Contacts:Dan Hubbard, (202) 783-9360, dhubbard@nbaa.orgPatrick Dunne, (202) 783-9263, pdunne@nbaa.org
Washington, DC, August 23, 2010 –The value of business aviation to companies of all sizes, all across the country was evident by the strong attendance and speakers at the National Business Aviation Association’s (NBAA’s) Chicago-Area Regional Forum last week.
More than 830 people attended the Forum, held August 18 at DB Aviation on Waukegan Regional Airport, with 76 Exhibitors located indoors and outside, and 23 aircraft on static display. NBAA President and CEO Ed Bolen said the forum’s success reflects the importance of the Association’s regional networking and education events.
“Business aviation has a presence across the country, and last week’s forum demonstrated that in the Chicago region, the people in the industry strongly value local opportunities for peer-to-peer introductions and education,” said NBAA President and CEO Ed Bolen.
In welcoming NBAA and its Members to Waukegan, the city’s Mayor, Robert G. Sabonjian, said business aviation activity at community airports like his serves an important role in supporting the local economy.
“I watched this airport grow bit by bit over the years to the dynamic installation that you see here today – it is a wonderful economic engine for the City of Waukegan,” he told the local newspaper, the Waukegan News-Sun. “Corporations like to be close to an airport that they can have easy access to and that they can fly a long-range flight out of and Waukegan Airport does offer that”
Sabonjin added that plans are in place to allow for the presence of business aviation to expand at the airport.
NBAA’s Business Aviation Regional Forums are day-long learning and peer networking venues designed to meet the needs of regional business aviation communities, and to provide an introduction to local leaders interested in learning more about the industry.
The Forums also allow for two-way discussions of issues confronting NBAA Members at the local level such as airport policies, city council ordinances and proposals from state legislatures that impact flight operations. They also play a role in educating local operators and businesses about ways they can make their voices heard on such issues to elected officials.
The August 18 event featured an education session on the No Plane No Gain advocacy campaign, jointly sponsored by NBAA and the General Aviation Manufacturers Association, as well as sessions on structuring aircraft management agreements and steps for renewing aviation insurance policies.
The advocacy campaign’s core themes are featured prominently in television coverage by “First Business,” a TV business news show produced in Chicago and broadcast on more than 150 television affiliates nationwide, including in the New York, Los Angeles and Washington, DC media markets. The “First Business” segment on NBAA’s Regional Forum, which was seen by an estimated 263,000 viewers, can be viewed at www.nbaa.org/news/multimedia/videos/20100819-first-business.php.
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Founded in 1947 and based in Washington, DC, the National Business Aviation Association (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 8,000 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.
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International Business Aviation Council Ltd.