Barrie Airshow

The Barrie Airshow is a free event that brings residents and visitors together to enjoy inspiring displays of aviation, exposing them to Barrie’s waterfront, downtown and wider community.

2024 was a special year for the Barrie Airshow as it coincided with the 100th anniversary of the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF). A key partner of the event, Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Borden, is also the birthplace of the RCAF.

The purpose of the project is to not only host an incredible event for residents and visitors, but also support our local economy, offer a platform for local businesses to be exposed to a wide audience, and provide a memorable experience that encourages return visits, potential investment, and supports the growth of our local workforce.

A summary of the 2024 Barrie Airshow’s objectives and goals and their results included:

Secure $70,000 of cash and in-kind sponsorship (Achieved. $109,540 was raised in cash sponsorship alone!)
Secure one presenting sponsor at $20,000 (Achieved. Pratt Homes.)
Earn an event attendance of 60,000+ people from Friday to Sunday (Achieved. 140,000 unique visits on Saturday and Sunday alone!)
5% increase in Barrie.ca/Airshow pageviews (Achieved. 246,627 pageviews, a 187% increase from 2023.)
5% increase in overall social media analytics (Achieved. Impressions: 704,974, a 104% increase; Engagements: 58,297, a 184% increase; Engagement rate: 8.2%, a 39% increase.)

Additional objectives, while intangible, drove purpose, meaning and intent. These included:

Drive visits to Barrie’s downtown and waterfront, exposing visitors to the unique boutiques, restaurants and public art, generating interest for return visits;
Position Barrie as a premier investment destination, supporting growth of the local employment base;
Strengthen partner relationships and demonstrate the integrated support available to Barrie residents, businesses and investors; and
Inspire and inform spectators on Canadian Forces recruitment opportunities.

The major challenge of this year’s event was that staff had only 11 weeks to prepare. Typically, a minimum of 9-10 months is required to prepare an event of this calibre. The 2024 Barrie Airshow required organizers to focus solely on the event during its planning which led to a reduction in attention to other core duties.

Additionally, an unanticipated disruption to accommodations for Airshow performers led to a last-minute coordination of efforts to secure alternate accommodations that allowed the show to go on.

The Barrie Airshow welcomes everyone, providing physical accessibility for people with mobility requirements. The typical audience of an Airshow includes: 44.9% women; 55.1% men; 41.3% attend with a child under the age of 18; 78.1% have post-secondary education; 39.3% have a household income of $100K+; 22.4% are between 18 and 30 years of age; 50.6% are between 30 and 49 years of age; and 27% are 50 years of age or older. Further, 66% of attendees drive less than 65 kms to an airshow.

In 2024, the Barrie Airshow introduced efforts to offset the event’s carbon footprint by partnering with Living Green Barrie and encouraging Airshow spectators to donate to help plant 10,000 native trees and support climate action programs in the Barrie area.

https://www.barrie.ca/community-recreation-environment/community-events/2024-barrie-airshow-presented-pratt-homes