About this episode

Gene Conrad discusses the complexities of running the Sun 'n Fun Aerospace Expo, including costs, coordination, and safety measures.

What does it take to run one of the world's largest aviation events? Gene Conrad, President and CEO of the Aerospace Center for Excellence and Sun 'n Fun Aerospace Expo, pulls back the curtain on Florida's premier aviation gathering. Growing up in Oshkosh as the son of an airport director, Gene counted aircraft at EAA AirVenture as a teenager to see who had more planes. Now, he's running Sun 'n Fun—a six-day event that costs $7 million to produce, attracts over 60,000 attendees, and requires coordination with everyone from the U.S. Navy Blue Angels to Amazon Air operations. In this episode, you'll discover: - The real costs of running a major aviation event ($700K just for tents!) - How Sun 'n Fun coordinates with Amazon's massive Lakeland hub - Why they're making major schedule changes for 2025 - The difference between running an airport vs. running an air show - Future expansion plans including new 40,000 sq ft air-conditioned exhibit buildings - What makes Gene happiest: closing the airport because there's no more parking space - Behind-the-scenes secrets like the Island, the Swamp, and Chick-fil-A coming to the event Gene also shares candid insights about working with 3,000+…

People in this episode

Host: Justin Siems

Guest: Gene Conrad

Topics covered

• aviation events
• event management
• Sun 'n Fun
• air shows
• volunteer coordination
• safety in aviation

Keywords

• aviation
• Sun 'n Fun
• event management
• Gene Conrad
• air shows
• volunteers
• safety
• Florida
• U.S. Navy Blue Angels
• Amazon Air

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Aerospace Center for Excellence, Sun 'n Fun Aerospace Expo, U.S. Navy Blue Angels, Amazon Air

Places: Oshkosh, Florida, Lakeland

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