June 7, 2016 (Lakeland, Fla.)
The 42nd Annual SUN ‘n FUN International Fly-In & Expo presented by VISIT FLORIDA and the Florida Restaurant & Lodging Association took place April 5 –10, 2016 in Lakeland, Florida. We are pleased to release the following data and fun facts:
• Approximately 200,000 guests attended from over 60 countries
• Brazil, Canada and United Kingdom once again had the highest amount of visitors
• 251 attendees took advantage of the free ticket offer for active military available April 5-7
• 7,530 attendees took advantage of discounted ticket pricing available to active military, retired military and veterans
• SUN ‘n FUN ordered over 400 Portalets, 25 light towers, 412 golf carts, and approx. 150 tents
• SUN ‘n FUN distributed 90,000 bottles of water and approximately 19,000 sandwiches to volunteers
• 677 individuals from 28 states registered for the Career Fair
• 3,400 students went on tours
• 512 students attended the F-22 and Golden Knights Symposium
• Approximately 50,000 attendees visited Aerospace Discovery at the Florida Air Museum and/or the 727 Piedmont Aerospace Experience
• Volunteer Ham Radio Operators spoke with people in 43 states and 18 countries
• 440 media representatives attended from 16 countries
• 5,988 people attended 331 forums
• 3,228 people attended 56 workshops
• over 9,000 aircraft movements took place
• 494 exhibitors participated
• The Lockheed F-35 Lightning II made its first appearance in the Southeast at SnF16
Social Media Statistics:
• Total Reach (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram) = over 2 million
• Total Impressions = almost 10 million
• Engagement Rate = more than double the normal amount
• Approximately 3,000 new fans were added
• 2,000 images were posted on Instagram by fans
Volunteer hours will be totaled and released later this year after the annual chairmen’s meeting.
“All the proceeds from the Fly-In and other events on our Expo campus are reinvested into education programs and activities, including college scholarships used to achieve aerospace-related degrees,” said John “Lites” Leenhouts, President/CEO of SUN ‘n FUN. “As of today, we have awarded over 125 scholarships, soloed over 55 students, and created 49 new private pilots. Through these efforts and more we are Building a Brighter Future through Aviation!”
The 43rd Annual SUN ‘n FUN International Fly-In & Expo is scheduled for April 4 – 9, 2017. Please use #SnF17 on social media.
