NBAA president and CEO Ed Bolen said the association’s 62nd Annual Meeting & Convention–to be held October 20 to 22 in Orlando, Fla.–will be a strong show, “despite stiff economic headwinds.” According to Bolen, “We are currently tracking at about 80 percent of where we were at this point last year, which is outstanding since last year’s show set all-time records for the number of exhibitors and booth sales.” NBAA is aggressively reaching out to attract existing operators and first-time customers to the meeting, he said. While “a couple” of OEMs planned to limit their participation in this year’s show, Bolen said every major manufacturer will be displaying new airplanes and conducting maintenance and operations sessions. AIN has confirmed that Cessna will have only a static display at this year’s show, eschewing its usual booth at the convention hall. NBAA has also frozen exhibitor and attendee rates at the same level as last year to help ensure a strong showing during these challenging economic times. “Even in tough times–maybe especially in tough times–NBAA’s Convention will remain a critical event for promoting a positive image of business aviation, conveying valuable operational information” and providing a marketing forum for companies, said Bolen.