december2021january2022 - 32

FBO FOCUS
An External Resource for
Handling Large Events
Jet Event Technologies provides consultant services for FBOs welcoming
increased traffic around special occasions.
By Josh Smith
W
hen a city hosts large-scale events - the
Super Bowl, the Final Four, golf tournaments,
music festivals, etc. - an influx
of business aviation travel can often be
expected. With additional traffic drawn to specific
locations, it can mean big business for FBOs.
But if a smaller, independent FBO isn't properly prepared
to handle an event or views the situation as too much work
without enough payoff, revenue can be left on the table.
What's worse, if the correct amount of effort isn't put
forth by the FBO, it can have a negative effect on the customer
and potentially reflect poorly on the FBO, the host
city or the event itself.
With first-hand experience organizing event traffic,
managing partners Brian Bourbeau and Jenn Swenson
established Jet Event Technologies (JET) to help guide
FBOs through the process.
" We want to provide support and logistics for FBOs that
struggle with doing this in the industry. Events is a tough
area to handle for small, independent FBOs, " says Bourbeau,
who established JET with Swenson in September 2020.
" Our goal is to increase the level of service and make it an
efficient operation. "
JET's first contract was with Burrows Aviation in Sheboygan,
Wis., to provide ground operations ahead of and
during the Ryder Cup at Whistling Straits Golf Course.
The company has signed on to assist Augusta Regional
with The Masters golf tournament and is now bidding to
work upcoming events, including the Super Bowl and others
such as NASCAR events and more PGA golf tournaments.
" There's a vast opportunity with FBOs, " Swenson says,
noting that while large FBOs have a corporate structure and
culture, smaller locations may need additional assistance.
" There's a lot of pen-to-paper, and there's a lot of oldschool
approaches, " she adds.
32 GROUND SUPPORT WORLDWIDE DECEMBER 2021/JANUARY 2022
In cities where FBOs may not have much competition,
Swenson says asking simple questions about structures,
processing fees, fuel options, etc., can help stations address
important needs prior to an event.
" That's where we have expertise beyond just running
large-scale events, " Swenson says.
Experience with Events
Bourbeau has traveled to work with other crews at events.
Through Avfuel's network, he took on work at Augusta
Regional Airport when the location was seeking extra line
staff for The Masters golf tournament.
" I signed up, " Bourbeau says, of his first event. " The
way I looked at it, it was a chance to see another operation.
Anytime I've traveled, I've always wanted to see how things
are ran to see what I can bring back to my team. That was
my first goal. "
Bourbeau returned to Augusta in subsequent years and
frequently discussed event operations with Kenneth Hinkle,
Augusta's airport director.
Bourbeau, who previously worked with Premier Jet Center
at Flying Cloud Airport (KFCM) in Minnesota, created a
playbook and developed his expertise with events by overseeing
operations around the 2016 Ryder Cup, the 2018
Super Bowl and the 2019 NCAA Basketball Final Four - all
held in the Minneapolis area.
Bourbeau says the key is to increase profits for the FBO
so that money can be reinvested in improving operations.
Swenson and Bourbeau are the only full-time employees
at JET, so relying on contracted line service technicians and
customer service representatives (CSRs) is critical.
Through connections made as a contracted line tech at
events, himself, Bourbeau has established a reliable network
of personnel to help him run events with Jet Event
Technologies.
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