Meridian Exhibits at NBAA Convention in Orlando

Teterboro, NJ – Last week, amid a hurricane and temporary flight restrictions in the local area, the NBAA held its 65th Annual Meeting & Convention (NBAA2012), which is considered by most to be the flagship event in the business aviation industry. The trade show was held in Orlando, Florida at the Orange County Convention Center from Tuesday, October 30 through Thursday, November 1. The annual convention was recently ranked #5 among all US trade shows.
Meridian participated in the event with a large 20’ x 20’ exhibitor booth. With a reduced staff due to Hurricane Sandy, five Meridian associates were able to get down to Orlando and represent the various business units of the company, including Air Charter, Aircraft Management, FBO, and Aircraft Maintenance.
“Despite some significant challenges this year, we were glad to be in Orlando representing Meridian at our industry’s biggest event. The hurricane hit Teterboro Airport and surrounding area very hard, but we wanted to let people know that we are still here and open for business. Overall, this year’s show was very productive for us, but more importantly, we were very appreciative of the concern expressed by industry colleagues and friends, who came by our booth to ask how our company was doing during the storm”, according to Kirk Stephen, Marketing Manager.
National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) President and CEO Ed Bolen said, “Attendees and Exhibitors at this year’s show have told us that it was a very strong event, despite its timing alongside Hurricane Sandy’s landfall on the East Coast, and a temporary flight restriction for the Orlando area late on Sunday evening and Monday morning before the show. We’re delighted that, especially given those challenges, Convention participants reported strong traffic on the exhibit floor and at the aircraft static displays, along with a high level of enthusiasm among Attendees.”
Some highlights include:
• The show closed with 25,150 people in attendance, a number comparable to the final Attendee total of 26,077 for the 2011 Convention, and to the final Attendee total of 24,206 for the 2012 event.
• The number of Exhibitors at the Orange County Convention Center was 1,073; booth spaces totaled 4,361, an increase over last year’s booth-space total.
• A total of 105 aircraft were shown on two separate static displays, and an additional four aircraft were shown inside the convention center.
• The show drew Attendees from all 50 U.S. states and 87 countries.