EBACE: Another Industry Success
The European Business Aviation Convention and Exhibition held its annual event in Geneva, Switzerland May 17th through the 19th. EBACE, jointly hosted each year by the European Business Aviation Association (EBAA), the leading association for business aviation in Europe, and the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA), the leading voice for the business aviation industry in the United States, takes shape as a three-day event and features exhibits, an incredible static display of aircraft, education sessions and maintenance & operations sessions (M&Os). It is all held at the magnificent Geneva Palexpo and Geneva International Airport.
This year I was privileged to have been asked for the second year to participate in one of the educational forums. On May 16th, along with many of my fellow aviation professionals from around the world, we presented at the “EBACE International Aircraft Transactions” conference. Like last year the attendance was great as well as the material presented. I leave each year knowing that international transactions are far more complicated than we are used to in our domestic work. In fact, no two transactions are the same as we blend different countries, different cultures and different time zones into the mix.
So now back at my desk in Boulder I can reflect on my successes at this year’s EBACE. I came away feeling terrific on many levels. I saw old and made new friends with international legal and maintenance professionals. I was able to see and be seen, thereby extending our corporate brand beyond our domestic boarders. I was able to attend several informational sessions, broadening my knowledge base about current International business issues to further support our ability to complete these complex transactions for our clients.
EBAA and NBAA are not just associations whose goal is to put on trade shows, but rather to shape business aviation in their markets for each of us who go to work in this industry every day. Regardless of whether you are operating business aircraft or building and supplying goods or services to this industry, we need associations like these to promote the positive value of business aviation in each and every city, state and municipality within their respective boarders. I urge each of you to learn more about these associations and support them with your membership. Once a member, be involved, stay active and when one of these associations asks for its members to reach out to the local and federal politicians and regulators about relevant issues that impact our operational flexibilities, do it. It is vital!