9th International Airship Convention & Exhibition

THE AIRSHIP ASSOCIATION

Ashford, England20th23rd June 2012Invitation to ParticipateYou are invited to the 9th International Airship Convention and Exhibition to be held from Wednesday20th to Saturday 23rd June 2012 at the Ashford International Hotel, Ashford, Kent which is advantageously located in South Eastern England near the Channel ports. Boasting a very modern station on theEurostar highspeed railway line to Paris and Brussels, Ashford is both a conveniently located and easilyaccessible venue. The hotel is modern, wellappointed and located just 500 metres from junction 9 on theM20 motorway linking London and Dover. UK resident delegates can also take advantage of the SouthEastern Railway's Javelin highspeed rail link from London St Pancras that service runs every half hourand takes just 38 minutes.Since 1996 the International Airship Convention has moved locations between Bedford, Friedrichshafen(twice to each), Cambridge, Oxford and London. Now for our ninth biennial event we are exploringpastures new. Notable attractions in this area, apart from the interesting and rapidly developing town orAshford itself, are the ancient city of Canterbury and Leeds Castle near Maidstone, each just 17 milesaway, advertised as ' the loveliest castle in the world ' so we will be able to bring our joint membershipthree days of interesting and historic activity in this Olympic year. Delegates will be able to participate ina full twoday technical conference as well as the partner programme and other social events.In addition there will be a model airship regatta featuring races and performance competitions forremotely controlled airships from all over Europe.

Limited by GuaranteePresident: Dr Bernd Strter DiplIng

Local attractions include Leeds Castle and Canterbury Cathedral

The Ashford International Hotel

Invitation to Sponsor and ExhibitCompanies are invited to exhibit and also tosponsor at the Convention.The exhibition will be held at the back of theconference hall where exhibitors will havecontinuous exposure throughout the Conventionand be able to present themselves advantageouslyto delegates, the public and media.Details of sponsorship opportunities are explainedmore fully in the enclosed leaflet.

Conference CentreThe Conference Centre is the AshfordInternational Hotel which is located in SimoneWeil Avenue, Ashford very close to junction 9 onthe M20 motorway. The telephone number forreservations is:

+44 (0)845 0345777 (central booking).The email address for reservations is:stay@qhotels.co.ukFor a substantial discount on regular reservationsat this hotel please quote promotion codeAIRSHIP200612.The general website for the hotel group, whichincludes an option to reserve accommodationonline is:ashfordinternationalaq.hotelrv.com/The Ashford Tourist Information Centre also hasfull details of other accommodation optionsavailable in the East Kent area. The relevant website is: www.visitheartofkent.com/

Convention FormatAs on previous occasions the Convention's mainfeature is to be a conference where all aspects ofairships can be discussed. A Call For Papers isenclosed with this announcement document.Anyone who wishes to submit a paper forpresentation at the Conference should follow theappropriate instructions given in the Call ForPapers.

Conference

Welcoming Reception

Banquet

Model Airship Regatta

Partner Programme

A welcome reception will be held on the eveningof Wednesday 20th June 2012. The cost of thewelcoming reception is included in delegateregistration, other guests will be required topurchase a ticket. The welcome reception ticketswill be available for sale on our website or uponregistration by mail.There will also be a banquet on the evening ofThursday 21st June 2012 which all delegates areinvited to attend. Spouses, partners and otherguests will also be very welcome. The cost of thebanquet is priced separately and tickets should bepurchased for all participating in the banquet. Thebanquet tickets will be available for sale on ourwebsite or upon registration by mail.We are also hoping to organise a model airshipregatta, similar to that staged at our 2010Convention in Bedford. Dr Giles Camplin and MrMartin Hill of the Airship Association Councilhave volunteered to organise the regatta. Anyonewishing to enter a model airship in the regattashould email: regatta@airshipassociation.orgA partner programme is also being arranged to oneof the many historic locations in East Kent.Canterbury is perhaps most famous for itscathedral, the oldest in England featuring themedieval shrine of the martyred Saint ThomasBecket. There is also an exhibition where you canstep back over 500 years to join Geoffrey Chaucer,Englands finest poet, and his colourful characterson their magical pilgrimage from London inCanterbury. Another nearby attraction is LeedsCastle near Maidstone. Tickets for the variousevents will be available for purchase on ourwebsite and upon registration by mail.

Travel and Accommodation

Hotel AccommodationAs in previous years, it will be necessary for alldelegates and their guests to make their own traveland accommodation arrangements for the convention.We have negotiated a concessionary rate of 89.00for the single occupancy of a double room pernight, or 99.00 for two sharing a double room pernight. These prices will be automatically applied ifyou quote the negotiated Promotion CodeAIRSHIP200612 with your reservation.If the Ashford International Hotel is not for youthen it is a simple matter to Google hotels inAshford, Kent for a comprehensive list of availableaccommodation to suit all budgets.

Getting to Ashford

The Ashford International Hotel is very easy tofind. Those travelling by road should take the M20motorway, exit at junction 9 and follow the signs toAshford and Canterbury along Fougeres Way. Atthe first roundabout turn sharp left into SimoneWeil Avenue do NOT follow the signs for theInternational Station. The hotel is 200 metres alongthat road on the left. There is adequate car parkingavailable. Satnavs should be set to TN24 8UX.

By International TrainEurostar international highspeed trains rundirectly to Ashford International Station fromParis Gare du Nord in France and Brussels MidiStation in Belgium. In each case the journey takeswell under two hours. For exact details of traintimings and reservations click:www.eurostar.com

Domestic HighSpeed TrainsSouth Eastern Trains operate highspeed Javelintrains directly to Ashford International station fromSt Pancras in London. Trains call additionally atStratford (Olympic) and Ebbsfleet (Kent) stationsenroute. Trains run every half hour during the daygenerally at 12 and 42 minutes past the hour thejourney takes 38 minutes and is both comfortableand convenient. For further information and ticketpurchase click:www.southeasterntrains.co.uk

The M20 motorway is the road to take to Ashford.Exit at Junction 9 marked Ashford andCanterbury.

