Billing the event as a mini version of its annual show, NBAA brought 73 vendors to DuPage Airport on June 24 to present to Chicagoland a range of business aircraft and a host of service vendors and forums. More than 1,100 people attended to walk through and ogle the 31 aircraft on static display at the airport, which is located 25 miles west of downtown Chicago. Somewhat ironically, Boeing did not participate in the show, despite the fact that the company’s new headquarters is also in downtown Chicago. (Airbus also did not show an ACJ.)
Despite an early-afternoon downpour that threatened to put a damper on the proceedings and exposed some of the logistical difficulties of holding an event in locations more than a short sprint from each other on an airport, the association viewed the event a success. Overall, the results of a quick AIN survey of a dozen vendors showed that most believed the show was something they needed to be a part of, although most were unsure of the actual return on their investment for attending the event.
