{"data":{"id":18974,"title":"Portfolio: Eras of IAE History","rsi_url":"https:\/\/robertsspaceindustries.com\/comm-link\/spectrum-dispatch\/18974-Portfolio-Eras-Of-IAE-History","api_url":"https:\/\/api.star-citizen.wiki\/api\/comm-links\/18974","api_public_url":"https:\/\/api.star-citizen.wiki\/comm-links\/18974","channel":"Undefined","category":"Undefined","series":"Portfolio","images":[{"id":26463,"name":"source.jpg","rsi_url":"https:\/\/media.robertsspaceindustries.com\/weozjmuuh3hwh\/source.jpg","alt":"","size":843046,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","last_modified":"2019-09-19T15:49:32+00:00","api_url":"https:\/\/api.star-citizen.wiki\/api\/comm-link-images\/26463","similar_url":"https:\/\/api.star-citizen.wiki\/api\/comm-link-images\/26463\/similar"}],"images_count":7,"translations":{"en_EN":"This portfolio originally appeared in Jump Point 9.11.\nSomewhere on Castor, Corel system, sits a dusty and desolate plain ignored by all except for the most dedicated spacecraft enthusiast. A small plaque commemorates this site where, in 2670, Audrey Timmerman launched her experimental ship, named Poby, before a small crowd of fellow pilots, inventors, and aerospace enthusiasts. Though the test flight failed when a power surge fried several of Poby\u2019s Xi\u2019an-inspired maneuverable thrusters, this small event evolved over the centuries into the ultimate celebration of ships and the tech that make interstellar flight possible: the Intergalactic Aerospace Expo (IAE).\n\nYet, the event\u2019s rich centuries-long history is an incredible journey itself. One that not only chronicles advancements in space travel but also reflects the social and political forces shaping the empire. Historian Ariel Rutte famously argued that, \u201cThe IAE is so much more than a ship showcase. It\u2019s one of the best historical gauges for the state of the empire itself.\u201d In celebration of the 2951 IAE, let\u2019s look at some of the distinct eras in IAE history and the important and memorable moments that shaped them.\n\nKITBASH (2670-2714)\nFailed flight aside, Timmerman considered the first event a success and focused on making each subsequent one bigger and better. Standing among that first crowd was Steffon Dillard, whose New Junction Ship Emporium became the event\u2019s first sponsor in 2675. To advertise the event and his dealership, Dillard acquired a version of every spacecraft made that year and exhibited them across a massive Castor plain in a way that was visually arresting on the ground and spelled IAE from above. Vids of the event saturated spectrum and popularized the use of IAE to refer to the event.\n\nIn 2683, when RSI signed on as an official sponsor, Timmerman and her dedicated team found that they had enough funding and clout to hold the event at the Agustin Exposition Hall on Lo. When local officials denied permits for a flyover of homemade spacecraft citing safety concerns, Timmerman moved the experimental flight show back to Castor and used RSI ships to ferry observers to and from it. This split event continued for years until a tragic experimental ship crash in 2701 killed both the pilot and fifteen observers. Legal repercussions and civil lawsuits from the accident nearly destroyed the event, so they decided to change their approach. Amateur pilots handling homemade builds were officially out, and stunt flying from the Navy\u2019s elite \u201cWreckless\u201d 999th Test Squadron was in.\n\nRSI stuck by the IAE and remained the primary sponsor of the event for years, using its industrial clout to attract more sponsors and market the event as the most prestigious and important ship show in the \u2018verse. In 2712, RSI used the IAE to push its latest ship, the Constellation. The expo generated massive interest in the ship and sales skyrocketed, which couldn\u2019t have come at a better time for RSI with the loss of several military contracts to Aegis Dynamics. The Connie\u2019s commercial success proved that the event could be a boon to a company\u2019s bottom line. Yet industry observers weren\u2019t the only ones to recognize the IAE\u2019s growing influence.