As NBAA-BACE returns as an in-person event this week, it occupies a new home at the Las Vegas Convention Center’s recently opened West Hall. It also has health and safety protocols that include mandatory Covid-19 vaccinations and a new hybrid approach to reach attendees on-site, as well as remotely.
At the same time, the show is bringing back numerous familiar features. The nearly sold-out exhibit floor will host many of the major well known exhibitors, with the exception of Gulfstream Aerospace and a few others. There will also be a static display at Henderson Executive Airport, dozens of educational sessions, keynote general sessions, and major product announcements, in addition to the traditional Corporate Angel Network reception and fundraising event on Wednesday evening.
Leading up to the show, NBAA senior v-p of events Chris Strong estimated that the convention would draw 18,000 to 20,000 attendees and 750 exhibitors, about 100 of which are displaying for the first time. While those numbers would represent a decline from the typical 25,000 attendees and 1,000 exhibitors, Strong noted that those are still “some very big numbers” that would make NBAA-BACE one of the largest shows that has occurred in Las Vegas in the last two years.
He reiterated during a recent webinar for attendees that the convention is “a big event for us” and that the association is enthusiastic about having the ability to demonstrate how the industry and trade shows are evolving.
While the past year has been difficult with the Covid-19 protocols and canceled events, Strong said NBAA learned a lot during that time. “We took that year to assess what worked…and what could help us in the future.”
This includes working with experts to develop protocols that would foster a healthy environment for those on-site. “We need to make sure that this is a safe show and a very successful show,” Strong said.
NBAA is requiring attendees, before they enter the convention center, to provide proof of Covid vaccination. It retained the services of Clear to use an app that enables people to upload and show such proof, but Strong added that attendees can simply bring their vaccination card and photo identification.
The vaccine mandate, while drawing some expected opposition, was something the association worked out in concert with the Nevada governor’s office and the Las Vegas Convention Center. It follows an approach taken by other major events, such as Las Vegas Raiders football games.
Strong conceded this was an approach that NBAA adopted because the use of masks, while doable, isn’t optimal for the convention and changes the nature of the event. Masks are now optional but would be required in the absence of a vaccination rule because of Las Vegas regulations.
Covid precautions aside, the other major change introduced with this year’s show is the moving of the convention into the new $980 million West Hall expansion, which is across the street from the traditional show site.
The West Hall expansion added 1.4 million sq ft of convention space, including 600,000 sq ft of exhibit floor space that will enable the entire event to be housed in a single hall. Previously, NBAA exhibitors had been split between the North and Central Halls at the Las Vegas Convention Center. This week, that space is occupied by a convention staged by the National Association of Broadcasters.
Notably, the West Hall includes 328,000 sq ft of column-free exhibit space, an important factor for exhibitors, along with 14,000 sq ft of outdoor terrace space with views of the Las Vegas strip and 15,000 sq ft of meeting room space.
As in past years in Las Vegas, the NBAA-BACE static display will be at Henderson Executive Airport, 15 miles south of the convention center site. But options for getting there are expanding. NBAA was lining up helicopter transportation between the convention center and airport and the price for the trip was anticipated to be under $100.
“We are evolving and in this case revolutionizing trade shows,” Strong said. “That’s business aviation.” However, NBAA is continuing to offer the usual complimentary bus transportation between the two locations as well.
New to the static display is the Owner/Single-Pilot Operator Pavilion, which will house sessions tailored to the single-pilot turboprop and jet operator community. Textron Aviation is kicking off a series of sponsored presentations at the pavilion today with other presenters, including Smartsky Networks, Daher, SierraTrax, Pratt & Whitney Canada, and shuttle commander/Citation owner Charlie Precourt, who will be giving a safety presentation tomorrow at 3:30 p.m.
“Owner-pilots are not just a key part of the business aviation community—they’re innovators, thought leaders, and groundbreaking entrepreneurs,” said Andrew Broom, NBAA's senior v-p for strategy, marketing, and innovation. “This pavilion is more than just a place to gather. It’s a new platform for fostering deeply shared peer connections, to everyone’s benefit.”
Broom, who recently joined the association after heading up the Citation Jet Pilots Association, added that NBAA is partnering with owner-pilot groups on the initiative.
Another new pavilion this year, this time in the main convention hall, is dedicated to maintenance. Located near the keynote speaker area, advanced air mobility zone, and other "big-draw attractions," the Maintenance Pavilion is designed to allow vendors to exhibit their products and services.
“The last two annual NBAA Maintenance Conferences were canceled due to the Covid-19 pandemic," said Stewart D’Leon, NBAA’s director of environmental and technical operations. "Frequent attendees and exhibitors to that conference told us how much they missed the opportunity to come together. We wanted to do something special for the maintenance community this year because they missed out on dedicated in-person maintenance conferences two years in a row.” The pavilion will also host a silent auction to provide travel funds for recipients of maintenance scholarships.
As for the air mobility zone, NBAA-BACE signed up its largest cadre of eVTOL developers yet to exhibit and has a variety of activities, from a keynote to roundtable discussions on the emerging market. Meanwhile, the association “retooled” its New Product Showcase, providing a digital format, where virtual and in-person attendees can view the products online before, during, and after the event.
This online presence is part of a larger effort for the association to present a “hybrid” show with a full slate of virtual content that will reach those unable to attend the live event, as well as enable attendees to revisit the content or catch up with what they may have missed.
“NBAA continues to focus on offering engaging content accessible to more of our members than ever before,” Strong said. “We’ve taken the significant step to expand the number of recorded sessions and events available online in consideration of those who may be unable to attend NBAA-BACE in person.”
More than two dozen education sessions are planned for NBAA-BACE, covering issues ranging from advanced air mobility to sustainability. The sessions will be available on NBAA’s online Learning Management System within 24 hours following the in-person presentation. In addition, the association is planning on-demand-only sessions.
In-person NBAA-BACE attendees will have access to the content for free, while at-home attendees will pay a single, lowered price for the content. The recorded education sessions can be used for Certified Aviation Manager credit.
NBAA typically draws top officials, captains of industry, and other famous individuals, and, despite the complexities resulting from Covid, this year is no different with a lineup of keynotes set for today that includes Martine Rothblatt, chair and CEO of United Therapeutics and this year’s NBAA Meritorious Service Award winner; FAA administrator Steve Dickson; and pilot, comedian, and Emmy-nominated actor Rob Riggle. A panel of top advanced air mobility (AAM) executives will host a discussion about the future of the market during tomorrow’s keynote session.
While a few notable exhibitors are missing, most of the anchor exhibitors have returned this year. Covid-related health and safety concerns or travel restrictions have kept some away, however, including ones that had planned to exhibit, such as Piaggio Aerospace and Biggin Hill Airport.