Trade Shows & Conferences
The organizers behind the industry's calendar — NBAA-BACE and the regional forums, NATA's Aviation Business Conference, AirVenture, SUN 'n FUN and the specialist shows. Editions appear on the Calendar; profiles carry the evergreen facts.
The FBO industry's year runs on a handful of anchor events. NBAA-BACE, each October, is business aviation's main convention and exhibition, and NBAA's Schedulers & Dispatchers and Maintenance conferences and regional forums (100 to 150-plus exhibits each) reach the same buyers in smaller rooms. The National Air Transportation Association, the FBO operators' own trade association, runs the Aviation Business Conference each fall and the FBO Success & Management Seminar, and sells sponsorships rather than exhibit space. For the general aviation retail side, EAA AirVenture Oshkosh in late July (about 10,000 airplanes and more than 500,000 people by EAA's count), SUN 'n FUN in April at Lakeland (500-plus exhibitors) and AOPA's fly-ins put a vendor in front of owner-pilots and the FBOs that serve them.
Around them sit the specialist shows: the Aircraft Electronics Association convention for avionics shops, the International GSE Expo for ramp equipment, the American Association of Airport Executives and the Florida Airports Council for airport managers, Vertical Aviation International for helicopter operators, Women in Aviation International's conference and career fair, and the safety events — Flight Safety Foundation's Business Aviation Safety Summit and the Air Charter Safety Foundation's symposium, which names FBOs in its audience. For deals and market data there are Corporate Jet Investor's conferences and the JETNET iQ Summit; Aviation Week runs the MRO and media side, and MEBAA and LABACE are the Middle East and Latin American shows.
Edition dates, venues and deadlines live on the Aviation Calendar, which is updated monthly from each organizer's own pages; the profiles here carry the evergreen facts — who runs the event, when it usually happens, who attends and how exhibitors book. Every fact comes from the organizer's own site on the date shown on its listing.
Air Charter Safety Foundation
UnclaimedThe Air Charter Safety Foundation, a Washington, DC nonprofit founded in 2008, promotes safety in business, charter and fractional aviation and hosts an annual two-day Safety Symposium at Embry-Riddle in Daytona Beach for operators, MROs and FBOs.
Aircraft Electronics Association
UnclaimedThe Aircraft Electronics Association, founded in 1957 and based in Lee's Summit, Missouri, is an avionics trade association of nearly 1,300 member companies in more than 40 countries that runs an annual convention and trade show and six regional meetings.
The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, incorporated in 1939 and based in Frederick, Maryland, serves pilots and aircraft owners and sells exhibit space at its fly-ins, including the Buckeye Air Fair in Arizona, and at SUN 'n FUN and AirVenture.
The largest professional organization for airport employees; Accredited Airport Executive (A.A.E.) program, training, advocacy, and the Annual Conference & Exposition plus specialty symposia (planning/design/construction, winter operations, operations & technology).
Aviation Week Network
UnclaimedInforma Markets' aviation media and events group — Aviation Week & Space Technology, Business & Commercial Aviation, Air Transport World, the AC-U-KWIK airport/FBO directory, and events including MRO Americas.
Corporate Jet Investor
UnclaimedCorporate Jet Investor, launched in 2010 and part of Specialist Insight, publishes business jet news and the CJIQ magazine and runs deal-focused conferences in Miami, London, Dubai, Singapore, São Paulo and other regions.
Experimental Aircraft Association
UnclaimedThe Experimental Aircraft Association, founded in 1953 and based in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, produces EAA AirVenture Oshkosh, a July fly-in and exhibitor show that EAA says draws roughly 10,000 airplanes and more than 500,000 people.
Flight Safety Foundation
UnclaimedIndependent, non-profit aviation safety organization; organizes the Business Aviation Safety Summit (BASS) with NBAA and NATA, plus the International Aviation Safety Summit, BARS and SKYbrary.
Florida Airports Council
UnclaimedFlorida's airport association — all 21 commercial-service airports, 70+ GA airports and 300+ corporate members; Annual Conference & Exposition (July), Education & Training Summit (May) and the Tallahassee State Fly-In (February).
International GSE Expo
UnclaimedThe world's largest dedicated ground support equipment trade show, produced by Endeavor Business Media and presented with IAEMA and Aviation Pros at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, New Orleans.
