NBAA to Merge Light Business Airplane Conference Into Annual Meeting & Convention

Jan. 28, 2009
LBA2009 cancelled; its programming will be incorporated into Orlando show in October.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) announces that the programming and other elements from the anticipated 2009 Light Business Airplane Conference (LBA2009) will now be incorporated into the Association’s 62nd Annual Meeting & Convention in Orlando, FL, scheduled for Oct. 20-22, 2009.

The LBA event was originally scheduled to take place in San Diego, CA, on March 13 and 14. However, the state of the economy has caused NBAA to make adjustments that it believes will ensure maximum value for Attendees and Exhibitors.

"NBAA is totally committed to serving those who rely on light business airplanes, as well as those who are considering how to fit these aircraft into their business models," says NBAA President and CEO Ed Bolen. "But in this economic climate, it is difficult to launch an event that our Members and Exhibitors expect from NBAA. We all know that our industry is finding it necessary to limit travel and marketing expenses, so we are going to combine all of the excellent elements we’d planned for LBA into the Convention.

"By incorporating the Conference into the Convention, the entrepreneurs and pilots for whom LBA was specifically designed will now be able to participate in the full two days of education sessions – including the Cessna Single-pilot Safety Standdown – and still have an additional day to see all of the general aviation products and services on display at the industry’s largest purely civil aviation trade show. For Exhibitors, this move will reduce total expenditures for NBAA events in 2009 by allowing companies to combine the costs associated with two shows into a single event.

"Any change in plans has consequences and we regret the inconvenience to all who finalized their itinerary for San Diego. Still, we believe the step we’ve taken is the right one for both attendees and exhibitors in this very challenging economy."