The moment is tantalizingly close when the business aviation industry is set to come together for the 2024 NBAA Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition (NBAA-BACE) in Las Vegas, United States.
This is an industry-leading event that will showcase the most thrilling innovators, leading experts, and visionary thinkers, transforming the possibilities in aviation and redefining on-demand air mobility.
Over the course of the three-day industry highlight, over 20,000 like-minded attendees will gather to be wowed by leading-edge aircraft, best-in-class industry products and services, advanced avionics and new engine technologies, all while in the company of passionate industry insiders, key executives, VIPs and prestigious buyers keen to share their experiences and insights.
This year, inspiring disruptors and top experts will take center stage as the leading advanced air mobility vehicles take flight, with a sharp focus on the biggest aviation discussion points currently impacting the business aviation industry.
Held among the bright lights of Las Vegas, the 2024 NBAA Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition (NBAA-BACE) will take place on 22-24 October 2024, in the West Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center and at Henderson Executive Airport.
Why should you attend 2024 NBAA-BACE?
Whether you are a business aviation professional, a new industry disruptor on the scene, a buyer looking for cutting edge technologies, a pilot thirsty for deeper regulation knowledge or just someone passionate about planes, there is something for everyone at NBAA-BACE this year.
NBAA-BACE provides visitors a platform with which to connect with peers, and ultimately the opportunity to interact with thousands of dedicated and visionary individuals and explore the technologies that are driving the excitement, safety and sustainability of aviation.
As well as connecting them through one of the world’s most powerful peer to peer networking and learning platforms for people in the industry, NBAA-BACE places visitors front and center to hear the ideas that are driving aviation forward.
Among this year’s keynote speakers are the Head of the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Michael Whitaker, and renowned Futurist Neil deGrasse Tyson, who has set social media alight with his fascinating insights.
The Emerging Tech Pavilion will give attendees the opportunity to see, touch and feel three of the world’s leading and progressive Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) and electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft that are on the cusp of achieving certification.
There will also be unmissable panel events and educational sessions from industry experts and government leaders, discussing everything and anything from sustainability to safety and more.
And it would not be a business aviation event without some of the industry’s most breathtaking executive jets on site, with outdoor static displays from Airbus, Boeing, Embraer, Textron and Bombardier, including the Global 7500 adorned in the manufacturer’s new livery as launched in 2024.
Exhibition Hall
The exhibition hall floor will be packed with game-changing innovations that are helping to make aviation safer, more sustainable and ever-more accessible to today’s entrepreneurs and trailblazers.
Hundreds of exhibiting companies have already signed up for 2024 NBAA-BACE, including the top manufacturers, plus a variety of businesses taking the leap and joining the event for the very first time.
On average, attendees spend more than 11 hours wandering the walkways of the exhibit hall and 57% of companies at this year’s event have exhibited for over 10 years.
And it’s a truly global phenomenon, with attendees arriving from all 50 US states and international guests from nearly 100 countries.
Emerging Tech Pavilion
The exhibit floor features the Emerging Tech Pavilion, a dedicated area focusing on Advanced Air Mobility and electric flight technologies.
At 2024 NBAA-BACE, attendees will find themselves in the company of three of the most exciting Advanced Air Mobility developers currently working towards the next evolution of flight.
Electra.aero, Joby Aviation and Lilium will all be represented at NBAA-BACE, offering attendees the unique opportunity for a close-up look at three trailblazers rewriting the rules on flight and future travel.
Dan Hubbard, Senior Vice President of Communications at NBAA, said: “These are the leading companies, and I say that because they’re getting beyond just a concept aircraft and testing it. They’re looking at all the final mile questions.”
Lilium
Germany’s Lilium, a leading electric aircraft manufacturer, is currently building a fully electric jet that takes off and lands vertically, can carry six passengers and is designed for regional and intercity distances.
Electra.aero
Virginia-based Electra.aero is leading the way in direct aviation, building hybrid-electric, short takeoff and landing (eSTOL) airplanes that takeoff and land in under 150 feet, and transport up to nine passengers or 2,500 lbs. of cargo on routes up to 500 nm.
Joby Aviation
California-based Joby Aviation is building an all-electric, vertical takeoff and landing aircraft, which it intends to operate as part of a fast, quiet and convenient global passenger service, connecting people around the world.
Keynote Speakers at 2024 NBAA-BACE
Michael Whitaker – FAA Administrator
The FAA Administrator Michael Whitaker is still relatively new to his role, having been appointed in October 2023. However, his short time at the helm of the U.S. aviation industry has been far from leisurely.
Whitaker will give one of the event’s keynote speeches on the opening day in Las Vegas, filled with crucial insights on how current and future regulations will impact on business aviation.
Following the approval of the FAA Reauthorization Act in May 2024, Whitaker has much work to do to implement the bill at the aviation agency. At NBAA-BACE he will speak specifically about what it means for business aviation.
It is a rare opportunity to hear directly from one of the aviation world’s most influential minds and it should be a highly compelling moment with which to kick start NBAA-BACE.
Neil deGrasse Tyson – Award-winning Astrophysicist, Renowned Futurist, Best-Selling Author and Inspiring Speaker
Unless you’ve had your head stuck in the sand for the last 12 months, it would have been almost impossible to have avoided award-winning Astrophysicist and renowned Futurist, Neil deGrasse Tyson.
DeGrasseTyson has lit up social media over the past few years and garnered millions of followers with his remarkable insights about space, time and humanity.
When deGrasse Tyson takes to the stage in Las Vegas to give his keynote address on October 22, 2024, he will undoubtedly be addressing a crowd keen to absorb his thoughts on the future of aviation.
