On March 14, 2019, Meridian sent a team of three to the NBAA Regional Forum, held at William P. Hobby International Airport (HOU) in Houston, TX. The company was well-represented with people from various departments, including Customer Service, Charter Sales, and Marketing. The sold-out forum was a major success, buzzing with over 1,800 attendees, over 160 exhibitors, and a dynamic static display featuring 21 aircraft, one mock-up, and three ground vehicles.
Aside from the business aspect of the forum, many representatives from the state of Texas, including Gov. Greg Abbott arrived at the hangar to highlight the positive impact that business aviation has for the local economy and disaster relief efforts for the whole of Texas. NBAA President and CEO Ed Bolen, commented that “In Houston as elsewhere, business aviation is about jobs, and it’s about lending a helping hand in times of crisis.”
Local college and high school students were invited to attend special classes geared towards young professionals and those looking to enter the industry. One student said, “I’ve really enjoyed getting to meet with so many business aviation professionals today; I want to be a pilot and it’s been great to be able to talk to people with real-world experience about what to expect in this line of work and how I can be prepared for my career.”
Meridian was proud to participate at this event in this important market for business aviation. Our representatives had the opportunity to network with industry colleagues, meet with new prospects and customers, and showcase our services while at the show. The next Regional Forum will be held at Westchester County Airport (HPN) in White Plains, NY, on Thursday, June 6. We hope to see you there!
Tag: trade show
Last week, Meridian was well-represented at the 2016 Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition (NBAA-BACE) in Orlando, FL. Meridian, headquartered at Teterboro Airport (TEB), was proud to participate in the largest business aviation event of the year by sending a team of 13 associates to represent the company at its 400 sq. ft. exhibit to welcome customers, prospects, visitors, and friends. NBAA-BACE is held annually by the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA). NBAA’s 2016 convention took place from Nov. 1-3 at the Orange County Convention Center, and at Orlando Executive Airport (ORL).
This year’s convention was particularly important for the NJ-based aviation company because it recently opened a new FBO and hangar on the West Coast. The company took the opportunity of being in front of industry peers to announce that Meridian Hayward is now open for business at Hayward Executive Airport (HWD) in Hayward, CA. In addition to press coverage in the convention dailies and print advertisements in major industry publications, the company also held an exciting and well-attended raffle at its booth to help generate the buzz behind Hayward. In addition, Meridian HWD t-shirts were given out to 150 lucky recipients.
The new facility features the services and amenities that discerning passengers and flight crews should expect to find when traveling through a Meridian FBO, including professionally-trained customer service and line service teams, an elegant main lobby, business center, conference room, pilot briefing area, pilot lounge, coffee bar, kitchen/catering area, sleep room, shower and locker room, rental cars, and crew cars.
EPIC Fuels, a leading fuel supplier in the general and commercial aviation industries, is the branded fuel supplier for Meridian Hayward. The company offers the highest quality jet and avgas, and the EPIC card is proudly accepted at this location.
A great location for business and charter aircraft, Meridian Hayward is located at an airport with no curfew and, like Teterboro, is a General Aviation-specific airport, with no commercial airline traffic. This initial opening features a newly constructed 6,300 square foot terminal with support offices, a 30,000 square foot hanger and 3.5 acres of ramp area.
Additional phases of construction are planned, and will include a second 12,000 square foot terminal, two 40,000 square foot hangers and an additional seven acres of ramp space. The facility will serve as a West Coast base for Meridian Air Charter and Meridian Aircraft Management. Aircraft maintenance support is also available.
While the FBO is now officially operational, Meridian Hayward will be celebrating its Grand Opening on December 15, 2016.
Ken Forester, CEO, was at the event and had this to say, “We are extremely pleased to be able to announce the opening of our new FBO, Meridian Hayward, at this year’s NBAA Convention. We are now pumping fuel and ready to serve our customers at Hayward Executive Airport. Our team is excited to share this news with our aviation partners and friends in the industry, and we hope they will help us to spread the word that we have a new location in the San Francisco Bay area. The genesis of this project began four years ago, and now it’s no longer a vision, but a reality. Hayward is the keystone of our long-term growth strategy, which also includes a new hangar project happening in Teterboro, and the continued expansion of our charter fleet.”
NBAA’s Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition is the country’s sixth-largest trade show, and the largest in the world focused on business aviation. Next year’s convention will be held at the Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas, NV, from October 10-12, 2017.