\n\nAGE OF AEGIS (2715-2791)\nFollowing the 2712 expo, the Messer regime looked to use the IAE\u2019s popularity to push its agenda and began proposing ideas to its leadership, who placated them on smaller issues but ignored the majority of requests. Years earlier, in 2704, Timmerman had created a non-profit organization to oversee the IAE and ensure profits would go to charities once she was gone. She also hoped creating a board of directors would diffuse undue political and corporate influence. It helped until 2715, when Lo\u2019s local government refused to permit the expo over fabricated safety concerns. When Timmerman and the IAE board met with local officials to discuss the issues, a Messer regime mediator also joined and made it abundantly clear what changes were expected for the event to be permitted. Timmerman refused to comply and officially retired from running the event instead of facing the promised repercussions to both herself and the expo.\n\nFor the next few decades, the IAE board was stocked with Messer loyalists who slowly bent the event to the regime\u2019s will. The expo became more exclusive with most showfloor space reserved for ship and component companies in good standing with the regime. It was not unusual for smaller or out-of-favor manufacturers to have to pay significant bribes to board members before they would be allocated space. In 2725, the IAE began to make guests register for the event by filling out a lengthy form that included a loyalty oath to the empire that many activists and critics refused to sign. Though entry remained free, a ticketing system allowed event organizers to pick who could attend the expo and when, which drove interest in attending the event into a fever pitch among the populace.\n\nAegis Dynamics and its military ships dominated this era of the IAE. The regime\u2019s favorite manufacturer became so prominent that some began to call the show the Intergalactic Aegis Expo. Memorable events of the era include 2736, when controversy erupted over the use of dogfight footage from the Vanduul front in a patriotic vid looped at the expo. The 2754 event became famous for doubling down on the exclusivity factor. It included a special showfloor that only select guests could access after a strict security check. Inside sat a top-secret military ship hidden beneath a giant tarp that only divulged its unique silhouette. Years later the ship was declassified and revealed to be the Aegis Vanguard.\n\nThe expo\u2019s nationalistic bent remained until the fall of the regime in 2792. The resulting chaos of the uprising saw all IAE directors either get arrested or flee. Many wondered if, for the first time in the event\u2019s history, the IAE would be cancelled. Thankfully, a coalition of ship and component manufacturers stepped in to fund the event and worked with local Lo officials to make it happen. This partnership saved the expo and set in motion its next phase.\n\nCORPORATE EXPANSION (2792-2915)\nThe coalition that took over after the Messers were ousted decided to fill the IAE\u2019s vacant board of directors by splitting the seats between local Lo officials and representatives from prominent ship manufactures. The ensuing decades saw a struggle for power eventually won by corporate interests who wanted the event to expand in more commercial directions. In 2847, the IAE left Lo to move between locations across the empire. The event brought huge profits and logistical headaches to whatever system hosted it. This era culminated in several systems hosting the event in 2870 to celebrate the IAE\u2019s 200th anniversary.