The press conference was chaired by Marcel Riwalsky, initiator of the Aviation Conference, and included the participation of George S. Pascal, Executive Director of ITMS Marketing and moderator of the social media panel discussion at the Aviation Summit, and Peter Glade, Commercial Director of SunExpress. Maria Pettersson and Amielle Zay Abshire, two popular Instagram Influencers and full-time pilots also participated via live video.

Pascal introduced the themes for the social media panels and revealed that the core topic of the discussions and debates will focus on flight crew influencers. He gave the media a preview of the issues by introducing Pettersson and Zay Abshire, two female pilots with strong followings on Instagram. The question that quickly emerged during the press conference was– “Can flight crew members operate as successful influencers for their airline?” Glade, who will represent the airline’s viewpoint during the panel discussion, presented a skeptical view of the matter.

“Social media is an important part of any modern-day marketing program and influencer marketing already plays a key role for many brands. We welcome the opportunity to increase awareness for influencer marketing and hopefully help move the aviation industry forward,” said Marcel Riwalsky.

The Frankfurt Aviation-Event takes place on May 4, 2017 at the House of Logistics and Mobility (HOLM) Frankfurt Airport and will feature more than 40 speakers including: Michael Eggenschwiler, CEO of Hamburg Airport, Thomas Schnalke, Düsseldorf Airport Management Board Chairman, and Peter Gerber, CEO of Lufthansa Cargo AG.