Following NBAA’s sale of its stake in the European Business Aviation Convention and Exhibition (EBACE) earlier this year to its partner European Business Aviation Association (EBAA), the annual show will still take place in its usual timeframe next year, according to EBAA chief operating officer Robert Baltus.

Speaking to AIN on the eve of NBAA-BACE in Las Vegas, Baltus confirmed that the next EBACE event will take place May 20 to 22 at the Palexpo convention center in Geneva, Switzerland.

“The show will be close to what the show was last year,” Baltus said. “We are starting the process of reaching out to all the different stakeholders, the exhibitors, the attendees, and also our membership to find out what we expect from the show, what do we want, where do we want to go with the show. So we are doing a full 360, and we’ll try to adjust the show as much as we can.”

With EBACE now only seven months away, Baltus expects more noticeable changes could come in the 2026 and 2027 editions. “But as many things as we can do, we will do in 2025,” he said, noting those changes could come in the form of the show layout with specific areas for specific audiences.

EBACE launched in 2001, and with the exception of the Covid years in 2020 and 2021, the show has been staged every year. With more than two decades of co-proprietorship between NBAA and EBAA, Baltus explained that it was more work than expected to unwind the show.

“It was NBAA and EBAA’s baby, and the role of the NBAA has been huge in the whole thing,” he explained, adding that the relationship between the two organizations is excellent. “EBAA is immensely grateful for the NBAA and all they have done. We couldn’t have grown the organization and the show as much without their help.”

The trend of major airframers questioning the need to attend major trade shows is also a factor in future planning. “Shows used to be the only place where you would go, [but] nowadays all the OEMs have their own [demonstration] fleet and they tend to go out and show the fleet to potential customers,” he stated. “That was a big change in the industry.”

“At the same time, there’s only one show, once a year where all the OEMs, all the operators, all the suppliers can get together. If it’s all small shows, nobody wins because this is the one place where all the industry can get together and have a united front with a united message.”

In 2023, the show was disrupted when a group of protestors stormed the static display at Geneva Airport, knocking down a section of fence to run onto the tarmac and handcuff themselves to business jets, causing damages to the aircraft in the process.

“This has been hugely embarrassing to Geneva,” explained Baltus, adding that the city went out of its way this year to bolster airport security to prevent a repeat. In the face of such protests, Baltus added that it is imperative to educate people on how the industry is working to reduce its environmental impact. “That’s what the wider world needs to know, and the show is a great platform for that,” he said.

When asked about the prospects of the show moving from its long-time host city of Geneva, the EBAA executive was quick to point out the venue’s advantages. “There’s no other location where you have the airport and that much exhibit space next to one another, it’s a great city with five-star hotels,” he said. “If you have customers coming in, that’s what you need.”

Five years ago, EBAA did a study to identify alternative locations and found very few that would meet the criteria of satisfying the exhibitors, the attendees, and the organizers, Baltus said. “We’re not married to any concept or location, the most important thing is those three parties feel it’s worthwhile.”