\n\nAlthough the event was more popular than ever, critics claimed that the corporations controlling the IAE were favoring profits over innovation and neglecting experimental inventors and hobbyists during this era. Defenders of the IAE refuted the criticism by saying that Esperia, run by experimenting hobbyists, was launched into the stratosphere at the 2877 event when Victor Hurston flew a refurbished Vanduul Glaive. Other historians claim that the biggest problem of this era, besides the overly sanitized corporate environment, would be the local governments hosting the event. This sentiment culminated at the 2913 IAE in Asura, Ferron, when local organizers failed to build enough hangars and make necessary infrastructure improvements to accommodate the power standards specified in the IAE\u2019s contract. This disastrous event showed the IAE board of directors the benefits of having a permanent home for the expo.\n\nNEW FRONTIERS (2916-PRESENT)\nOn the heels of the disastrous expo in Ferron, Governor Joona Tzur of Severus, Kiel system, approached the IAE board of directors and convinced them to make Eri City the event\u2019s new permanent home. The former military system had plenty of hangars, solid infrastructure, and a desperate need for a new identity and economic engine. Eri City hosted its first expo in 2916 and has been its home ever since.\n\nHaving a new permanent location has not been without issues. In 2934, the Advocacy released a report detailing an alarming increase in outlaw activity targeting civilian and corporate transports going to and from the IAE. Meanwhile, IAE-related traffic into Kiel had gotten so bad that MISC famously had a half empty showfloor for part of the 2941 expo due to issues getting their transports into the system. This led to the creation of an express lane for IAE-related ships that grants preferential access to the jump gates into Kiel. A system that has been exploited enough to create back-ups in the express lane that has only further increased the wait time for others. To alleviate this issue, in 2948 the IAE began hosting smaller satellite expos in other systems so people could attend the event without worsening the situation in Kiel. While some have decried the satellite expos, IAE historians note it harkens back to earlier events split between Lo and Castor.\n\nThough the modern IAE looks vastly different from the first events, the core spirit of camaraderie and enthusiasm over ships remains the same. The IAE provides a place to celebrate the evolution of ships and the tech that makes them possible while also embodying the current state of the empire. Making the IAE\u2019s history a fascinating microcosm of UEE history.","de_DE":"Dieses Portfolio erschien urspr\u00fcnglich in Jump Point 9.11.\nIrgendwo auf Castor, dem Corel-System, liegt eine staubige und trostlose Ebene, die von allen ignoriert wird, au\u00dfer von den engagiertesten Raumschiff-Enthusiasten. Eine kleine Gedenktafel erinnert an diesen Ort, an dem Audrey Timmerman im Jahr 2670 ihr Versuchsschiff namens Poby vor einer kleinen Gruppe von Piloten, Erfindern und Raumfahrtenthusiasten startete. Obwohl der Testflug fehlschlug, als ein Stromsto\u00df mehrere der von den Xi'an inspirierten man\u00f6vrierf\u00e4higen Triebwerke der Poby verschmorte, entwickelte sich dieses kleine Ereignis im Laufe der Jahrhunderte zur ultimativen Feier der Schiffe und der Technik, die den interstellaren Flug erm\u00f6glicht: die Intergalactic Aerospace Expo (IAE).\n\nDie reiche, jahrhundertelange Geschichte dieser Veranstaltung ist selbst eine unglaubliche Reise. Eine, die nicht nur die Fortschritte in der Raumfahrt aufzeichnet, sondern auch die sozialen und politischen Kr\u00e4fte widerspiegelt, die das Imperium gepr\u00e4gt haben. Der Historiker Ariel Rutte sagte einmal: \"Die IAE ist so viel mehr als nur eine Schiffsausstellung. Sie ist einer der besten historischen Gradmesser f\u00fcr den Zustand des Imperiums selbst.\" Zur Feier der IAE 2951 werfen wir einen Blick auf einige der verschiedenen Epochen in der Geschichte der IAE und die wichtigen und denkw\u00fcrdigen Momente, die sie gepr\u00e4gt haben.