Check out our key tips for managing your stand or chalet at Farnborough International Airshow's Pioneers of Tomorrow event, focused on future workforce engagement.

What is Pioneers of Tomorrow and who attends?

Pioneers of Tomorrow is our dedicated future workforce day, where we invite students, apprentices, job seekers and the wider public to explore the world of aerospace at Farnborough International Airshow. Many attendees are seeking to learn more career opportunities within the aerospace and related sectors, whether they are of school age and starting to consider their subject choices or a recent graduate ready to enter the workplace.

Do we need to invite different staff to manage the stand on Friday?

This depends on what you want to get out of the day. If your main objectives remain business focused then you don’t need to worry, the Friday is still a trade day with 1000s of visitors wanting to meet you. Continue to have representatives from Sales, Business Development, etc. on your stand ready to meet potential customers. However, if you’d like to switch your focus on Friday to the future workforce and potentially attract graduates, students and job seekers then you might want to consider inviting different staff members.

Who might be best at managing our stand or chalet on Friday?

• Apprentices or newer staff members who can relate to students and a younger audience.
• Team members who are more comfortable engaging with families and young people.
• HR team members who are familiar with your company’s apprenticeship and job opportunities.

Whilst anyone can inspire the next generation, students often benefit from speaking to someone that has been through a similar process to them, for example someone who has recently graduated, completed an apprenticeship, or applied for a new job.

Friday is also a great opportunity to invite other staff members to explore the show that wouldn’t normally during the trade days, allowing them to network or connect with other companies on a more relaxed and less business-focused day.

What should I do on my stand?

Depending on your target audience and available staff, here are some ideas you might consider

• Interactive STEM activities
• Merchandise giveaways
• Competitions
• Career advice/workshop sessions
• Product demonstrations

If you are planning on switching focus to the future workforce on Friday then please tell us! By getting involved you’ll be considered a Champion of Tomorrow and we’ll ensure the right audience is signposted to your stand! Tell us what you’re planning to do via your E-Net account.

What age range should I be targeting?

This is entirely up to you. The industry has a future workforce challenge on its hands, requiring skilled workers immediately but also over the next several decades. For this reason, it’s important that we set out to inspire all ages, ensuring a healthy pipeline of future pioneers for many years to come.

Studies show that children often begin thinking about future careers as early as six years old. Therefore, exhibitors are encouraged to spark their passion for aerospace by offering fun and engaging activities or demonstrations.

Alternatively, you might decide to place focus on attracting older students by promoting immediate job vacancies, apprenticeships or internships. These visitors will still need encouraging over to your stand, so be sure to have something eye-catching or interactive to grasp their attention!

I’m an international exhibitor, can I still get involved?

Absolutely! Some of our exhibitors have said that they struggle to attract UK talent so Pioneers of Tomorrow is the perfect opportunity to promote job opportunities and placements open to international applicants.
Many students are flexible to travel and re-locate after graduating so you might just find your future workforce here in the UK.

Looking for more guidance?

Our team can help you with ideas and ways to get involved in the day. Please reach out to your dedicated Account Manager if you’d like to learn more!