LABACE2004 Surpasses Expectations

The second Annual Latin American Business Aviation Conference and Exhibition (LABACE2004), held April 15 to 17, surpassed even the most optimistic projections of both organizers and Exhibitors, registering 3,735 people, a 30 percent increase over last year.

LABACE is a partnership between the Associa��o Brasileira de Avia��o Geral (ABAG), based in Brazil, and the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA), the world's largest business aviation association.

According to ABAG President Anderson Markiewicz, the tremendous success of LABACE2004 is an indication that business aviation is increasing its visibility both in Brazil and worldwide. "One of the indicators of this success is the increase in the number of visitors - on the first day of the event, LABACE had more visitors than the entire 2003 event," he said. "One of the high points of the event was the presence of civil aviation authorities from six Latin American countries."

NBAA Senior Vice President, Operations Robert P. Blouin noted that Latin American business aviation is ripe for growth. "NBAA Members, along with companies involved in the industry worldwide, greatly benefit from having LABACE in Brazil because the country has become an important destination for global companies in all sectors," he said.

This year, LABACE had 92 Exhibitors at the Transam�rica Expo Center, offering an opportunity for pilots, mechanics, technicians and business people to see first-hand the most advanced business aviation technology available.

"LABACE2004 was important for Embraer, because it gave the company its first opportunity to show the Legacy to the market with a series of improvements," said Antonio Pires Monteiro, Embraer vice president of business aviation. "The event also showed clear signs of evolution, which is a positive achievement and will help to generate business for the sector."

For F�bio Rabello, Bombardier vice president of Latin American sales, this year's LABACE was even more productive than last year's, and the company noticed improvements in the quality of the visitors. "We are very happy with LABACE and will be here in force in 2005," Rabello affirmed.

Cessna also confirmed its presence at LABACE2005. "We were impressed with the growth and organization of LABACE," said Robert Gibbs, Cessna Latin American and African sales manager.

LABACE2005 has been scheduled for Thursday, March 31 through Saturday, April 2, 2005, in S�o Paulo, Brazil. For more information about LABACE or to view photos from the 2004 event, visit the official web site at:

FMI: www.labace.aero