Sponsorship Option Takes Off at America’s Most Prestigious Air Show Event: Oshkosh Wisconsin

Less than six months after it was conceived and organized, Atlanta-based Air Show Advertising (ASA) has announced its first major sponsorship relationship with the Civil Air Patrol. CAP, a 64,000-member national organization that began December 1,1941, has agreed to partner with ASA and use their mobile advertising platform to present their program at the EAA Air Venture at Oshkosh this month.

Atlanta, GA (PRWEB) July 17, 2006 -- Less than six months after it was conceived and organized, Atlanta-based Air Show Advertising (ASA) has announced its first major sponsorship relationship with the Civil Air Patrol. CAP, a 64,000-member national organization that began December 1,1941, has agreed to partner with ASA and use their mobile advertising platform to present their program at the EAA Air Venture at Oshkosh this month.

ASA provides comprehensive advertising and sponsorship programs to businesses and other organizations that want to dramatically enhance their branding and awareness efforts at air shows in North America. As recently noted on ABC’s “Good Morning America”, air shows have become nearly as popular as Major League Baseball as a “rite of summer, a national pastime.” In fact, air shows draw huge attendance numbers, as many as 25 million people a year in North America. And the demographics of that audience are extremely attractive to corporate America.

“There’s no better demographic audience than air shows,” says Don Schwerzler, spokesperson and a founding partner in Air Show Advertising. “The statistics regarding attendance at air shows are a perfect match for most corporations who want to reach a generous helping of middle Americans in a patriotic, family-friendly environment. The excitement and energy at these community events appeals to people of all ages and encompasses all segments of the social/economic structure.”

At Oshkosh and subsequent air shows later this year and in 2007, the Civil Air Patrol will use one of ASA’s Nooney AirBoss mobile command centers as a platform for their recruiting efforts. The Nooney AirBoss is a 35-foot long “fifth wheel” trailer that can be customized inside and out to provide maximum exposure for non-profit organizations and their sponsors. A CAP “wrap” will span the length of the AirBoss and provide a mobile and static graphic display that will be visible from a distance. The interior of the AirBoss will be outfitted by CAP to showcase their programs and provide a comfortable environment for staff and volunteers to use for recruitment purposes. A sponsoring corporation or brand will receive “Sponsored By” placements on various parts of the unit and on ASA’s accompanying truck and generator.

Air Show Advertising was conceived by a group of aviation enthusiasts that include Schwerzler, Phillip Bellury and Bill Nooney.

Schwerzler, who was a Civil Air Patrol cadet as a youngster and later a pilot, is now an internationally recognized expert in family business. He is the founder of the Atlanta-based Family Business Institute and their highly regarded Internet organization, Familiy Business Experts.

Bellury is a writer/producer who was co-founder of Careers in Aviation, a non-profit organization committed to education and scholarships for young people interested in pursuing aviation careers. He is also publisher of The History of Aviation in Georgia, a centennial history of aviation in Georgia that is being underwritten by Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation.

Nooney, a pilot with special certifications for flying mountain rescue missions, is a Montana entrepreneur with interests in oil, convenience stores and other businesses. He is president of FireCom, Inc., which provides mobile communication and command centers primarily to assist in wildland firefighting efforts. The Nooney Firecom mobile command centers are equipped with the latest communications technology and an air traffic control tower for use in the field by the FAA, US Forest Service, FEMA and other groups responsible for responding to wildland fires, hurricanes and other disasters.

Nooney is also actively involved in the Young Eagles program sponsored by the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA), which has its headquarters in Oshkosh.

“We are excited about the Air Show Advertising concept,” says Nooney, “It really is a win-win situation for everyone involved. Non-profit organizations like CAP enjoy a much higher profile with our AirBoss units, as well as a climate-controlled indoor environment for staff, volunteers and visitors. The air control tower is a great draw and educational tool for the kids as well. Sponsors and their brands get maximum exposure at what has become the best demographic audience available. And those companies enjoy the goodwill and additional PR value that comes from sponsoring a youth organization like CAP.”

Air Show Advertising offices are at Peachtree DeKalb Airport in northeast Atlanta. For more information, contact Don Schwerzler at 770.988.0808

###