COLD LAKE – The 2024 Cold Lake Air Show, already scheduled for July 20-21, 2024, will be an even greater affair as the community event will mark the Royal Canadian Air Force’s 100th anniversary.
Preparations for the biennial Cold Lake Air Show are already underway as organizers work to secure talent, sponsors and support for the 2024 event.
Col. Dave Turenne, a 4 Wing Commander, presented to MD of Bonnyville council on June 27 in hopes of stirring up enthusiasm and ongoing financial and promotional support from the municipality.
Council heard that the 2022 air show drew in a record-breaking 27,000 spectators over the course of the two-day event. Using the International Council of Air Shows (ICAS) statistical formula, 4 Wing estimates that last year’s event generated a direct economic impact of about $1.1 million to the area.
Indirect economic impact may have been as much as two or three times that amount, Turenne told council.
“A lot of that economic impact is driven by the fact that over 70 per cent of the people had to travel from over an hour away to get to the Lakeland region. And that's one of the main reasons we host a two-day event, to encourage them to spend the entire weekend,” he said. “That provides additional economic impact and opportunities for them to explore the region and support our local economies.”
Looking forward to next year’s flagship event, organizers are already working on a list of areas they plan to improve for patron experience.
Anticipating another event with high temperatures, increasing the number of misting stations to keep guests cool will be a priority, as well as improving the sound system, air show’s digital app, the chalet and VIP experience.
Returning to the air show in 2024 will be the Canadian Snowbirds, the CF-18 Demo team and other aerial performances that have yet to be confirmed. Static displays from the Canadian Armed Forces and the Canadian Air Force, as well as a car show and KidZone are expected to take up space on the tarmac and in hangers once again.
Responding to an inquiry from Coun. Ben Fadeyiw, Turenne noted that while the organizers are still hopeful that they can pull groups such as the U.S. Blue Angels squadron, they likely won’t be able to confirm all of the aerial acts until after the ICAS Convention slated for December.
“We have not given up and are actively targeting those performers and many others,” said Turenne. “There are some European teams that are coming to Canada as well. The Italian demonstration team is planning a North American visit next year and we are seeing if they are interested in coming to Cold Lake.”
Beyond the scheduling and bookings, organizers need to consider the cost of putting on one of the Lakeland’s largest events. According to Turenne, about $900,000 was spent on the 2022 Cold Lake Air Show.
“Those figures, some of them, were locked in at very early dates. What we're expecting is that this air show is going to cost us a lot more money with the inflation costs of things such as food, and expectations of our vendors are also going to be different for this upcoming year,” he stated.
While ticket sales offset roughly 40 per cent of the total cost of the event last year, organizers rely heavily on sponsorships and contributions from local businesses and municipalities to make the event possible.
“The sponsorships that we receive are vital in order to have a successful event,” Turenne continued. Last year, the MD of Bonnyville provided the air show with a $40,000 sponsorship.
Receiving positive feedback from many of the MD council, Turenne added, “Overall, we look at last year as a really amazing success... Reputation is huge in the air show industry. And so, when people have a good experience like they did last year, we expect we're going to have a good turnout the following year... So, we're looking to beat last year for 2024.”
