Story ID: 250 EBACE preview.doc
Business Aviation Awaits Next Month’s EBACE Show
By: Mark Phelps
Caption: Europe’s largest business aviation expo set for May 19 to 22 in Geneva.
Word Count: 492
Next month, the business aviation industry meets again, this time for the European Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition (EBACE) in Geneva, Switzerland. Conducted in cooperation with the European Business Aviation Association and the U.S. National Business Aviation Association, the show kicks off on May 19 and runs for three days.

This year marks the 15th annual EBACE show. In addition to exhibit halls filled with more than 500 exhibitors in the Palexpo conference center and ramp chocked with more than 50 aircraft on the static display at the adjacent Geneva International Airport, a series of education, networking and advocacy meetings are scheduled to mark the milestone. More than 13,000 attendees are expected.

Chris Strong, senior v-p of conventions and membership, oversees the event for NBAA. He said, “Obviously, the business aviation community has faced significant challenges over the past decade and a half, but we’ve also experienced great innovation in equipment, safety and management methodology. These innovations will be celebrated at EBACE 2015.”

Even before the event officially kicks off, there will be a one-day EBACE Safety Workshop on Monday, May 18. Invited speakers include representatives from EASA, business aviation trade associations and individual company flight departments. “This year’s Safety Workshop will focus on both regulatory and operational safety concerns and will give attendees practical guidance for addressing safety issues in their own organizations,” said NBAA v-p of regulatory and international affairs Doug Carr.

The global nature of the EBACE show is highlighted with another pre-convention event, also scheduled for May 18. The day-long 2015 EBACE International Aircraft Transaction Seminar will explore the pitfalls of buying aircraft from outside one’s national borders. Conducted by experts in aircraft sales, the program cites some of the common misconceptions. Featured speaker Jay Mesinger, president and CEO of Boulder, Colorado-based Mesinger Jet Sales, said, “An international business aircraft transaction is no longer something one should attempt alone.”

Among the information sessions on the docket for EBACE 2015 is an overview of the state of the industry, moderated by AIN editor-in-chief Charles Alcock. With a panel that includes association leaders, industry analysts, manufacturers’ representatives, sales experts and financial advisors, the panel will address the first surge in demand in recent memory for business aviation services, and the challenges faced in the wake of unrest in Ukraine and other barriers to advancement of the economy.

Of particular interest to business aviation enthusiasts from China, an information session on airport access for business aviation will also be front-and-center among EBACE 2015 events. The seminar will address the challenges of maintaining the flexibility and versatility of business aviation while ensuring access to airports where airlines control most of the capacity. The role of modern navigation technology and its effect on infrastructure should also be of interest. These are topics and issues that operators in the Asia Pacific region face every day.

For more information on EBACE 2015, visit www.ebace.aero.