WOA Dinner by the Bay 
(copywriting courtesy of Half-X)
 

PHOTO GALLERY OF EVENT HERE!

VIDEO OF DINNER FUNCTION HERE!

For the conclusion of the 2010 Asia Aviators’ Gathering, WingsOverAsia hosted a Dinner by the Bay on Singapore’s exclusive private island, Marina at Keppel Bay for our friends and WOA members. This was the first time we have organized such an event, and by all accounts it was a great success, with over 100 people from the region’s aviation community in attendance.

The evening began with a networking session and a series of presentations given by our special guest speakers. The speakers came from around the region and beyond, and not only shared with us their own experiences flying but also touched on particular problems and issues other pilots may encounter when flying into their countries. This was a great opportunity to catch up and reminisce with old friends and colleagues as well as develop new relationships that will further foster the growth of Asia’s aviation community. Commenting on the event, Walter Wang, Executive Editor of Jet Asia Pacific magazine, said that “he thinks it is a good platform for aviators to meet and exchange knowledge” and that he “hopes to see more aviation presentations in future events.”

Following the networking session, guests were given more of a chance to get to know each other during the cocktail hour, where they also had the opportunity to get their portrait drawn by a caricaturist as well as check out the various lifestyle aviation products on display. As part of this, we were proud to unveil the Fortis Limited Edition WOA watch, which any aviator would be proud to have wrapped around his wrist.

The main event of the night began with a gourmet buffet dinner, where guests could choose from any number of delectable delicacies from around the region.  From lobster salad to soft shelled crab and Vietnamese spring rolls, there was something to please the palette of even the most discerning foodie. During dinner, guests were treated to a belly dancing performance that few in attendance are unlikely to soon forget.

As dinner winded down, guests were invited to participate in various games for the chance to win some really great prizes. The trivia game gave both the seasoned aviators and the novices in attendance a fair chance of winning, with questions ranging from the technical aspects of flying to film and pop culture. In the remote controlled helicopter coordination game, many participants gave the impression that handling a toy helicopter is just as difficult as flying the real thing. Luckily, no one in the crowd was hurt in the playing of this game, though we might not be able to say the same for the helicopter.

Looking ahead to the future, we hope that events such as this will continue to draw in more people and by next year we would like to see at least 300 people in attendance. As WingsOverAsia continues to grow, we also hope to participate in more humanitarian activities in the region as the bigger our aviation community becomes, the more we can give back to the surrounding communities that we all call home.