\n\nKITBASH (2670-2714)\nTrotz des gescheiterten Fluges betrachtete Timmerman die erste Veranstaltung als Erfolg und konzentrierte sich darauf, jede weitere Veranstaltung gr\u00f6\u00dfer und besser zu machen. Unter den ersten Teilnehmern war auch Steffon Dillard, dessen New Junction Ship Emporium im Jahr 2675 der erste Sponsor der Veranstaltung wurde. Um f\u00fcr die Veranstaltung und sein Gesch\u00e4ft zu werben, erwarb Dillard eine Version jedes Raumschiffs, das in diesem Jahr hergestellt wurde, und stellte sie auf einer riesigen Castor-Ebene so aus, dass sie auf dem Boden visuell beeindruckend waren und aus der Luft die IAE verk\u00fcndeten. Videos von der Veranstaltung \u00fcberschwemmten das Spektrum und machten den Begriff IAE zur Bezeichnung des Ereignisses popul\u00e4r.\n\nIm Jahr 2683, als RSI als offizieller Sponsor auftrat, stellten Timmerman und ihr engagiertes Team fest, dass sie \u00fcber gen\u00fcgend finanzielle Mittel und Einfluss verf\u00fcgten, um die Veranstaltung in der Agustin Exposition Hall auf Lo abzuhalten. Als die \u00f6rtlichen Beh\u00f6rden die Genehmigung f\u00fcr einen \u00dcberflug von selbstgebauten Raumschiffen mit Verweis auf Sicherheitsbedenken verweigerten, verlegte Timmerman die experimentelle Flugshow zur\u00fcck nach Castor und nutzte RSI-Schiffe, um Beobachter hin- und herzufahren. Diese getrennte Veranstaltung wurde jahrelang fortgesetzt, bis bei einem tragischen Absturz des Experimentalschiffs im Jahr 2701 sowohl der Pilot als auch f\u00fcnfzehn Beobachter ums Leben kamen. Die rechtlichen Folgen und Zivilklagen, die sich aus dem Unfall ergaben, h\u00e4tten die Veranstaltung fast zerst\u00f6rt, so dass man sich entschloss, die Vorgehensweise zu \u00e4ndern. Amateurpiloten, die mit selbstgebauten Flugzeugen hantierten, waren offiziell raus, und die Kunstflugstaffel 999th Test Squadron der Navy, die \"Wreckless\", war in.\n\nRSI hielt der IAE die Treue und blieb jahrelang Hauptsponsor der Veranstaltung, wobei es seinen industriellen Einfluss nutzte, um weitere Sponsoren zu gewinnen und die Veranstaltung als die prestigetr\u00e4chtigste und wichtigste Schiffsmesse in der Welt zu vermarkten. Im Jahr 2712 nutzte RSI die IAE, um sein neuestes Schiff, die Constellation, vorzustellen. Die Messe weckte gro\u00dfes Interesse an dem Schiff und die Verkaufszahlen stiegen sprunghaft an, was f\u00fcr RSI zu keinem besseren Zeitpunkt h\u00e4tte kommen k\u00f6nnen, da es mehrere milit\u00e4rische Vertr\u00e4ge an Aegis Dynamics verloren hatte. Der kommerzielle Erfolg der Connie bewies, dass die Veranstaltung ein Segen f\u00fcr das Unternehmen sein kann. Doch nicht nur Branchenbeobachter erkannten den wachsenden Einfluss der IAE.\n\nDAS ZEITALTER DER AEGIS (2715-2791)\nNach der Expo 2712 versuchte das Messer-Regime, die Popularit\u00e4t der IAE zu nutzen, um seine Agenda durchzusetzen, und begann, der F\u00fchrung der IAE Ideen vorzuschlagen, die diese in kleineren Fragen beschwichtigte, die meisten Anfragen jedoch ignorierte. Jahre zuvor, im Jahr 2704, hatte Timmerman eine gemeinn\u00fctzige Organisation gegr\u00fcndet, um die IAE zu beaufsichtigen und sicherzustellen, dass die Gewinne nach ihrem Tod wohlt\u00e4tigen Zwecken zuflie\u00dfen w\u00fcrden. Sie hoffte auch, dass die Einrichtung eines Verwaltungsrats unangemessenen Einfluss von Politik und Unternehmen verhindern w\u00fcrde. Es half, bis 2715, als die lokale Regierung von Lo sich weigerte, die Ausstellung wegen fabrizierter Sicherheitsbedenken zu genehmigen. Als Timmerman und der Vorstand der IAE sich mit den \u00f6rtlichen Beh\u00f6rden trafen, um die Probleme zu besprechen, nahm auch ein Mediator des Messer-Regimes teil und machte unmissverst\u00e4ndlich klar, welche \u00c4nderungen f\u00fcr die Genehmigung der Veranstaltung erwartet wurden. Timmerman weigerte sich, dem nachzukommen und zog sich offiziell von der Leitung der Veranstaltung zur\u00fcck, anstatt sich den versprochenen Konsequenzen f\u00fcr sich und die Messe zu stellen.