Collegiate Connect Reimagined for 2022 NBAA-BACE

Sept. 28, 2022

To give student attendees more opportunities to network at the world’s largest and most significant business aviation event of the year, the Collegiate Connect program at this year’s NBAA Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition (NBAA-BACE) in Orlando, FL, will for the first time be hosted on the exhibit floor.

Collegiate Connect takes place Oct. 20, the final day of the show.

“Collegiate Connect is a premier event for NBAA, and we take great pride in offering university and technical school aviation students from near and far this ability to immerse themselves in our community and experience the inventiveness and collaborative spirit that has made business aviation such an exciting and powerful industry,” said Jo Damato, CAM, NBAA senior vice president, education, training and workforce development.

“This year, rather than hosting students in a session room, Collegiate Connect will be held on the exhibit floor so that attendees can experience the energy of NBAA-BACE firsthand and immediately start networking and engaging with our community after the event,” she added. “We are creating an environment that is welcoming and inclusive to reflect business aviation’s steadfast commitment to workforce development.”

NBAA also has developed a new program for this year’s Collegiate Connect that acknowledges and embraces the needs of today’s students. A keynote panel featuring record-setting solo pilots Barrington Irving and Shaesta Waiz will provide attendees a unique opportunity to learn how to set and achieve goals, no matter how ambitious, and a session dedicated to mental wellness will highlight peer support opportunities provided by the student and collegiate communities that they can turn to as they begin their aviation careers.

The event will conclude with members of NBAA’s Young Professionals (YoPro) Council, Business Aviation Top 40 Under 40 award recipients and other industry young professionals taking questions from attendees about their non-traditional career paths and how to navigate a career in a multi-generational industry.

Admission to Collegiate Connect is free for all registered students, faculty and chaperones. Attendees must present a school/university ID at a registration counter to obtain a student badge for NBAA-BACE.

Register for Collegiate Connect.

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