AIRSHOW ANNOUNCER - Airshow announcers are the personality of your airshow. If you hire a bad one, your whole show sucks; if you hire a good one, your fans will have so much fun while they're onsite, they'll forget about the long security lines, and the other problems you'll "fix by next year." Sponsors are also deeply impacted by which announcer you hire. Airshow announcing is not rocket science. There's no secret playbook, no standard to follow, or even an industry certification from the International Council of Air Shows. When it comes to airshow announcing, you either get hired or you don't. So, let's explore a few pitfalls and truths about airshow announcers.
First thing to know is the fans are the jury, but the producer signs the checks. The fans and performers decide who they like, who they connect with, who bores them and who talks too much. That’s why a bad announcer should matter to producers the most.
There are plenty of well circulated stories about bad announcers. Some rival Ron Burgundy's best blunders, but most involve damaging relationships with not only the fans, but cash delivering sponsors. The punch line about bad announcers won't get told around the ICAS bar. The real punch line is that most of these bad announcers got hired back.
So why did these bad announcers getting hired? It usually comes down to price. Price not only sells cars, it also sells announcers. Our industry doesn't view the announcer as a performer, we're treated like a commodity. Just like portable toilets and safety fencing, you'll find announcers listed in the ICAS Industry Guide under Support Service Providers. Believe it or not, the largest participant in airshows, the United States Air Force, almost exclusively hires on best price. Some civilian producers do the same thing, and gamble their entire show over a few dollars.
Now some perspective. Modern day airshow announcers are just one generation removed from standing on a hay trailer and shouting over the crowd with a megaphone. Twenty years ago, playing music while someone flew was the new rage, and the old timers would roll their eyes because "it's an airshow, not a rock-n-roll concert." Back then, the announcer was always talking. Their almost musical style of speaking was the melody. Their patter set the pace for the whole show. It was poetic at times, dramatic in others ... but it never stopped ... the whole day, it never stopped. According to the American Physiological Society Journal, the average attention span is around 8 seconds, so for modern fans, keeping it short is critical. Professional airshow announcers understand this, but the great ones can still string words together in beautiful, unscripted bliss.
Here's the take away: airshow announcers are like ice cream, there's a flavor for every taste. If you're a producer, remember the announcer is your show's personality. This is the personality that will literally say everything about your show to your fans while they’re onsite. If you want plain vanilla, it's out there. If you desire something different, you can find it. Personally, I'd recommend finding someone who really connects with your audience and talks with them, not at them. Find someone who understands your show's personality and can be that voice while making it believable and entertaining, but most of all, never boring. This is not a small decision, so when you're ready, find us by the Porta-Potty folks in your ICAS Industry Guide. After all we’re just opposite sides of the same business.
Matt Jolley is an American airshow announcer and Edward R. Murrow award-winning aviation journalist. His voice is heard by millions of fans every year at the top aviation events across the USA, and on SHOW CENTER, The Airshow Podcast. Learn more at airshowannouncer.com
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