With its origin as a last-minute happy hour gathering at NBAA-BACE in 2018 by a group of flight attendants, the Flight Crew Mix and Mingle has evolved into a social and networking event and will return to the show after a Covid-induced hiatus. According to organizers Young Park and Christina Depew, this year’s event—to be held in Orlando, Florida, on the evening of Tuesday, October 18—will be double in size compared to the first formal event held in Las Vegas in 2019. That gathering was a success with approximately 100 attendees.

Though the event’s creators hoped to build on that momentum at the 2020 business aviation convention, Covid and the cancellation of that year's show, put those plans on hold while engendering other effects.

"The pandemic drastically changed the trend of the corporate flight attendant business," noted Park, who is a veteran flight attendant as well as a catering business owner. The number of aspiring corporate flight attendants grew exponentially, creating the demand for additional training focused on viral health. “While the world was locked down, many new and aspiring flight attendants sought individual mentorships and professional guidance from experienced flight attendants.”

Park told AIN that this year’s event will focus on connecting mentors to new flight attendants. Organizers have invited lead flight attendants and department leaders from various Part 91 operations and aircraft management companies in an opportunity for them to interact with attendees and scout new talent. For established flight attendants it represents a chance to reconnect with the community for professional development.

“This year, as the industry trends back towards normalcy, we feel 2022 is an excellent time to host Flight Crew Mix and Mingle to reignite the flame and reconnect,” Park stated. Free registration opened on September 18 for the event, which is receiving strong multinational industry sponsorship from companies and organizations such as NBAA, AvJet Asia, BE Princess, Created to Cater, Davinci Training institution, the European Catering Association, First Chime Chef Privé, Inflight Crew Connections, Manny's Catering, Primadonna, Sliver Lining Inflight Catering, VVIP International, and Big Chef.

AIN Products

SUBSCRIPTIONS

RESOURCES

ABOUT AIN