Last week, Meridian sent a team of eight down to West Palm Beach International Airport (PBI) to represent the company at the first NBAA Regional Forum of 2016. Although the weather was a bit challenging with heavy rains throughout the South Florida region, the business aviation community was undaunted, and showed up in numbers to the event on Thursday, Jan. 28, as more than 2,200 people turned out for the event. With 120 exhibitors and 25 aircraft on static display, the event set an attendance record for NBAA’s South Florida forums.
Florida state Sen. Maria Sachs who represents the Palm Beach area, welcomed attendees to her state, noting it’s first in the country for aircraft manufacturing – and officials plan to work hard to stay on top through tax and other initiatives.
NBAA President and CEO Ed Bolen agreed, “Florida is a great place for business aviation,” adding that the industry “has a bright future in this country and around the world.” However, he said, business aviation is facing an attack from those in Congress looking to create a privatized ATC system, funded by user fees, as part of the debate underway in Washington over reauthorization of the Federal Aviation Administration. Such proposals, Bolen noted, could severely limit business aircraft operators’ access to airports and airspace.
Many airlines, Bolen explained, want a system governed by a private entity, rather than the federal government, and that won’t work for business aviation. “This is a fundamentally flawed concept,” he said.
“It’s an effort by airlines to gain control and operate [the ATC system] for their benefit,” Bolen said, noting that the vast majority of airports in this county are not served by airlines. It’s business aviation, he said, that provides access to small communities around the country, and is responsible for more than 1.1 million jobs in the U.S.
Bolen urged attendees to contact lawmakers using NBAA’s online Contact Congress tool, and make their voices heard on the issue. “We’ve got to make our voice heard, let’s do that today,” he said. “Our concern is this can move forward so fast, it could be over before you see the details.” View NBAA’s online Contact Congress resource.
Many exhibitors praised the regional forum as an essential event for meeting new and current customers.
“It’s very helpful for us to have a presence here, said Corey Hanlon, marketing and community relations coordinator for New Jersey’s Morristown Airport. “It’s important to let people know that in the New York/New Jersey area there are several [airport] alternatives.”
Ivette Pla, director at Jetex in Miami, FL, agreed. “The regional shows are important because the regional flight departments don’t make it to the bigger shows.”
“It’s been very good, there’s a large amount of traffic from a lot of the operators I deal with,” said Brian Sprecher, Southeast regional sales manager with Constant Aviation. “At these shows I can see 30 operators in a day. I can have a lot of face time with a lot of operators in a short amount of time.”
The importance of NBAA regional forums also extends to the future of the industry, with students from nearby Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (ERAU) and elsewhere coming to talk with attendees and exhibitors and learn what business aviation may offer them in terms of career options.
Also, at PBI, ERAU graduate Shaeta Waiz, a pilot, debuted the Beechcraft Bonanza airplane she will be piloting in her attempt to become the youngest woman to fly solo around the world. Waiz’s journey kicks off June 2 from Daytona Beach, FL, and the planned 90-day trek is slated to include 35 stops on five continents, with events on each designed to empower young women to pursue STEM (science, technology engineering and math) education and “soar.”
“It’s an opportunity for young women to come together and share their successes,” said Waiz, who was born in a refugee camp in Afghanistan. “I want this to shed hope and give others some inspiration.”
The other NBAA regional forums for 2016 will be held June 9 in Van Nuys, CA, and Sept. 15 in White Plains, NY.
Meridian, the award-winning private aviation company based at Teterboro Airport (TEB), proudly exhibited at the NBAA Regional Forum held last Thursday, June 26, 2014, at the Van Nuys Airport (VNY) in Van Nuys, CA. The company was well-represented with a team of five, who were there to network and meet with West Coast customers and friends, both old and new. Meridian was able to attract a good crowd at its booth throughout the morning because they were showing the World Cup soccer game that featured the United States vs Germany. While the outcome of the game was not favorable for US soccer fans, the outcome of the show was quite favorable for exhibitors and attendees alike!
NBAA’s Business Aviation Regional Forums are designed to meet the local needs of aviation businesses by providing a venue for exchanging information about specific airport policies, environmental protocols, safety and security proposals, taxation and other issues. At the same time, these events offer an opportunity to underscore the importance of the industry to local leaders in business and government.
NBAA hosts several regional forums each year, bringing together local owners, operators, manufacturers, customers and other industry personnel. The next regional forum will be held on Thursday, September 18, 2014, at Dallas Love Field in Dallas, TX.