JETNET iQ Summit
UnclaimedJETNET, a business aviation data company based in Utica, New York, hosts the annual JETNET iQ Summit, a two-day September forum of panels on market data and outlook for OEMs, operators, financiers and policymakers.
Latin America's largest business aviation show, organized by ABAG (Associação Brasileira de Aviação Geral) at Campo de Marte Airport, São Paulo, since 2003.
Regional business aviation association; the MEBAA Show (organized with Informa Markets at DWC, Dubai Airshow Site) reports 10,000 visitors, 165+ exhibiting brands and 30+ aircraft on display.
The National Air Transportation Association, formed in 1940 and based in Washington, DC, represents nearly 3,700 general aviation service companies and runs the Aviation Business Conference, FBO Success seminars and Safety 1st training.
The National Business Aviation Association, founded in 1947 and based in Washington, DC, represents about 11,000 member companies and produces NBAA-BACE each October along with the Schedulers & Dispatchers and Maintenance conferences and regional forums.
SUN 'n FUN
UnclaimedSUN 'n FUN Aerospace Expo is a nonprofit fly-in and trade show held each April at Lakeland Linder International Airport in Florida, with more than 500 aviation exhibitors and more than 200,000 guests, run by SUN 'n FUN Fly-In, Inc. since 1974.
Vertical Aviation International
UnclaimedMembership association for the vertical aviation industry (formerly Helicopter Association International); organizes VERTICON, the annual rotorcraft trade show, plus air-tour and aerial-work safety conferences.
Women in Aviation International
UnclaimedNonprofit with 20,000+ members and chapters worldwide; the annual WAI Conference is one of the industry's largest career fairs and exhibit halls, plus scholarships, Girls in Aviation Day and Jobs Connect.
Events & dates for trade shows & conferences
See all on the calendar →Questions about trade shows & conferences
- Which trade shows matter most for FBO operators?
- NBAA-BACE (October) is the largest gathering of business aviation operators, OEMs and vendors, and NBAA's regional forums bring the same audience to Florida, Texas and the New York area. The NATA Aviation Business Conference, held each fall, and NATA's FBO Success & Management Seminar are built specifically for FBO owners and managers. FBOs serving piston and owner-flown traffic also exhibit or sponsor at EAA AirVenture, SUN 'n FUN and AOPA fly-ins.
- How does a vendor exhibit at NBAA-BACE?
- NBAA offers exhibiting as a member benefit and encourages vendors and suppliers to join. Space applications, pricing, exhibitor rules and priority placement deadlines are posted for each event on NBAA's exhibitor pages, and exhibitor questions go to exhibits@nbaa.org. NBAA does not publish a total attendee or exhibitor count for BACE.
- What is the biggest general aviation show in the US?
- EAA AirVenture Oshkosh, held in late July in Oshkosh, Wisconsin; EAA's own pages put it at roughly 10,000 airplanes and more than 500,000 people. SUN 'n FUN Aerospace Expo in Lakeland, Florida, each April, reports more than 500 exhibitors and more than 200,000 guests. Both accept exhibitors through applications on their own sites.
- Does NATA run an exhibit hall?
- Its sponsorship page describes sponsorship packages — attendee-list access, speaking opportunities and logo placement — rather than exhibit space, and NATA does not publish attendance figures. Its events include the Aviation Business Conference, the FBO Success & Management Seminar, line service manager and FBO professional certification workshops, and the Ground Handling Safety Symposium.
- Which events focus on business aviation safety?
- Flight Safety Foundation runs the Business Aviation Safety Summit, and the Air Charter Safety Foundation holds an annual two-day Safety Symposium at Embry-Riddle in Daytona Beach for business, charter and fractional operators, MROs and FBOs. NATA's Ground Handling Safety Symposium covers the ramp.
- Where are the dates for upcoming shows?
- On the Ramp Register's Aviation Calendar, filtered by month, state or category. Each edition links back to its organizer's profile here, and dates are marked confirmed only when they come from the organizer's own site.
- Are there business aviation shows outside the US?
- MEBAA runs the MEBAA Show in Dubai for the Middle East and North Africa, LABACE in São Paulo is Latin America's largest business aviation show, and Corporate Jet Investor holds conferences in London, Dubai, Singapore and São Paulo as well as Miami.
Belong on this page?
If your company serves the industry in trade shows & conferences, add it to the Register free. Listings are reviewed by a person and checked against a live site.