Editorial
I just returned from the United States where, as we have done every year for the past thirty, we attended the IPMS USA National convention. It was also my own personal 30th anniversary of my first Nationals this year.
EDITORIAL
Good day, dear Friends!
I just returned from the United States where,
as we have done every year for the past thirty,
we attended the IPMS USA National convention.
It was also my own personal 30th anniversary
of my first Nationals this year. Together with my
colleague Jiri Silhanek of MPM/Special Hobby,
we first experienced the atmosphere of the
Nats in 1994 in Albuquerque, New Mexico. It was
a completely new world for me then, it was one of
my first trips across the Atlantic, I was learning
how America works and it was a good education.
In those thirty years, Eduard missed the Nationals
only twice, during the covid era in 2020 and 2021,
but over the years we have become part of the
event and today it seems that its participants
can hardly imagine this event without us. And
I can't imagine a summer without America either.
One of the charms of the Nationals is that it's
held in a different location every year, so it's
a good opportunity for us Europeans to get to
know new corners of the United States, get
to know it in its diversity and appreciate its
standards. Because one of America's advantages
is the standardization of its basic infrastructure,
you can count on finding the same highways,
the same organized stores and other things
everywhere, as well as the language. In many
ways here in Europe we have a lot to learn from
America, but I fear that there are many things we
will never learn and that will be a shame.
Many things are different even in America. Last
year in Texas the asphalt was melting under our
feet, and this year in Wisconsin, the climate was
pleasant. And not just the climate. Madison is
a nice town, and since we arrived early, we had
a chance to enjoy it a little more than we usually
get to at shows. The event itself took place in
the beautiful Monona Terrace Community and
Convention Center, a building designed by the
famous American architect Frank Lloyd Wright
in 1959. The event was as always well organized,
and our thanks and respect go to all members
of the organizing team not only for the quality
organization, but also for their kindness and
attentiveness, which they dedicated to our
group. As always, we enjoyed discussions with
customers and our old friends, many of whom we
have met over those thirty years. The interest in
us was such that we closed up shop long after
there were only empty tables around us and the
other exhibitors were already on their way to
grab a bite. Last but not least, we are delighted to
have had the honor of supporting Valeriia Buzina
from ICM at the show, who was at the Nationals
for the first time and, I hope, not the last.
This year's exhibition date was earlier than
usual in recent years. It caused us some minor
difficulties, mainly because we had to hurry up
the completion of August’s new releases that we
wanted to have at the show. Above all, the B-17F
in The Bloody Hundred 1943 Limited Edition form,
which was understandably of enormous interest.
But the end date had one huge advantage.
The exhibition ended two days before the start of
the famous air show in Oshkosh, which is about 150
km northeast of Madison. This was an opportunity
not to be missed. We went to the Oshkosh show
twice and it was the experience of a lifetime.
The superbly organized event, which this year was
attended by 680,000 spectators and 10,000 aircraft
INFO Eduard4
August 2024