Estimated reading time 6 minutes, 58 seconds.
As the manager of Marketing and Business Development at Winnipeg-based Fast Air, Dan Rutherford is in the business of building bridges. He specializes in making connections to grow the Fast Air brand, marketing the company’s air charter, medevac and maintenance services.
Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, he focused on leveraging Fast Air’s good name to cement its place in a competitive market.
Since then, as the crisis has dwindled aviation operations internationally, Rutherford has developed a platform for the business aviation community — competitors and all — to share stories of hope, learn from market experts about how to position their business post-COVID, and offer solutions to each other’s growing list of problems brought on by the pandemic.
Simply titled the “Biz Av Leaders Discussion Call,” Rutherford invites members of the global business aviation community to a Zoom call that aims to provide hope and business strategies.
Though they’re now a platform for industry leaders to convene, the discussions began as a simple, friendly chat between industry acquaintances to unwind and share their state of affairs.
“It started the week of March 13 … I came to work and thought, ‘What do we do now?’ Most of my work is around business development and marketing, so it’s very future-oriented, and it just felt like there was a blank screen in front of me,” recalled Rutherford in an interview with Skies. “I reached out to a couple of colleagues who do what I do at different companies, that I’ve met over the years, and just said, ‘Do you guys want to just talk about what we’re doing and what you think makes sense?’ so it was very collegial.”
From there, it quickly snowballed.
“I think there were maybe six of us. We just chatted, and toward the end of it, somebody said, ‘Well, why don’t we try it next week? Do you mind if I invite somebody else?’ We did that again, and … suddenly, it changed from a few peers talking to each other to quite a few people calling in and joining the call. I had to kind of adjust.”
In three weeks’ time, the calls had blossomed into a rallying point for industry leaders. While the rapid growth is unusual, it’s safe to say it could be expected. People are stuck at home or in the office with nowhere to go and few current business avenues to explore – so collaboration and connection with like-minded industry peers is very useful. In addition, regardless of the competitive nature of the industry, aviation is a community that rallies together in times of crisis.
What is odd about these circumstances is that this platform didn’t originate from an official industry group, such as the National Business Aviation Association or Canadian Business Aviation Association. Rather, it is a grassroots movement born at a growing Manitoba business.
Rutherford has welcomed guests from all over, including the Caribbean, places throughout Europe, and one eager invitee from South Africa, even though the call takes place closer to midnight for them.
As the scope of the discussions grew, Rutherford had to adapt. Instead of having 45 people trying to talk over each other all at once, he devised a structured template for the weekly calls. Though he does allow for open conversation during certain portions of the schedule, he’s introduced a weekly guest — generally a marketing or data outlook expert — to present strategies for the guests in a semi-formal webinar format.
“When the numbers went way up, I realized that it changed the interaction,” he explained. “You had to prepare a bit more and have more content because it’s difficult for that many people to discuss.”
To make sure he’s booking guests who will bestow relevant information to the group, he uses polls and interactive features to gauge attendees’ priorities and what they’re looking to gain from the discussions.
“I ask the group what things would be helpful to talk about. From that, we’ve had some amazing guests that join us now.”
Guests have spoken on topics such as marketing strategies, the mental well-being of employees during the crisis, post-crisis recovery, and industry-wide data-driven industry outlooks, among other pertinent topics for those who attend.
Recently, as an added bonus, Rutherford has begun a fun giveaway for attendees using a mix of Fast Air merchandise and whatever is sent to him from other companies.
“That’s fun and it doesn’t cost anything! It’s not like I’m going to trade shows or anything, so I’ve got stuff I’ve got to give away anyhow,” he joked.
Although it’s not in his job description, Rutherford has set aside 10 to 15 hours per week to put together a cohesive, engaging platform for the discussions. And while it has been a steep learning curve — being newly acquainted to Zoom and this sort of forum in general — the impact that the calls have had on industry officials who attend has been resounding.
“I’ve had some industry leaders send me an email and say, ‘Thanks a lot for doing this. The goodwill you’re developing for your organization is very significant. If you’re doubting whether you should do it, please keep it up,’ that kind of stuff, which is encouraging because I do wonder should I be spending this much time doing it,” Rutherford said, only half-jokingly.
“I feel like it’s something I can do for the community, and that’s a nice thing. I like the bizav community. I feel like it’s brought people together … I find a lot of satisfaction in it because, to be honest, a lot of these are competitive organizations, but we’re coming together, and we’re talking to each other and trying to share best practices and encouragement.”
For those who would like an invite to the weekly calls, send an email to marketing@flyfastair.com and ask to be on the list.
