“Both the postponement of the 54th Annual Meeting and Convention and its re-scheduling for December were in response to the needs of our members,” Jack Olcott, NBAA president, told AIN. “It became apparent the day after the terrorist attacks on New York and Washington that the full magnitude of these tragic events on September 11 were yet to sink in, but as our nation’s transportation system reacted with heightened security, it made sense that making the resources of our members available to emergency agencies would be a top priority. In addition, everyone we consulted with was concerned that movement of personnel to New Orleans would be extremely difficult, if not impossible. So the board made the decision to postpone the annual meeting and convention, announcing this decision at 4 p.m. on September 12.”
Eight days later, on September 20, the board held another conference call concerning the question of rescheduling the convention. “Again, the board made its decision in response to the needs of our members,” Olcott said. “The need has never been greater than it is today for our community to come together and share its ideas and concerns; to talk about our emotions regarding September 11. The focus of the convention will be on information relevant to today’s needs.” Many dates and cities were considered, but New Orleans on December 12, 13 and 14 was selected.
