EBAA Marks Next Chapter for EBACE with Geneva Return

The European Business Aviation Association (EBAA) reaffirmed that Geneva will remain the home of the European Business Aviation Conference and Exhibition in 2026 as it moves to reinforce the event’s position as the “voice of business aviation” on the continent. In even years, the organization plans to hold its annual event in the Swiss city, and for odd years it will be held at different locations throughout Europe.

EBACE 2026 will “build on a new vision for the show” following the 2025 evolution without the partnership with NBAA, the organization said. EBAA noted that it is forming an EBACE Advisory Council comprising key stakeholders to guide improvements in areas such as static display set-up, privacy and security, cost sensitivity, and operational benchmarks.

The council will also provide input on the “EBACE Goes to Europe 2027” effort, as the organization evaluates future locations to host the show. “Future locations will be selected to reflect Europe’s diversity and address the regional regulatory and operational differences that shape the business aviation landscape, with Geneva remaining the anchor,” EBAA said.

As for the return to the Peace Capital, where the show has been held since its inception, EBAA CEO Stefan Benz said. “We’ve been pleasantly surprised by the positive and supportive reaction to EBACE remaining in Geneva with a static display. Switzerland remains the center of business aviation in Europe, and Geneva combines outstanding connections, a strong financial ecosystem, and a clear appeal to the industry’s end users.”

Benz maintained that, in the past, the true value of Geneva was not fully realized. “For EBACE 2026, our goal is to build on that foundation and ensure the city’s strengths, its accessibility, professionalism, and global outlook are used to their full potential.”

The renewal in Geneva followed the leadership change in June, when Benz came on board. At the time, EBAA was poised to announce a decision on location. But the organization opted to put that off by a month before it revealed its plan. “We wanted to give [Benz] the chance to dive into the topic and also have a complete overview of where we stand and what the ideas were,” said Juergen Wiese, chairman of the EBAA board of governors. “We are now in preparations for this,” Wiese said.

But beyond the location, the organization wants to take a holistic view of the event. Benz added, “There was a wish for change.” He pointed to the slide over the past couple of years in visitors and the movement toward more of a classic B2B environment and networking-focused event, rather than also serving as a B2C, client-based event.

This movement, along with the shift of EBAA as the sole host of EBACE, prompted a review of “what do we want to do,” Benz said. While NBAA is no longer a part of hosting the event, Benz stressed the ongoing cooperative relationship the organizations maintain as they both advocate for the business aviation community.

In charting a path forward, EBAA gathered feedback from exhibitors and other stakeholders and found a desire to return more to an event that draws clients, whether high-net-worth individuals, family offices, and others involved in business aviation, he said.

Logically, he continued, that was a driver for OEM to exhibit and, as a result, for a return of the static display. However, Benz added, EBAA is considering only holding the static display when EBACE is held in Geneva every other year. This appears to be more in line with the preferences of OEMs, which are working to spread their activities among multiple shows in a given year.

EBAA also decided on Geneva not only for the setup with the static and convention center location, but also for the strong support from the airport, which is a top business aviation facility in Europe, as well as the attributes of the city as a cultural center. “We believe this is the best place, and it is also a tradition, which is not to be underestimated,” Benz said.

In addition, the organization wants to ensure moving forward that the show maintains its focus on price and security, but still creates an atmosphere of accessibility and facilitates the ability to network.

However, Wiese noted, while EBAA isn’t revealing all details just yet, some concepts from 2025 will return, such as the fresh look, starting with the entry into the hall and the zones that enabled visitors to connect. EBAA received positive feedback about those changes.