\n\nIn den n\u00e4chsten Jahrzehnten war der Vorstand der IAE mit Messer-Loyalisten besetzt, die die Veranstaltung langsam dem Willen des Regimes unterwarfen. Die Messe wurde immer exklusiver und die meisten Ausstellungsfl\u00e4chen waren f\u00fcr Schiffs- und Komponentenfirmen reserviert, die ein gutes Verh\u00e4ltnis zum Regime hatten. Es war nicht ungew\u00f6hnlich, dass kleinere oder in Ungnade gefallene Hersteller erhebliche Bestechungsgelder an Vorstandsmitglieder zahlen mussten, bevor sie einen Platz zugewiesen bekamen. Im Jahr 2725 begann die IAE damit, die G\u00e4ste zu zwingen, sich f\u00fcr die Veranstaltung zu registrieren, indem sie ein langwieriges Formular ausf\u00fcllten, das einen Loyalit\u00e4tseid auf das Imperium enthielt, den viele Aktivisten und Kritiker nicht unterschreiben wollten. Obwohl der Eintritt weiterhin frei war, konnten die Organisatoren mit Hilfe eines Ticketsystems bestimmen, wer wann an der Ausstellung teilnehmen durfte, was das Interesse an der Veranstaltung in der Bev\u00f6lkerung in die H\u00f6he trieb.\n\nAegis Dynamics und seine Milit\u00e4rschiffe dominierten diese \u00c4ra der IAE. Der Lieblingshersteller des Regimes wurde so prominent, dass einige begannen, die Messe die Intergalaktische Aegis Expo zu nennen. Zu den denkw\u00fcrdigen Ereignissen dieser \u00c4ra geh\u00f6rt das Jahr 2736, als eine Kontroverse \u00fcber die Verwendung von Filmaufnahmen von Luftk\u00e4mpfen an der Vanduul-Front in einem patriotischen Video ausbrach, das auf der Expo gezeigt wurde. Die Veranstaltung von 2754 wurde ber\u00fchmt, weil sie den Exklusivit\u00e4tsfaktor noch weiter steigerte. Es gab einen speziellen Showfloor, den nur ausgew\u00e4hlte G\u00e4ste nach einer strengen Sicherheitskontrolle betreten konnten. Darin befand sich ein streng geheimes Milit\u00e4rschiff, das unter einer riesigen Plane versteckt war, die nur seine einzigartige Silhouette preisgab. Jahre sp\u00e4ter wurde das Schiff deklassifiziert und als Aegis Vanguard enth\u00fcllt.\n\nDie nationalistische Ausrichtung der Ausstellung blieb bis zum Sturz des Regimes im Jahr 2792 erhalten. Im Chaos des Aufstandes wurden alle IAE-Direktoren entweder verhaftet oder flohen. Viele fragten sich, ob die IAE zum ersten Mal in der Geschichte der Veranstaltung abgesagt werden w\u00fcrde. Gl\u00fccklicherweise sprang eine Koalition von Schiffs- und Komponentenherstellern ein, um die Veranstaltung zu finanzieren, und arbeitete mit den lokalen Lo-Beamten zusammen, um sie stattfinden zu lassen. Diese Partnerschaft rettete die Messe und setzte ihre n\u00e4chste Phase in Gang.\n\nUNTERNEHMENSEXPANSION (2792-2915)\nDie Koalition, die nach dem Sturz der Messers die F\u00fchrung \u00fcbernahm, beschloss, den vakanten Vorstand der IAE zu besetzen, indem sie die Sitze zwischen lokalen Lo-Beamten und Vertretern prominenter Schiffshersteller aufteilte. In den darauffolgenden Jahrzehnten kam es zu einem Machtkampf, den schlie\u00dflich die Interessen der Unternehmen gewannen, die die Veranstaltung in eine kommerziellere Richtung ausweiten wollten. Im Jahr 2847 verlie\u00df die IAE Lo und zog von einem Ort zum anderen im ganzen Imperium um. Die Veranstaltung brachte dem jeweiligen System, in dem sie stattfand, enorme Gewinne und logistische Probleme. Diese \u00c4ra gipfelte darin, dass mehrere Systeme die Veranstaltung im Jahr 2870 ausrichteten, um das 200-j\u00e4hrige Bestehen der IAE zu feiern.\n\nObwohl die Veranstaltung beliebter denn je war, behaupteten Kritiker, dass die Konzerne, die die IAE kontrollierten, in dieser \u00c4ra Profite gegen\u00fcber Innovationen bevorzugten und experimentelle Erfinder und Hobbyisten vernachl\u00e4ssigten. Verteidiger der IAE wiesen die Kritik zur\u00fcck, indem sie sagten, dass Esperia, das von experimentierfreudigen Hobbyisten betrieben wurde, bei der Veranstaltung 2877 in die Stratosph\u00e4re aufstieg, als Victor Hurston eine \u00fcberarbeitete Vanduul Glaive flog. Andere Historiker behaupten, dass das gr\u00f6\u00dfte Problem dieser \u00c4ra, neben dem \u00fcberm\u00e4\u00dfig hygienisierten Unternehmensumfeld, die lokalen Regierungen waren, die die Veranstaltung ausrichteten. Dieses Gef\u00fchl kulminierte bei der IAE 2913 in Asura, Ferron, als die lokalen Organisatoren es vers\u00e4umten, gen\u00fcgend Hangars zu bauen und die notwendige Infrastruktur zu verbessern, um die im Vertrag mit der IAE festgelegten Leistungsstandards zu erf\u00fcllen. Dieses katastrophale Ereignis zeigte dem IAE-Vorstand die Vorteile eines festen Standorts f\u00fcr die Ausstellung.