The first-ever EBACE Connect digital event (18-20 May) soared beyond expectations, according to the organisers, the European Business Aviation Association (EBAA) and the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA).
The virtual conference demonstrated the global business aviation community’s eagerness to embrace the future, focus on new opportunities and fire the imagination.
“We are thrilled to see so much enthusiasm across the industry this week,” said EBAA Secretary-General Athar Husain Khan.
“We launched EBACE Connect to bring the business aviation community together and share our vision for the future. This week showed how busy this industry is forging that vision.”
NBAA President and CEO Ed Bolen added, “At this pivotal moment, we came to EBACE Connect to plan for post-pandemic growth.
“As this week made clear, business aviation is focused on much more than returning to normal – our industry is evolving, coming back stronger, more adaptive and more innovative than ever.”
EBAA and NBAA pointed to several standout indicators: ‚
- More than 1,600 attendees participated in the program, which featured keynote discussions with aviation leaders and visionaries.
- Famed pilot and philanthropist Erik Lindbergh opened the program by sharing personal insights on the next great era in aviation.
- On day two, a Lightning Round session with the CEOs of all the major business aircraft OEMs highlighted their perspectives.
- The EBACE Connect panel sessions likewise focused on business aviation’s future, covering advanced air mobility, safety regulation for new technologies, growing beyond COVID, market trends and sustainability.
- The full lineup of sponsored ‘Thought Leadership’ sessions featured business aviation entrepreneurs and leaders discussing topics such as the evolving workplace, data-management best practices and cloud-based tools for flight operations.
- Major OEMs and leading service providers filled the Press Day before the program on May 17, with six announcements of exciting new products and offerings. Nearly 100 journalists from around the world registered for the Press Day, and covered EBACE Connect.
The EBACE Connect organisers thanked the event sponsors, which included: Airbus, Ambry Hill Tech, Avfuel, Bermuda Aircraft Registry, Bombardier, CAE, Canadian Propeller, Carolina GSE, Collins Aerospace, Credit Suisse, Daher, Embraer, Flight Consulting Group, ForeFlight, Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation, Jetex, myairops, NATA Compliance Services, Pratt & Whitney Canada, StandardAero, UAS International Trip Support, Viasat and World Fuel Services.
“This week, we all shared in the sense that, even in this most challenging year, business aviation has been laying the groundwork for big changes,” said Husain Khan.
“At EBACE Connect, we set our sights higher in pursuit of an exciting future.”
In 2022, EBACE will return to Geneva Airport and Palexpo in Switzerland. The in-person exhibition will take place May 23-25. Information about the event’s new housing company, and other details, will be available shortly.
