Economy Leads To Lower Exhibit Fees, One Less Day
Blame it on the economy. The National Business Aviation
Association (NBAA) announced Friday its inaugural Light
Business Airplane Conference (LBA2009) has been changed from a
three-day conference to a two-day conference that will take place
in San Diego, CA, on Friday, March 13, and Saturday, March 14,
2009.
Additionally, NBAA will limit sizes for indoor exhibits to a
maximum of 20 ft.-by-20 ft. The Association will also adjust
pricing for Attendees and indoor Exhibitors. Attendance fees will
be reduced by 50 percent, and indoor exhibit fees will be reduced
by 20 percent.
"As the economy has constricted dramatically since LBA was
conceived, the challenges confronting the entrepreneurs and pilots
who own and operate light business airplanes have increased," said
NBAA President and CEO Ed Bolen. "To address this situation, NBAA
is adjusting LBA2009 to ensure that the conference offers
exceptional educational content while also remaining manageable and
affordable. This is about tightly focusing an inaugural conference
for a very important segment of the business aviation community so
that it provides real and tangible value in a very challenging
economy."
According to Bolen, a hallmark of NBAA conferences is the
learning opportunities that provide participants with practical
information that can be used to minimize costs, enhance safety,
promote efficiency and increase operational awareness. For the past
several months, NBAA has been working directly with owners and
operators of high-performance pistons, turboprops and jets that can
be flown single-pilot to develop a highly informative conference
that is directly targeted to their specific operations. Attendees
will gain valuable information on how they can best use their
airplane to them succeed in business.
Included among the highlights planned for LBA2009 are: a
Single-Pilot Safety Standdown, sponsored by the Cessna Aircraft
Company; more than 40 education sessions, ranging from tax and
regulatory topics to enhancing the efficiency of aircraft
operations and maintenance.
The Opening General Session will feature presentations from
pilot and Forbes magazine publisher Rich Karlgaard and
pilot/surgeon and Flying magazine contributor Dr. Dick Karl.
Well-known aviation figures, including John and Martha King, will
be giving presentations as well.
Bolen noted that some of the adjustments that NBAA is making to
LBA2009 are informed by the Association's experiences in
introducing and growing its other forums and conferences, such as
the International Operators Conference and the Schedulers &
Dispatchers Conference.
NBAA recognizes that a number of events have been planned in
conjunction with LBA2009, including a Pilatus PC-12 Regional
Operators Conference, Honeywell’s TPE331 Turboprop Engine
Operators Conference, a meeting of the Young Presidents
Organization’s Pilots Network and a meeting of a newly-formed
group called the Citation Jet Pilots. NBAA has worked closely with
the organizers of each of these events to ensure they will be
successful and well-coordinated within the new schedule and format
for LBA2009.
"Business airplanes are tools that provide the flexibility
necessary to adapt and thrive in rapidly changing environment,"
said Bolen. "Similarly, NBAA is adapting its Light Business
Airplane Conference so that all participants will find it to be of
great value."