\n\nNEUE GRENZEN (2916-GEGENW\u00c4RTIG)\nNach der katastrophalen Expo in Ferron wandte sich Gouverneur Joona Tzur von Severus im Kieler System an den IAE-Vorstand und \u00fcberzeugte ihn, Eri City zum neuen st\u00e4ndigen Standort der Veranstaltung zu machen. Das ehemalige Milit\u00e4rsystem verf\u00fcgte \u00fcber zahlreiche Hangars, eine solide Infrastruktur und brauchte dringend eine neue Identit\u00e4t und einen Wirtschaftsmotor. Eri City war 2916 Schauplatz der ersten Expo und ist seither ihr Zuhause.\n\nEin neuer st\u00e4ndiger Standort war nicht unproblematisch. Im Jahr 2934 ver\u00f6ffentlichte die Advocacy einen Bericht, in dem eine alarmierende Zunahme gesetzeswidriger Aktivit\u00e4ten beschrieben wurde, die sich gegen zivile und gesch\u00e4ftliche Transporte zur und von der IAE richteten. In der Zwischenzeit war der IAE-bezogene Verkehr in Kiel so schlimm geworden, dass die MISC bekannterma\u00dfen w\u00e4hrend eines Teils der Messe 2941 eine halb leere Ausstellungsfl\u00e4che hatte, weil es Probleme gab, ihre Transporte in das System zu bekommen. Dies f\u00fchrte zur Einrichtung einer Expressspur f\u00fcr IAE-bezogene Schiffe, die bevorzugten Zugang zu den Sprungtoren in Kiel gew\u00e4hrt. Ein System, das so sehr ausgenutzt wurde, dass es zu R\u00fcckstaus in der Express-Spur kam, die die Wartezeit f\u00fcr andere nur noch weiter verl\u00e4ngert haben. Um dieses Problem zu entsch\u00e4rfen, hat die IAE im Jahr 2948 damit begonnen, kleinere Satellitenausstellungen in anderen Systemen zu veranstalten, damit die Menschen an der Veranstaltung teilnehmen k\u00f6nnen, ohne die Situation in Kiel zu verschlimmern. W\u00e4hrend einige die Satellitenausstellungen ablehnen, weisen IAE-Historiker darauf hin, dass sie auf fr\u00fchere Veranstaltungen zur\u00fcckgehen, die zwischen Lo und Castor aufgeteilt waren.\n\nObwohl sich die moderne IAE stark von den ersten Veranstaltungen unterscheidet, ist der Grundgedanke der Kameradschaft und der Begeisterung f\u00fcr Schiffe derselbe geblieben. Die IAE bieten einen Ort, an dem die Entwicklung von Schiffen und der Technologie, die sie m\u00f6glich macht, gefeiert wird, w\u00e4hrend sie gleichzeitig den aktuellen Stand des Imperiums widerspiegeln. Das macht die Geschichte der IAE zu einem faszinierenden Mikrokosmos der UEE-Geschichte.","zh_CN":"This portfolio originally appeared in Jump Point 9.11.\nSomewhere on Castor, Corel system, sits a dusty and desolate plain ignored by all except for the most dedicated spacecraft enthusiast. A small plaque commemorates this site where, in 2670, Audrey Timmerman launched her experimental ship, named Poby, before a small crowd of fellow pilots, inventors, and aerospace enthusiasts. Though the test flight failed when a power surge fried several of Poby\u2019s Xi\u2019an-inspired maneuverable thrusters, this small event evolved over the centuries into the ultimate celebration of ships and the tech that make interstellar flight possible: the Intergalactic Aerospace Expo (IAE).\n\nYet, the event\u2019s rich centuries-long history is an incredible journey itself. One that not only chronicles advancements in space travel but also reflects the social and political forces shaping the empire. Historian Ariel Rutte famously argued that, \u201cThe IAE is so much more than a ship showcase. It\u2019s one of the best historical gauges for the state of the empire itself.\u201d In celebration of the 2951 IAE, let\u2019s look at some of the distinct eras in IAE history and the important and memorable moments that shaped them.\n\nKITBASH (2670-2714)\nFailed flight aside, Timmerman considered the first event a success and focused on making each subsequent one bigger and better. Standing among that first crowd was Steffon Dillard, whose New Junction Ship Emporium became the event\u2019s first sponsor in 2675. To advertise the event and his dealership, Dillard acquired a version of every spacecraft made that year and exhibited them across a massive Castor plain in a way that was visually arresting on the ground and spelled IAE from above. Vids of the event saturated spectrum and popularized the use of IAE to refer to the event.