AYAA Aerospace Futures Adelaide
Two weeks ago, we had the pleasure of travelling to Adelaide to represent the A/AA NextGenNetwork at AYAA Aerospace Futures. It was extremely exciting as we had never visited Adelaide before and we looked forward to experiencing both the city and the conference for the first time.
Arriving early on the first day to set up, we wasted no time in setting out our A/AA postcards, posters and mailing lists. Once our stand was all ready and prepared for all the attendees, we sat eagerly waiting; however, it wasn’t long before we realised… everyone else wouldn’t be arriving until the next hour! Luckily, fellow sponsors were arriving to set up their neighbouring stands, and soon we found ourselves chatting and forming relationships with representatives from companies such as Nova Systems, Boeing and Australian Defence.
Time flew by and before we knew it, the hall was buzzing with excited chatter and people. Many students were keen to come over and genuinely interested to hear about the NextGenNetwork and the many events we hold. Since we had only been with A/AA for a short while ourselves, the two of us were able to tell the students first hand about our experiences with the Network and how it has helped us move forward as young professionals within the industry. We both felt really connected with all the students and felt their engagement reflected back. Most of the students were very interested to hear more and soon, our mailing lists begun filling up fast!
As well as representing A/AA at the expo, we also had the opportunity to hear some of Australia’s most influential, aviation individuals speak. As both of us were studying aerospace engineering, it was definitely exciting for us to hear about the journey these individuals took to develop their professional careers and envision a similar path for ourselves.
Overall, this was an amazing experience and a truly rewarding one. It was only through A/AA that it was all possible and the support that was provided throughout the entire trip by the Network was so encouraging. We both want to thank A/AA for the opportunity and would do it again in a heartbeat!
Wendy Cai & Ian Mui
NSW Representatives of A/AA NextGenNetwork Committee
Wendy: It was amazing to meet students from all over Australia who shared the same passion for aviation as I did. Everyone there was so friendly and it was so great to both have this experience and represent A/AA at the same time.
Ian: I really enjoyed going to Adelaide on behalf of A/AA and I would definitely do it again. There has been no other experience like it and it was a fantastic opportunity to get to know the industry professionals over those 3 days. Engaging the students’ interest in A/AA was a big highlight for me as well as hearing about all the amazing opportunities that the aerospace industry holds for today and the future.
