Second-Highest Attendance, Record Number Of Exhibitors At 11th
Annual Event
The 11th Annual European Business Aviation Convention &
Exhibition (EBACE2011) ended its three-day show with records in the
number of Exhibitors and exhibit spaces and an increase in
attendance amid welcome news that business aviation traffic is
trending upward.
Event organizers pointed to positive signs, including 12,751
Attendees from 108 countries, an increase from last year’s
11,186, and a record 511 Exhibitors, exceeding the previous high
mark of 445 companies. This year's attendance was the
second-highest total ever. Brian Humphries, European Business
Aviation Association (EBAA) President and CEO, and Ed Bolen,
National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) President and CEO,
were pleased at the global support for business aviation.
“These numbers are certainly good news for EBACE,”
said Humphries. “They’re a welcome reminder of the
value the industry places on this show. But we also know that EBACE
is a barometer for the industry, and so we take these numbers as a
welcome sign that the economic environment for business aviation is
beginning to improve.”
Brian Humphries
Humphries added that Eurocontrol has just released 2010 figures
showing that business aviation achieved 5.5 percent growth last
year, and is more than 7 percent of IFR traffic, which points to
the importance of business aviation in helping companies recover
from the recent downturn. Bolen agreed, saying “the
importance of business aviation to helping companies of all sizes
succeed in a competitive global economy is certainly on display for
everyone who takes part in EBACE, which demonstrates that business
aviation is highly valued by enterprises around the world.
“The many contributions business aviation makes to the
success of European Union economies, just like the United States,
however, still need to be communicated effectively,” Bolen
added, “so that it is well understood by policymakers whose
decisions can have a direct impact on our industry.”
Bolen also congratulated NBAA’s partner, the European
Business Aviation Association, on another highly successful annual
gathering.
Halls 5, 6 and 7 of Geneva Palexpo sold out 2,074 exhibit
spaces, more than the previous record of 1,922, and 62 aircraft
were shown on the Static Display of Aircraft at Geneva
International Airport. In addition to the value EBACE provided for
Exhibitors and Attendees, the event celebrated 11 years of
partnership between EBAA and NBAA in hosting the event. It also
showcased the essential role of business aviation in supporting
jobs, mobility and economic opportunity around the world.
Education sessions, the backbone of EBACE programming, covered a
variety of international and local aviation issues. Panels of
industry experts discussed steps their business aviation
communities are taking to meet their environmental stewardship
goals, among other updates on a variety of policy issues affecting
business aviation. Additional sessions covered operational safety,
and the latest upgrades to aircraft and technology.
Next year’s EBACE will return to the Geneva Palexpo from
May 14 through 16. EBAA and NBAA have secured dates for EBACE
through 2015.