Regular Website UpdatesBe sure to check the Airship Association websiteregularly during 2012 for updates and details ofthe online payment and reservation facilities. Goto www.airshipassociation.org and select TheAirship Shop in the navigation column on the left.On that page choose the currency for prices (GBP, Euros or US$), then click ConventionReservations.This site will be updated frequently, especially aswe get nearer the event, so to keep abreast ofadditions to the conference programme, convention social features and the Spouse & PartnerProgramme, remember to click:www.airshipassociation.org

Convention Delegate Registrations

Status Before 1st April l 2012 On or after 1st April 2012Full member of the AirshipAssociation 170 200Retired member of the AirshipAssociation 130 150

Not a member of Airship Association50

220

A special fee reduction is offered to those registering before 1st April 2012.Credit card reservations will be available from the Airship Association website until 19th June 2012. Thismethod of payment is strongly recommended as it will avoid costs associated with foreign currencyexchange and other bank charges levied upon us by our bank for foreign currency cheque deposits.You can also confirm your registration by writing, enclosing your full remittance, to the Treasurer, TheAirship Association, P.O. Box 715, Folkestone CT20 9ER, United Kingdom.Please make cheques payable to The Airship Association Ltd. Registration fees for the full convention,include conference lunches and welcoming reception. Prices are:

Please note that if after registration you shouldsubsequently wish to cancel your conventionregistration, whether paid for by credit card,money order or banker's draft, any refund will beat our sole discretion.

Cancellations

Visa SponsorshipDelegates from countries where visas are requiredto attend functions in the United Kingdom arerequested to contact the Treasurer at an early datefor the relevant sponsorship letters.It is VERY important to understand that the UnitedKingdom is NOT a signatory of the SchengenAgreement for common EU visas. Schengen visasare not valid for entry into the United Kingdom,where necessary a separate visa is required inadvance of arrival.

The price of the Banquet for all comers is 38 each.The concessionary Conference registration fee for notified speakers and notified session chairpersons is150.These prices can be converted to Euros () and US$ at the prevailing daily exchange rate on our website.

Registered students (Conference only) 70200

MembershipMembership of the Airship Association is open toanyone interested in the development of modernairships. Membership costs 25.00 per year andcan be secured with a credit card payment on ourwebsite (click The Airship Shop), or by sending a

cheque to the Treasurer, P.O. Box 715, FolkestoneCT20 9ER, UK. A discounted rate of 15.00 isavailable for UK residents who are either in fulltime education or over the age of 65.

THE AIRSHIP ASSOCIATIONLimited by Guarantee

9th International Airship Convention & ExhibitionAshford, England : 20th 23rd June 2012Call for PapersThe twoday technical conference lies at the heart of the 9th International Airship Convention, providingdelegates with the opportunity to hear the speakers and discuss with them their papers and new ideas onairships. The conference is hosted by the Airship Association.Major subject areas are:

1. Research and development2. Current projects and technology3. Future projects and technology4. Innovations5. Operations6. Climate7. Infrastructure8. Regulation9. Market

10. Finance/Leasing/Insurance11. Education/Training12. History13. Mission and mission payload14. Management

The papers, selected by committee, will be published in the Conference Proceedings. Each author shallpresent the paper orally (20 minutes plus 10 minutes for discussion). Interested contributors should submita maxium of 250word abstract (no figures or references) to:

Abstract deadline: 30th March 2012Paper selection decision by: 30th April 2012Delivery of final full paper: 15th June 2012

The Airship Association reserves the right to publish the paper at the appropriate place, time and manner inthe Proceedings of the Conference and at any time thereafter in any publication of the Airship Association.Copyright of the paper will, however, remain with the author and this fact will always be acknowledged infull wherever and whenever it is published. The convention is supported entirely from conferenceregistration fees and, therefore, speakers are obliged to register for the Convention and pay the requisiteattendance fees.

papers@airshipassociation.orgThe abstract should indicate the conference topic from the 14 subjects listed above.

The exhibition area will be within the conference paper presentation area and will beopen throughout conference hours. The exhibition will also be accessible during thereception and banquet events.Eight spaces of approximately 1.5 metres x 2 metres are available for reservation at800 each. Tables can be provided if required.The fee includes two complimentary registrations.

THE AIRSHIP ASSOCIATIONLimited by Guarantee

9th International Airship Convention & ExhibitionAshford, England : 20th 23rd June 2012Opportunities for Exhibitors and Sponsors

Exhibition Opportunities

2012 promises to be a momentous year in the development of airships with thedelivery of two large airships to the US armed forces.The 9th International Airship Convention and Exhibition will provide an opportunityfor manufacturers, designers, and potential customers to meet together to present thelatest ideas and developments within the industry.The Airship Association is offering the following opportunities for sponsorship andexhibition.

Sponsorship OpportunitiesWednesday Evening Reception 800Print recognition evening and conference brochureWelcome and introduction of the speaker at the evening reception

Thursday Evening Dinner Banquet 1700Print recognition at the Thursday evening banquet dinner and entire conference andon conference brochureWelcome and introduction of the Thursday dinner banquet keynote speakerThursday and Friday Lunch Sponsor 500Print recognition at lunch and Conference brochure

Potential exhibitors and sponsors are asked to contact as early as possible:treasurer@airshipassociation.org

Exhibition space and sponsorship opportunities are limited and allocation is likely tobe on a firstcome, firstserved basis.