The 63rd edition of the National Business Aviation Association Convention & Exhibition exceeded the expectations of attendees and exhibitors alike, registering 24,206 attendees for the three-day event–an increase of more than 5 percent over attendance last year. And in marked contrast to the gloom that pervaded last year’s show, optimism prevailed, as did announcements of new aircraft, engine and avionics programs, orders for jets and turboprops and certification of Embraer’s new Legacy 650 large-cabin jet.
On the first day alone, 23,033 visitors passed through the gates, surpassing the total for all three days at NBAA 2009. At the end of the second day, that number climbed to 23,831. This prompted Mike Turner, director of marketing at StandardAero, to note, “Our floor was busy all day and busier than any previous NBAA Convention I have attended [12 of them, to be exact].” And he added that the StandardAero sales force, based on past experience, expects to be generating business from this show “through 2010 and well into 2011.”
