NBAA returns to Las Vegas for the second consecutive year under a four-year plan to anchor its hallmark event, BACE, at the entertainment mecca. Many of the expected features return, from the static display to expansive and creative exhibits, to a slate of high-level speakers accompanying myriad education sessions, and to the all-important chance for the industry to reconnect face-to-face and build on long-standing relationships and form new ones.

Yet all of this is occurring in an environment of change, both for the industry and the association.

The association announced plans in 2022 to trial a single location for the event that draws well more than 20,000 and at times has topped 30,000. Thus, NBAA-BACE will remain in the location at least through 2026.

The winnowing down to the single location had actually occurred over years for the event that requires adequate hotel space, an accessible alternative airport capable of housing more than 80 business aircraft on static display, and a convention center that can provide 1 million sq ft or more to accommodate the vast displays.

Having rotated between cities such as Dallas, New Orleans, and Atlanta, the event had narrowed to two locations: Orlando and Las Vegas. NBAA president and CEO Ed Bolen has remained positive about Orlando, telling AIN, “We love Orlando; we love everywhere we’ve been.”

But Las Vegas has always drawn well, and association executives pointed to the international nature of the city as a place that tends to attract high-net-worth individuals.  “Every time we have done a show in Las Vegas, there's always a lot of enthusiasm about all the entertainment options, the food, the excitement, the quality of the hotels,” Bolen said. “Obviously, the city has always been a great business-friendly place. There's a good reason Las Vegas is the number one convention spot in the U.S.”

And importantly for the vendors, it provides a base where they can store their displays without the expense of rotating locations. “We work hard to communicate with our exhibitors, our attendees, and our advisory council. There’s a multiple of factors we look into across the board, and we’re excited to be in Las Vegas on a multi-year program,” Bolen added.

Only two years in, the association is not confirming whether this will be permanent. “We’re constantly evaluating everything we do,” Bolen said. “Everything we do is forward-looking.” But for now, indicators appear to favor Las Vegas.

The success of BACE takes a more central role since it has become NBAA’s lone major convention and exhibition. NBAA in August parted ways with the European Business Aviation Association on the European Business Aviation Convention and Exhibition (EBACE). The associations announced that EBAA was buying out NBAA’s stake in the annual event in Geneva.

They have remained quiet on the reasons. In a joint statement on the move, Bolen said: “NBAA and EBAA enjoy a very strong relationship, forged over decades of working together to promote business aviation in Europe, the United States, and around the world. We look forward to continuing that relationship as we work together in all aspects of business aviation, including safety, sustainability, innovation, workforce development, and security.”

The move to part ways on the Geneva-based convention follows a change at EBAA, which came under new leadership at the beginning of the year with Holger Krahmer taking over as secretary-general.

NBAA had been a longtime partner with EBAA on the event launched in 2001. Its decision to pull out followed the quiet tabling of the Asian Business Aviation Conference and Exhibition, which disappeared during Covid, and NBAA had stepped back from the Latin American Business Aviation Conference and Exhibition in 2007 after Associação Brasileira de Aviação Geral (ABAG) had expressed a desire to take a lead on the Sao Paulo-based show.

This does not leave NBAA solely with BACE; the Washington-based association has a full plate of events that are more targeted either by region or niche, most of which are growing. Its regional forums in Palm Beach, Florida, and White Plains, New York—as well as its Schedulers & Dispatchers Conference (which rotates locations)—each attracts thousands, for instance. Each forum serves as a mini-BACE but with a regional flavor, complete with a static display, stands, and topical sessions.

In fact, the association has lined up seven events outside of BACE already for 2025: Winter Regional Forum, NBAA Leadership Conference, International Operators Conference, Schedulers & Dispatchers Conference, Maintenance Conference, Business Aviation Taxes Seminar, and its White Plains Regional Forum.

The growth of these events, both in number and attendance, also is part of a larger trend of a growing number of events across multiple industries as the rebound from Covid is encouraging face-to-face gatherings.

However, along with that growth come constraints: the cost of events is going up and labor is tightening in the events industry with demands outpacing other sectors. This is putting a constraint on major events with attendees—and exhibitors—having to choose between these varieties of shows.

NBAA felt this last year with Gulfstream's decision not to exhibit at BACE. “Gulfstream consistently reviews and evaluates our marketing investments to ensure we are delivering on our mission—to create and deliver the world’s finest aviation experience for our customers," Gulfstream had said in a statement to AIN. "Over the past few years, Gulfstream has successfully created private events and experiences that have exceeded our customers’ expectations while delivering on our business objectives. We will continue to evaluate opportunities and invest in those that best support this mission.”

That sentiment resurfaced again at EBACE, when both Gulfstream and its competitor to the North, Bombardier, opted out of the Geneva event. The Canadian manufacturer had told AIN of EBACE that it was “exploring various regional marketing concepts as part of our broader business plan.”

