Contact: Dan Hubbard at (202) 783-9360 or dhubbard@nbaa.org
ORLANDO, FL, October 19, 2006 – The National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) today announced that its 59th Annual Meeting & Convention in Orlando was the biggest and best in the Association’s history, breaking attendance records and selling out exhibit space earlier than ever before. At the close of the three-day event, the attendance total was 33,088, which was a 14-percent increase over the final total for 2005, also in Orlando, and higher than the previous record of 31,665 set in Las Vegas in 1998.
“This year’s Annual Meeting & Convention has surpassed our expectations on all fronts,” said NBAA President and CEO Ed Bolen. “We are pleased at the continued growth in support from the business aviation community for this event and for the opportunity to enhance the public’s understanding of business aviation.”
Bolen continued, “This annual event allows us to showcase the diversity and vitality of business aviation, its industrial and technology innovation, contributions to the national economy, and growth and development of communities nationwide.”
Not only was attendance at an all-time high, but also Exhibitor records were broken.
For the first time, the exhibit floor was sold out more than a month before the opening day, with a total of 1,140 Exhibitors registered and a total of 5,235 10-by-10-foot booth spaces sold, which represents an increase in booth spaces of nearly 9 percent over 2005, with both shows held at the North/South Building of the Orange County Convention Center.
The 59th session also featured more aircraft on the exhibit floor than previous years – 11 fixed-wing aircraft and four helicopters. The static display at Orlando Executive Airport sold out with 115 aircraft on display.
Bolen also extended NBAA’s thanks to Orlando and Orange County officials for their continued assistance in making the session so successful. According to the Orange County Convention Center, the NBAA event brought an estimated $42 million in economic impact to the city.
“NBAA also wishes to thank everyone involved with this year’s event, and we look forward to our next gathering in 2007,” Bolen said. The NBAA 60th Annual Meeting & Convention is scheduled for September 25 through 27, 2007, in Atlanta, GA.
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Founded in 1947 and based in Washington, DC, the National Business Aviation Association, Inc. (NBAA) is the leading organization for companies that rely on general aviation aircraft to help make their businesses more efficient, productive and successful. The Association represents more than 7,000 companies and provides more than 100 products and services to the business aviation community, including the NBAA Annual Meeting & Convention, the world’s largest civil aviation trade show. Learn more about NBAA at www.nbaa.org.
International Business Aviation Council Ltd.