Booth Space, Attendance Hits New Highs

EBACE2004, a three-day exhibition held May 25 through 27, registered a record 6,487 Attendees – an increase of 8.4 percent over last year’s total of 5,984. It also featured 247 Exhibitors occupying a record 728 3-meter by 3-meter booth spaces in Geneva Palexpo, an increase of 18 percent over last year’s booth space total of 615. The Static Display on Geneva International Airport featured a total of 36 business aircraft.

The event kicked off on Tuesday, May 25 with an Opening General Session keynote speech by Patrick Goudou, executive director of the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), and presentations by Roger Gardner, head of air quality and environmental technology of the Department of Transport UK, and Bo Redeborn, director ATM strategies, Eurocontrol. The Opening General Session was moderated by European Business Aviation Association (EBAA) Chairman Brian M. Humphries and National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) Chairman and Interim President Donald E. Baldwin.

On Thursday, May 27, European Commission President Romano Prodi visited EBACE, arriving at the airport in a business jet. He toured the exhibition hall and boarded several aircraft in the Static Display, paying particular attention to European aircraft and products. This visit by the president of the European Commission, the administrative and executive body of the European Union, illustrated a strong European interest in business aviation and the importance of the sector for the European air transport industry. Humphries, Baldwin and other officials escorted Prodi during his tour.

Future EBACEs will be held in Geneva, Switzerland, on the following dates:

• EBACE2005 – Wednesday, May 18 through Friday, May 20, 2005
• EBACE2006 – Wednesday, May 3 through Friday, May 5, 2006

FMI: www.ebace.aero