\n\nIn 2683, when RSI signed on as an official sponsor, Timmerman and her dedicated team found that they had enough funding and clout to hold the event at the Agustin Exposition Hall on Lo. When local officials denied permits for a flyover of homemade spacecraft citing safety concerns, Timmerman moved the experimental flight show back to Castor and used RSI ships to ferry observers to and from it. This split event continued for years until a tragic experimental ship crash in 2701 killed both the pilot and fifteen observers. Legal repercussions and civil lawsuits from the accident nearly destroyed the event, so they decided to change their approach. Amateur pilots handling homemade builds were officially out, and stunt flying from the Navy\u2019s elite \u201cWreckless\u201d 999th Test Squadron was in.\n\nRSI stuck by the IAE and remained the primary sponsor of the event for years, using its industrial clout to attract more sponsors and market the event as the most prestigious and important ship show in the \u2018verse. In 2712, RSI used the IAE to push its latest ship, the Constellation. The expo generated massive interest in the ship and sales skyrocketed, which couldn\u2019t have come at a better time for RSI with the loss of several military contracts to Aegis Dynamics. The Connie\u2019s commercial success proved that the event could be a boon to a company\u2019s bottom line. Yet industry observers weren\u2019t the only ones to recognize the IAE\u2019s growing influence.\n\nAGE OF AEGIS (2715-2791)\nFollowing the 2712 expo, the Messer regime looked to use the IAE\u2019s popularity to push its agenda and began proposing ideas to its leadership, who placated them on smaller issues but ignored the majority of requests. Years earlier, in 2704, Timmerman had created a non-profit organization to oversee the IAE and ensure profits would go to charities once she was gone. She also hoped creating a board of directors would diffuse undue political and corporate influence. It helped until 2715, when Lo\u2019s local government refused to permit the expo over fabricated safety concerns. When Timmerman and the IAE board met with local officials to discuss the issues, a Messer regime mediator also joined and made it abundantly clear what changes were expected for the event to be permitted. Timmerman refused to comply and officially retired from running the event instead of facing the promised repercussions to both herself and the expo.\n\nFor the next few decades, the IAE board was stocked with Messer loyalists who slowly bent the event to the regime\u2019s will. The expo became more exclusive with most showfloor space reserved for ship and component companies in good standing with the regime. It was not unusual for smaller or out-of-favor manufacturers to have to pay significant bribes to board members before they would be allocated space. In 2725, the IAE began to make guests register for the event by filling out a lengthy form that included a loyalty oath to the empire that many activists and critics refused to sign. Though entry remained free, a ticketing system allowed event organizers to pick who could attend the expo and when, which drove interest in attending the event into a fever pitch among the populace.\n\nAegis Dynamics and its military ships dominated this era of the IAE. The regime\u2019s favorite manufacturer became so prominent that some began to call the show the Intergalactic Aegis Expo. Memorable events of the era include 2736, when controversy erupted over the use of dogfight footage from the Vanduul front in a patriotic vid looped at the expo. The 2754 event became famous for doubling down on the exclusivity factor. It included a special showfloor that only select guests could access after a strict security check. Inside sat a top-secret military ship hidden beneath a giant tarp that only divulged its unique silhouette. Years later the ship was declassified and revealed to be the Aegis Vanguard.