“SPACE CITY” HOUSTON JOINS APOLLO 50 MISSION TO THE 2019 PARIS AIR SHOW
Local economic development coalition looks to leverage regional infrastructure, industry and academic leadership for global growth at the aviation and aerospace industry event of the year.
HOUSTON, TX and WALDWICK, NJ/June 10, 2019 — One of the most prominent cities on the map of American aviation, Houston, TX, will invoke the spirit of the Apollo space program to build its economic development brand this month on the aerospace industry’s biggest international stage.
Representing a coalition of regional business, infrastructure and education leaders, the city is a featured partner of “Apollo 50: America’s Invitation to Partnership at the 2019 Paris Air Show,” part of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) campaign commemorating the golden anniversary this summer of man’s first steps on the Moon and the hundreds of thousands of aerospace professionals who made it possible.
Six Houston partners are featured under Houston’s Paris Air Show promotional banner, “Space City: The Gateway to Innovation:”
- Leading the delegation is the Greater Houston Partnership, the region’s premier business organization, representing 11 counties and more than 1,000-member companies that work together to advance Houston as a great global city.
- Space Center Houston, the official visitor center of NASA’s Johnson Space Center, one of the agency’s largest R&D facilities
- Houston Spaceport at Ellington Airport (EFD) one of the nation’s 10 licensed commercial spaceports
- Rice University’s Rice Space Institute, which has helped to establish the university’s international reputation in all areas of space research.
- SpaceCom, the Space Commerce Conference and Exposition, an annual two-day conference that connects NASA technology with the private sector to fuel future innovation
“As an anchor NASA community for generations, Houston deeply holds innovation, exploration and discovery as core values for economic development,” said Horacio Licon, Vice President of International Investment & Trade at the Greater Houston Partnership. “While we celebrate an incredible historic milestone, we hope to remind the world that Houston continues to lead in innovation that solves the world’s most complex problems. Our coalition of leading organizations brings distinct assets that add up to a collective advantage in competing for aerospace business at Le Bourget.”
On-site at the Paris Air Show, Houston will present and participate in a schedule of high-profile Apollo 50 thought-leadership and hospitality events to engage and educate global industry decision-makers and influencers. Notably, the city group will host “Houston: Space City & The Gateway to Innovation,” an executive breakfast on Wednesday, June 19. The event will feature keynote remarks by former Space Shuttle astronaut, International Space Station Commander and current Houston-based venture capitalist, Timothy Kopra.
Kopra will discuss Houston’s monumental achievements and how the city is preparing to pioneer the next phase of space exploration. A panel discussion will follow, addressing topics that include educating the next generation of engineers and explorers, the intersection of NASA technology and the private sector, and the city’s landmark space tourism sites.
Apollo 50 Paris is a week-long series of high-profile activities and events to inspire investment in innovation and exploration and help position U.S. industry as every investor’s top-of-mind partner. It is presented by the show’s USA Partnership Pavilion, and produced by long-standing Pavilion organizer Kallman Worldwide Inc.
“The 50th Anniversary of Apollo 11’s success provides a unique opportunity to reflect on the positive impact that space programs have had on society, and re-emphasize the need for continued support of public and private initiatives dedicated to aerospace exploration and commerce,” said Kallman Worldwide President and CEO Tom Kallman. “We welcome Houston and its coalition members as Apollo 50 Paris Partners, and look forward to working with them to remind the global aerospace industry of the city’s role in flight history, and its extraordinary capacity to lead its future.”
“The Apollo 50 Paris program is a perfect fit for Houston to showcase our community of aerospace professionals, the infrastructure that supports them now and the vision for extending our leadership as the 21st Century’s ‘Space City’,” said Licon. “We’re glad to work with Kallman Worldwide to build the Houston brand of aviation and aerospace at the 2019 Paris Air Show.”
Houston is:
- A headquarters city with over 700,000 corporate professionals (administrative, accounting, finance, legal, etc.)
- Home to nearly 350,000 educated millennials.
- The location of 240,000 STEM professionals; 233,000 employed in digital technology
- One of only a few cities in the U.S with two international airports, now offering service to more than 180 non-stop domestic and international destinations
- Home to over 250 aerospace and aviation related firms.
- The location of total trade in aircraft, spacecraft, and parts totaling $2 billion in ’18.
- The site of Johnson Space Center, established in 1961, which occupies over 1,620 acres 28 miles southeast of downtown Houston.
- Houston’s Johnson Space Center attracts the nation’s best high-tech professionals and is an aerospace hub and transfer site for NASA-developed technology.
- Space Center Houston, Johnson Space Center’s official visitor’s center, generates annually $73 million economic impact, 900 jobs and $36 million in personal income annually.
To preview all of Houston’s showcase events at the 2019 Paris Air Show, visit www.parisairshow.com and click on the “Events” button.
ABOUT HOUSTON: SPACE CITY
Houston is the most diverse city in the United States. The nation’s fourth-largest city is also home to one of the youngest and fastest-growing populations in the world. People and companies from around the globe relocate to Houston every year to take advantage of the rich culture and abundant job opportunities the region provides. Between 2010 and 2017, Houston’s population grew 16.4%, the fastest rate of growth among the largest U.S. metros.
ABOUT KALLMAN WORLDWIDE, INC.
Established in 1963, Kallman Worldwide creates unique opportunities for U.S. companies to strengthen business relationships around the world by maximizing their impact at international trade shows. With its flagship USA Partnership Pavilion, end-to-end exhibitor services, custom stand-building and corporate hospitality programs, Kallman has helped more than 10,000 companies, associations and government agencies “export with purpose and exhibit with confidence” at over 1,500 industry and professional events in 46 countries. The company is a strategic partner of the U.S. Department of Commerce, and a proud recipient of the President’s “E” Award for its role in helping to increase U.S. exports. Kallman Worldwide is headquartered in Waldwick, N.J., and staffs a Latin America office in Santiago, Chile. For more information visit www.kallman.com.
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MEDIA CONTACTS:
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Chris Meyer, Director of Marketing and Communications
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