NBAA Renames Annual U.S. Show "Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition"

In announcing the change, NBAA President and CEO Ed Bolen noted that, given the global nature of business aviation, the Association co-hosts dedicated, business-aviation-only events around the world. The new name for NBAA’s largest event brings it into alignment with the other shows.

“NBAA’s largest U.S. show has up to this point been referred to as an ‘annual meeting,’ but in recent decades, it has grown in size and importance to be much more than just a meeting, and this change reflects that reality,” Bolen said. “The change also strengthens the overall brand for NBAA’s shows, underscoring their status as world-class events, produced by the Association, with the high standards Exhibitors and Attendees expect from an NBAA show. At the same time, the new name retains the term ‘Convention,’ which is familiar to everyone in the industry.”

The event that would evolve into NBAA’s modern U.S. Convention was first held in September 1947. In the decades since, it has grown into an event that ranks fifth in size for all U.S. trade shows, according to Trade Show Executive magazine. The event draws around 25,000 Attendees each year, including individuals from dozens of countries around the world. More than 1,000 Exhibitors participate, and the show covers more than 1 million square feet of exhibit floor space. The event also features a side-by-side display of nearly every aircraft type in production.

Going forward, the name “Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition” will be used to describe NBAA’s largest annual U.S. event on the Association’s website, in promotional materials for the show and in other references to the event.