DeGrasse Tyson will be interviewed by a top executive from Advanced Air Mobility aircraft developer Joby Aviation, making for a compelling discussion between two people with their sights set firmly on the future.
DeGrasse Tyson is currently on tour with his new book, ‘To Infinity and Beyond’, speaking to packed audiences wherever he appears, so it should be an honor for attendees to spend time with him on the opening day of NBAA-BACE.
Safety in Focus
Safety will be in focus like never before at the 2024 NBAA-BACE as the issues central to the subject, and those surrounding it, become increasingly prevalent for all those invested in the business aviation industry.
Featured safety events at the 2024 NBAA-BACE include:
- NBAA Single-Pilot Safety Standdown
- NBAA Small Operator Symposium
- NBAA National Safety Forum
These events will highlight pilot mental wellness initiatives, a new FAA mandate for safety management systems (SMS) and key safety provisions of the FAA Reauthorization Bill. They will also detail how recorded flight data and narrative safety reports can be incorporated into your organization’s safety analysis initiatives to mitigate risk, plus other leading safety concerns, and will be led by preeminent experts in their respective fields.
Peer learning sessions will offer information for those operating everything from piston aircraft to large-cabin business jets, and the content developed for the show should be valuable to those flying both domestic and international missions.
As part of the NBAA-BACE LinkedIn Live safety events, attendees will hear invaluable information from industry experts, including:
- NBAA President and CEO Ed Bolen
- Dan Boedigheimer, vice chair, NBAA Safety Committee and CEO of Advanced Aircrew Academy
- Mark Larsen, CAM, NBAA director of safety and flight operations
- Rosa Lee Argotsinger, lead of the Single Pilot Safety Standdown and vice president of flight operations at Textron Aviation
- Gil Lopez, CAM, lead of the National Safety Forum and vice president of operations at Leviate Air Group
Event speaker Paul ‘BJ’ Ransbury, a retired Royal Canadian Air Force Captain, CEO of Air Performance Solutions and NBAA Safety Committee chair, said: “Safety is a core value of the business aviation community, and it will be a centerpiece of the convention. In short, NBAA-BACE will ensure you have what you need to stay proficient, but to level-up your game in safety of flight.”
Key Advancements in Business Aviation Sustainability
NBAA-BACE will shine a spotlight on sustainability, with the most important developments driving business aviation’s push to net-zero carbon emissions being discussed by industry leaders.
Influences in focus include Washington policymakers forming a bipartisan House Aviation Sustainability Caucus, regulators starting to formulate a next generation framework of requirements for sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and the five-year FAA Reauthorization Bill passing.
With the rise in SAF as a viable solution, countering claims that the aviation industry is failing to tackle environmental strains and the evolving world of emission-free Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) technologies, sustainability is now a central topic in aviation.
NBAA-BACE will bring together experts offering guidance for navigating the dizzying pace of change in business aviation sustainability, culminating with a dedicated, two-day Sustainability Summit featuring authoritative sources from all points in the value chain.
Among this year’s speakers are Nancy Bsales, the Chief Operating Officer at 4AIR, and Scott Cutshall, CAM, President of real estate and sustainability at Clay Lacy Aviation.
The convention week also will offer a special opportunity to mark the one-year anniversary of the industry’s CLIMBING. FAST. initiative, which has underscored business aviation’s sustainability leadership with policymakers and opinion leaders in groundbreaking new ways.
“Sustainability is more than just a mere buzzword – it’s central to the future of flight, and it is pivotal for the future of flight,” said Nancy Bsales. “NBAA-BACE will empower participants with insights into game-changing developments in sustainability, and how they tie together for operators and other stakeholders.”
Building Business Aviation’s Future Workforce
NBAA-BACE will also seek to find the solutions to the workforce shortage and recruit the next generation of business aviation team members.
The Collegiate Connect one-day program is free for all registered students, faculty and chaperones, and is designed to help future generations learn about, and get inspired by, business aviation.
A panel discussion will feature young and seasoned management-level professionals sharing their strategies for attracting and retaining top talent in business aviation.
After the panel discussion, students will participate in a lively networking event where they’ll be encouraged to select from one of nine career categories and speak with young professionals currently working in those roles.
Job seekers at all career levels are also invited to attend the Career Fair, where companies and leading industry talent will be able to connect.
The convention will also mark the milestone 10th anniversary of the Young Professionals (YoPro) Council with networking opportunities and education sessions.
YoPro-produced and focused education sessions will tackle work/life balance, finding a career with purpose, unlocking your potential and attracting and retaining the next generation of young professionals in business aviation.
In addition, issue experts and big-picture thinkers will lead more than 50 education sessions, focused on safety, leadership, workforce development, operational excellence and more.
Celebrating the Best of Business Aviation
There will be opportunities at NBAA-BACE to celebrate the very best of business aviation, through the ‘Above and Beyond Award for Heroic Achievement’ and the ‘Meritorious Service to Aviation’ award.
Laurent and Pierre Beaudoin, whose visionary leadership at Bombardier has fostered industry growth and advanced business aviation safety and sustainability, are to receive the ‘Meritorious Service to Aviation Award’.
Meanwhile flight attendant Sydney Bosmans, whose training, quick thinking and professionalism saved the lives of two passengers in the aftermath of a fatal business aircraft accident in Naples, will become the recipient of the ‘Above and Beyond Award for Heroic Achievement’.
Both awards will be presented during the convention, Laurent and Pierre Beaudoin’s at the Opening Keynote Session and Sydney Bosmans’ at a special reception.
Register now for 2024 NBAA-BACE
This year’s NBAA-BACE is preparing to take off in Las Vegas, United States at the Las Vegas Convention Center from 22-24 October 2024. Secure your spot by registering now!