benefit of all. Delaying the event until October will allow the industry to ride out this crisis and then come together to focus on recovery.”
Rotortech 2018 was held on the Sunshine Coast, attracting 1000 visitors and 79 exhibitors. The growing popularity of the event prompted a change of location to the Royal International Convention Centre in Brisbane.