Event Opening Just A Few Days Away

With just a few days to go before the opening of NBAA’s 2013 Schedulers & Dispatchers (S&D) Conference in San Antonio, TX, the event already has set a new Exhibitor record and attendance is forecast to be strong. More than 2,500 Attendees are expected at the four-day event, which runs Jan. 22 to 25 at the Henry B. Gonzales Convention Center, where 425 Exhibitors are featured in the exhibit hall. Last year, the Conference had 407 Exhibitors.

The S&D Conference is the premier event for schedulers and dispatchers, along with the suppliers who support their critical role in successful flight department management. The event features 32 breakout education sessions that provide NBAA Members an opportunity to meet the people who are directly responsible for the scheduling and dispatching of aircraft at flight departments of all sizes throughout the world.

“The Conference is growing in popularity and productivity,” said Dina Green, director of registration and seminar exhibits. “It’s a very structured program where Exhibitors can meet with schedulers and dispatchers and show them what their business is all about.”

The S&D Conference kicks off the morning of Jan. 23 with an Opening General Session featuring keynote speaker Laura Stack, "The Productivity Pro," who will share tips that underscore the Conference’s theme: “Making Time to Fuel Your Goals.” For nearly 20 years, Stack has presented keynotes and leadership workshops on improving output, lowering stress and saving time in today's workplaces.

Following a successful introduction last year in San Diego, the Conference Training Initiative (CTI) will return to this year's event with an expanded seminar program focusing on risk management and the increasing financial responsibilities of the S&D position. This year, the CTI program offers 12 sessions— twice as many as last year. Eight sessions have been selected to help the scheduler and dispatcher focus on risk-management issues, while the remaining four programs aim to assist the S&D with their responsibilities related to tax issues.

Sessions are grouped in time blocks throughout the three-day S&D Conference, giving Attendees the opportunity to participate in as many as eight seminars. Participants who meet the application requirements – including their physical attendance for an entire CTI session and completion of a five-question quiz based on the session content – will receive a training-acknowledgment letter from NBAA.

First-time Attendees will be warmly welcomed and have access to assistance, thanks to a network of volunteer Ambassadors. Ambassadors will guide Attendees as they make their way around the event and also will help by serving as greeters, room and hall monitors, and luncheon assistants. First-time Attendees are encouraged to ask questions or seek guidance from any person wearing an Ambassador ribbon.

There will be a number of events designed specifically for first-time Attendees. In addition, first-time Attendees will have their own meeting just prior to the start of the Conference, which gives them a chance to meet other first-timers, as well as to hear an overview with helpful tips on how to get the most out of the Conference. The first-time Attendee meeting will be held on Tuesday, Jan. 22 at 5 p.m. in the convention center’s Upper Level Ballroom.

FMI: www.nbaa.org