\n\nThe expo\u2019s nationalistic bent remained until the fall of the regime in 2792. The resulting chaos of the uprising saw all IAE directors either get arrested or flee. Many wondered if, for the first time in the event\u2019s history, the IAE would be cancelled. Thankfully, a coalition of ship and component manufacturers stepped in to fund the event and worked with local Lo officials to make it happen. This partnership saved the expo and set in motion its next phase.\n\nCORPORATE EXPANSION (2792-2915)\nThe coalition that took over after the Messers were ousted decided to fill the IAE\u2019s vacant board of directors by splitting the seats between local Lo officials and representatives from prominent ship manufactures. The ensuing decades saw a struggle for power eventually won by corporate interests who wanted the event to expand in more commercial directions. In 2847, the IAE left Lo to move between locations across the empire. The event brought huge profits and logistical headaches to whatever system hosted it. This era culminated in several systems hosting the event in 2870 to celebrate the IAE\u2019s 200th anniversary.\n\nAlthough the event was more popular than ever, critics claimed that the corporations controlling the IAE were favoring profits over innovation and neglecting experimental inventors and hobbyists during this era. Defenders of the IAE refuted the criticism by saying that Esperia, run by experimenting hobbyists, was launched into the stratosphere at the 2877 event when Victor Hurston flew a refurbished Vanduul Glaive. Other historians claim that the biggest problem of this era, besides the overly sanitized corporate environment, would be the local governments hosting the event. This sentiment culminated at the 2913 IAE in Asura, Ferron, when local organizers failed to build enough hangars and make necessary infrastructure improvements to accommodate the power standards specified in the IAE\u2019s contract. This disastrous event showed the IAE board of directors the benefits of having a permanent home for the expo.\n\nNEW FRONTIERS (2916-PRESENT)\nOn the heels of the disastrous expo in Ferron, Governor Joona Tzur of Severus, Kiel system, approached the IAE board of directors and convinced them to make Eri City the event\u2019s new permanent home. The former military system had plenty of hangars, solid infrastructure, and a desperate need for a new identity and economic engine. Eri City hosted its first expo in 2916 and has been its home ever since.\n\nHaving a new permanent location has not been without issues. In 2934, the Advocacy released a report detailing an alarming increase in outlaw activity targeting civilian and corporate transports going to and from the IAE. Meanwhile, IAE-related traffic into Kiel had gotten so bad that MISC famously had a half empty showfloor for part of the 2941 expo due to issues getting their transports into the system. This led to the creation of an express lane for IAE-related ships that grants preferential access to the jump gates into Kiel. A system that has been exploited enough to create back-ups in the express lane that has only further increased the wait time for others. To alleviate this issue, in 2948 the IAE began hosting smaller satellite expos in other systems so people could attend the event without worsening the situation in Kiel. While some have decried the satellite expos, IAE historians note it harkens back to earlier events split between Lo and Castor.\n\nThough the modern IAE looks vastly different from the first events, the core spirit of camaraderie and enthusiasm over ships remains the same. The IAE provides a place to celebrate the evolution of ships and the tech that makes them possible while also embodying the current state of the empire. Making the IAE\u2019s history a fascinating microcosm of UEE history."},"links_count":0,"comment_count":9,"created_at":"2022-11-09T02:00:00+00:00","created_at_human":"3 years ago"},"meta":{"processed_at":"2026-05-07 19:18:20","valid_relations":["images","links"],"prev_id":18970,"next_id":18975}}