How to prepare for your participation in SIAE 2027: the complete guide for exhibitors

The Paris Air Show is like no other trade show. The SIAE means 70 hectares of exhibition space, aircraft flight demonstrations, billions of euros in purchase orders, and security teams checking every badge with precision. Preparing for your participation in the 2027 Paris Air Show (International Paris Air Show) requires a radically different approach compared to any other trade show. The lead times are longer, the technical constraints are more demanding, and the commercial stakes are higher. Here is how to structure your preparation, step by step, with the figures and operational details that truly make a difference.

Why the Paris Air Show is in a league of its own

The world's premier aerospace event, in every sense

The 56th edition of the Paris Air Show will be held from Monday, June 14 to Sunday, June 20, 2027 at the Paris-Le Bourget Exhibition Centre (Carrefour Charles Lindbergh, 93350 Le Bourget). The 2025 edition brought together 2,400 exhibitors from 48 countries across 70 hectares of exhibition space, with 305,200 unique visitors, including 141,000 professionals (38% international), 80 official delegations representing 64 countries, and 155 aircraft on display with 173 flight demonstrations. There is no equivalent to this scale in any other industrial sector in the world.

A hybrid format for professionals and the general public

The Paris Air Show operates in two distinct phases, and this specificity dictates your entire exhibition strategy. The first four days, from Monday, June 14 to Thursday, June 17, 2027, are exclusively reserved for accredited professionals. These four days are when major commercial decisions take place: contract signings, order announcements, and negotiations with official delegations. The following three days, from Friday, June 18 to Sunday, June 20, 2027are open to the general public. This shift in audience fundamentally changes the type of interaction and the profile of visitors at the booth: an exhibitor who prepares the same pitch for both trade days and public days will miss the mark with one or the other.

A biennial schedule that leaves no room for error

The Paris Air Show (SIAE) takes place only in odd-numbered years. A failed or poorly prepared participation cannot be made up for the following year: you have to wait until 2029. This is the primary constraint to integrate into your preparation strategy: the margin for error is twice as costly as it is for an annual trade show.

The ideal timeline for exhibiting at the 2027 Paris Air Show

24 to 18 months before (summer 2025 to January 2026): initial contact

The Paris Air Show begins selling space very early. Initial contact with SIAE SAS (the organizing company led by GIFAS, the French Aerospace Industries Association) should ideally be made 24 months before the event. This is the stage for negotiating strategic locations, national pavilions, and tarmac positions for exhibitors showcasing static aircraft. Once this window passes, options decrease significantly.

18 to 12 months before (January to June 2026): signing and design

Once the location is secured, the design phase can begin. The booth brief must address very specific questions at this stage: will your presence be in the covered exhibition halls, on the tarmac, or both? Are you presenting static aircraft, and if so, what types (each aircraft must be accredited by the DGAC, with a file to be submitted several months before the event)? Does your booth need to be secured for confidential demonstrations (enclosed spaces for meetings with official delegations)? This is also the time to decide between a custom-built booth and a modular booth depending on how often you attend this type of biennial show.

12 to 6 months before (June to December 2026): production and accreditation

This is the most technically intensive phase. Final booth plans must be approved by the organizer (every installation at the Le Bourget site is subject to strict airport security regulations). Electrical installations near aircraft must comply with specific standards that differ from those of a standard exhibition hall. Accreditations for team members who will access secure areas must be requested well in advance: processing times for Le Bourget badges are longer than for a conventional trade show. And if you are presenting a static aircraft, the DGAC accreditation file must be submitted within this timeframe.

6 to 2 months before (December 2026 to April 2027): communication and team training

Pre-show communication for the Paris Air Show requires special attention. With 80 official delegations and 38% international trade visitors, communication materials must be in English—this is non-negotiable. Six weeks before opening, announce your participation on LinkedIn (including hall and booth numbers as soon as they are available), via email to clients and prospects, and if possible, with an announcement regarding the new products being presented during the first four days.

Team training must distinguish between two radically different configurations: the pitch for trade days (Monday–Thursday, June 14–17, 2027), focused on purchasing decisions, negotiations, and technical demonstrations; and the pitch for public days (Friday–Sunday, June 18–20, 2027), focused on brand image, outreach, and talent recruitment. Two pitches, two objectives, two types of visitor qualification. A team that does not have this clear distinction before arriving at Le Bourget will be improvising for four strategic days.

During the show: managing two shows in one

The Paris Air Show lasts 7 days. It is the longest show in this guide. The four trade days concentrate the bulk of the commercial stakes: decisions and announcements are made from Monday to Thursday. A rigorous team rotation is essential from the first day: plan for at least two alternating teams for the trade days, with the strongest sales and technical profiles on the front line during the slots when official delegations are expected. The three public days require a different configuration, oriented toward broad hospitality and brand image rather than commercial qualification.

