On the last day of Ebace, NBAA signed a five-year agreement with the Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport Co. to work exclusively together on business aviation events at the Chinese airport. This prevents the rival Shanghai International Business Aviation Show (SIBAS) from being held at Shanghai until after 2017, at the earliest. The first SIBAS was held last month at the airport by the Shanghai Association for Science & Technology and Shanghai Society of Aeronautics.

NBAA president and CEO Ed Bolen (middle) signed the deal in Geneva with Shanghai Airport vice president Yuan Shunzhou, with Bolen vowing to make Abace “the world-class show that participants with NBAA events have come to expect.” The Abace show appears to be just the beginning of their relationship–Yuan said that his company “is exploring further cooperation with NBAA, and this might expand beyond the show.”

Bolen and Yuan said Abace is “an Asian show” and will reflect the entire region’s culture, while still conforming to NBAA’s mold that has made Ebace and Labace successful business aviation shows in Europe and Latin America, respectively. NBAA also announced that the dates for Abace 2012 would be moved from next February to March 27 to 29. Shanghai Hawker Pacific Business Aviation Service Centre will host the static display.

“Abace will be to Asia what Ebace is to Europe, a critical show to bring buyers and sellers together,” Bolen said. Abace will become a fundamental event on the business aviation calendar.”