NBAA Moves 2005 Annual Meeting To Orlando

The National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) announced earlier this month its 58th Annual Meeting & Convention will move from New Orleans, La., to Orlando, Fla. The announcement came in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Additionally, the dates for this year’s convention have changed; it will take place from Wednesday, Nov. 9 through Friday, Nov. 11, a week earlier than originally planned and on different days than the normal Tuesday-through-Thursday. The Orlando Orange County Convention Center and nearby Orlando Executive Airport in Orlando, Fla., are the new venues. Importantly, the Orlando location is the correct one, not Las Vegas, as USA Today recently printed. According to NBAA, neither the location nor the date cited in the newspaper’s article is correct. “Although we deeply regret having to leave New Orleans, we think that Orlando presents a very good opportunity for our Members and Exhibitors,” said NBAA President and CEO Ed Bolen. NBAA also said it had secured a “strong hotel package,” including nearly all of the major hotels in the Orlando area. Bolen expressed confidence that NBAA could meet the significant logistical hurdles and other challenges involved in relocating the convention on such short notice. “Obviously, there are significant issues to address as we work through the process of moving the show. We know that the business aviation community understands this, but in the end, we will meet the challenges and produce a world-class event that makes our members proud,” Bolen said. The association said it continues to facilitate efforts by the nation’s business aviation community to provide resources to relief and recovery efforts in the Gulf Coast region on its Web site.