Paris Air Show budget: what you really need to plan for

Expense items specific to Le Bourget

The Paris Air Show is one of the most expensive events to prepare for in France. Space rates vary significantly depending on the location (hall, tarmac, national pavilion) and the square footage. Beyond the space itself, costs specific to Le Bourget include: aircraft accreditation fees (DGAC file, specific insurance), electrical installation standards for areas near aircraft (more restrictive and therefore more expensive than in a standard hall), logistics for ferrying aircraft from their home base, and accommodation costs in the Paris region during the week of June 14–20 (Paris will be at maximum hotel capacity: book now). To frame your overall budget: what you are really paying for your booth per square meter.

Modular or custom booth: how to decide

Since the Paris Air Show is a biennial event, the economic logic of a modular booth applies from your second participation onwards: a stand designed to be reassembled in 2029 (and potentially adapted for other air shows like the Dubai Airshow or Farnborough in between) significantly reduces the cost per event. Custom builds remain the right choice for a strategic first-time participation or a major product launch where brand image takes precedence over amortization.

Generating qualified leads at the Paris Air Show

A lead capture strategy tailored to the aerospace industry

The Paris Air Show is an event where the most important contacts are often scheduled before the doors even open. During trade days, a large portion of strategic meetings (official delegations, decision-makers, fleet buyers) are arranged in advance via the show's matchmaking system and direct outreach. Badge scanning complements this for unscheduled contacts, provided it includes immediate context notes (organization, project, decision timeline, and the contact's level of authority). This is the logic behind turning a booth into a lead-generation machine, even in an environment where the team is often occupied with technical demonstrations or delegation meetings.

Flight demonstrations as a sales tool

Flight demonstrations at the Paris Air Show are more than just a spectacle. For exhibitors showcasing aircraft, they are a sales asset that must be integrated into the booth strategy: scheduling demonstrations in advance, reserving viewing areas for qualified prospects, and briefing the sales team to turn every demo into a business conversation. A flight demo watched without a sales context generates no leads. A demo with a pre-briefing and a salesperson available afterward, however, does.

Post-show: turning contacts into opportunities

The 48-hour follow-up: the window that really matters

In the aerospace industry, decision cycles can span months or years. However, post-show follow-up must be immediate: within 48 to 72 hours after the trade days close (i.e., before Friday, June 18, 2027), send personalized follow-up emails, provide requested technical documentation, and connect on LinkedIn. For international delegations, follow-up in English with translated materials is essential.

Reporting that proves the show's ROI

For a biennial show where the lead-to-contract conversion can take several years, reporting must be calibrated to the sector's actual sales cycle. Intermediate indicators (delegations hosted, requests for proposals within 6 months, value of the qualified pipeline generated) allow you to measure performance without waiting for final signatures. For the full method: how to calculate the ROI of a trade show.

A successful participation in the Paris Air Show depends on more than just the booth or its location. It relies on preparation that begins two years before opening, a clear strategy for both trade and public days, and a structured sales follow-up that doesn't end when the show closes. To learn more about exhibiting: siae.fr.

FAQ

What are the dates for SIAE 2027?

The 56th edition of the SIAE will be held from June 14 to 20, 2027 at the Paris-Le Bourget Exhibition Centre. Trade days are from Monday, June 14 to Thursday, June 17. Public days are from Friday, June 18 to Sunday, June 20, 2027, from 8:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

When should I book my stand for the SIAE?

You should ideally contact the organizer (SIAE SAS / GIFAS) 18 to 24 months before the event. For SIAE 2027, strategic outreach began as early as 2025. With less than 12 months to go, location options are already very limited for the most sought-after areas.

What is the difference between trade days and public days at the SIAE?

The first 4 days (Monday-Thursday, June 14-17) are reserved for accredited professionals: manufacturers, equipment suppliers, airlines, official delegations, and buyers. This is when contracts are signed. The last 3 days (Friday-Sunday, June 18-20) are open to the general public. Visitor profiles and team messaging should be adapted for these two distinct phases.

What are the specific technical constraints at Le Bourget?

Electrical installations near aircraft must comply with specific standards. Displaying an aircraft in the static park requires DGAC accreditation. Access badges for secure areas have longer processing times than for a conventional trade show. All stand plans must be approved by SIAE SAS before production begins.

How far in advance should I start preparing for the show?

Strategic planning and outreach to the organizer begin 18 to 24 months in advance. Stand design and accreditation processes start 12 months out. Pre-show communication and team training intensify in the final 6 months. The SIAE requires by far the longest lead time of any event in this guide.