Quick facts:Intergalactic Aerospace Expo 2954
The Intergalactic Aerospace Expo 2954 is a 14-day ship exposition event held at New Babbage in the Stanton System. The expo is an annual event that brings ships of all different manufacturers together to be displayed at several expo halls. As in previous years, the event is coupled with a free-fly event, allowing players without a Game Package to play the game for free, and also offering free rentals of ships that are on display to all players. The event will traditionally also feature several new vehicle announcements.
Throughout the event, one or several manufacturers are featured on the showfloor in the game. Ships and vehicles from those manufacturers are also available in the Pledge Store, giving players the opportunity to obtain vehicles that were otherwise not available throughout the rest of the year. This event is usually the largest income source from pledges in a year, and it gives funding for the game a major boost.
Ship showdown
The event succeeds the annual Ship Showdown. During the showdown, backers were able to vote on their favorite ship in each round during the month of September. The winning ships of this year were the F8C Lightning, followed by the C1 Spirit, Terrapin, Reclaimer. These ships will be highlighted at the expo on the 10th day.[1]
Commemorative items
Owners of the ships that made it to the Ship Showdown semi-finals will receive a free limited-edition ship livery and more unannounced items.
Gear
There will also be general gear available at the event location. Along with IAE-branded shirts and hats, an assortment of manufacturer specific shirts and hats are also available.
Showcase schedule
Starting on November 22, each day one or more ship manufacturers will be featured in the expo halls for 48 hours. Switches occur at 1600 UTC daily. Each showfloor at the Tobin Expo Center is present for overlapping 48-hour blocks. [citation needed]
Stock limited ship sale
The event also features sales of stock limited ships on the Pledge Store. These ships are considered 'exclusive' and are therefore only sold in limited quantities over a small period of time. Each stock-limited ship is limited to 1 per account and will be available in several waves.
Schedule to follow.
Whitley's Guide
The events were usually covered by Jax McCleary with episodes of Whitley's Guide. However, last year it was on hiatus for various reasons.[2]
As you know Whitley's Guide is on hiatus for this year's IAE, and our attempts to reach you have been unsuccessful. Despite the uncertainty regarding your location, issues with contracts, extradition, and other matters too sensitive to publicize, we hope you're staying safe, whatever 'activities' you might be engaged in.
The real reason behind this was later clarified by Tyler Witkin on reddit, who explained that it was scrapped because the entire cinematic group is focused on Squadron 42.[3]
Since Squadron 42 is now feature complete, it is expected that episodes of Whitley's Guide will see its return during this year's event, but this has not been confirmed.