As such, Gulfstream and Bombardier, along with other OEMs, could be found at aviation shows that were not traditional business aviation events—such as the Singapore Airshow and the Dubai Airshow—as they looked to build up their special missions businesses.  Gulfstream exhibited at Aero Friedrichshafen in Germany. While considered a general aviation show along the likes of AirVenture in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, and Sun ’N’ Fun in Lakeland, Florida, Aero Friedrichshafen also provides a gateway to the Central Europe market. Bombardier, meanwhile, eyed the Latin American market at the Catarina Aviation Show as it looked to expand its reach to a growing clientele.

Bombardier does return to BACE this year, but company executives would not expand on future plans. However, Gulfstream is out once again and Dassault has decided against exhibiting, believed to be assessing a model where it attends every other year instead. And, in a decision leading up to this year's event, Textron Aviation decided against participating, a move that occurred amidst a strike involving some 5,000 of its workers.

Textron Aviation had released a statement that it “continues its focus on designing and delivering the best aviation experience for our customers as we maintain our business operations during this time. With that, Textron Aviation and TRU Simulation, a Textron Aviation affiliated company, will not participate as exhibitors at the 2024 [NBAA-BACE].”

The company added that it appreciates its longstanding involvement in industry events and looks “forward to future opportunities to showcase our industry-leading products.”

NBAA responded to the news: "We at NBAA appreciate our partnership with Textron Aviation, as NBAA event exhibitors and key collaborators on the industry's highest priorities, including aviation safety, sustainability, and workforce development. We have been informed by company leadership that their focus on business operations will preclude their participation in NBAA-BACE this year. We respect their decision and look forward to welcoming their return to future NBAA events." 

In his submission to business aircraft marketplace AvBuyer’s September publication, aviation analyst Brian Foley underscored the importance of these decisions, pointing out that the revenue brought in by the association’s events has declined from 63% of In all of its revenues in 2019, roughly equating to $34 million, to 56% of all its revenue in 2023, equating to $28 million.

In his article, “Just When the Industry Needs Them Most,” Foley noted that NBAA has been creative in raising revenues through other sources. Pointing to emerging threats such as business aircraft audits and potential tax increases, he stressed, “The industry arguably needs NBAA advocacy more than ever but with rumors of even more anchor OEMS completely pulling out of NBAA-BACE, this is a time when NBAA needs continued industry support.”

He added that business aviation advocacy groups around the world have faced similar challenges with fewer exhibitors, possibly undermining some of their abilities to put on a show. “While the associations have been gradually adapting to these challenges, they still need continued support from their constituents to effectively lobby on their behalf.”

“I think that we have all been intrigued to see and hear about successes organizations are having hosting smaller, more intimate events with their business aviation customers, where the quality of the interaction (people, products, and services) is the focus,” noted Rolland Vincent, president of Rolland Vincent Associates. He suggested aircraft backlogs of 18 to 24 months may also play into the OEMs' evaluations of the events, particularly given the costs, and said, “I think time away from the office to attend these events has become an even more significant challenge than before.”

For NBAA, some of this may be cyclical. The OEMs over the years have continued to alter their footprints, opting at one show only to have a static display with a token customer support booth inside and then at the next show to have a full spread inside the convention floor.

Bolen acknowledged the constant need to evolve as the shows have evolved. “Everything in life is things change. How are we going to react and work to address that change?” He pointed to security as an example of how things change. “We’ve hosted NBAA at different places at different times,” with concerns ranging from hurricanes and viruses to the more recent protestors. NBAA has adjusted with different protocols, some seen and others unseen, along with information sessions to educate attendees.

On the exhibitor front, the association has leaned into the emerging market of eVTOLs and urban air mobility. At last year’s show, outside the convention hall were the prominent displays of a bright yellow, four-seat autonomous Wisk Generation 6 eVTOL and the VoltAero Cassio. This niche is enjoying a rapidly growing presence at NBAA-BACE, and this year’s emerging tech pavilion is expected to feature some of the other prominent players in the still-nascent market, including Electra, Lilium, and Joby.

“We're really focused on some of the great opportunities that are presented in terms of what's going on in our industry and focusing on those innovations that are moving you from drawing boards into commercialization,” he said and continued that focus also is on “the opportunities that are presented with FAA reauthorization, but also the opportunities that are presented when we see change in our government. Clearly, we're in an election year, and that's got a lot of attention. So, it'll be a great opportunity to talk about how our industry is climbing fast.”

He added with his usual optimism: “Every event is new. Every year is different. One of the things that NBAA is always committed to is having events that are fresh, experiential, and of the moment to allow attendees to engage with each other and with the issues,” Bolen said. “We’ve had different speakers on different issues, keynotes on the floor, off the floor, ways to get to the aircraft display, sustainable fuels innovation… Everything is celebrated: Is it relevant? Is it inspiring? That’s what we are constantly looking for—meaningful dialogue and an opportunity to move our industry forward. How we do it is through the years, we adapt to change. Every year...we are looking for ways to bring our industry together.”

Thus, in an evolving world of events, it appears all eyes are turned to Vegas for NBAA. “The good news is we have found a terrific partner in Las Vegas to make sure we have every opportunity to have a safe, successful, and secure show,” Bolen said.