The National Business Aviation Association\u2019s (NBAA\u2019s) 31st\nSchedulers & Dispatchers Conference (SDC2020) concluded March 12 with\npositive marks among exhibitors and attendees for the show\u2019s timely content,\nnew products and features and quality attendees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The event \u2013 ranked among the top 10 editions of SDC, as\nmeasured by participation from exhibitors and the 2,500 registered attendees \u2013\nkicked off by putting front and center a pressing challenge confronting\nbusiness aviation: the spread of the coronavirus, or COVID-19, a particular\nconcern for a highly mobile industry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the opening keynote address, Dr. Clayton Cowl, chair,\npreventive, occupational and aerospace medicine with the Mayo Clinic, provided\nan update on the rapidly evolving situation, along with practical tips for\nreducing community transmission of the virus. Don Chupp, president and CEO with\nglobal emergency-response firm Fireside Partners, offered advice regarding\ncommunications and business planning in light of the situation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The opening keynote concluded with an inspiring presentation\nfrom Warren Macdonald, Australian environmentalist, adaptive mountain climber\nand bilateral above-the-knee amputee, who shared life-changing lessons learned\nafter surviving a traumatic climbing accident.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Once the event got underway, attendees were on hand for\neducation sessions covering a host of timely topics, including integration of\nunmanned aircraft systems into flight departments, combating cybersecurity\nthreats, and the latest considerations for operations in areas ranging from\nAmerica\u2019s Eastern seaboard to Eastern Europe and Asia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
More than 90% of confirmed exhibitors were on hand, eager to\nshare their perspectives. \u201cWe\u2019ve got fixed-base operators from all over the\ncountry here exhibiting with us,\u201d said Meghan Allen, associate brand director\nwith SDC exhibitor Phillips 66 Aviation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve always loved coming to schedulers \u2013 it\u2019s by far the\nbest conference [NBAA] puts on,\u201d said Matt Lawrence, COO with exhibitor Fortis\nRiders. \u201cSometimes the only time we get that face-to-face interaction with\nthose dispatchers \u2013 who are the real decision makers \u2013 is right here at\nSchedulers & Dispatchers,\u201d said Roger Woolsey, CEO with exhibitor Million\nAir.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Bringing added energy to the show were first-time features,\nincluding an inaugural SDC New Products Showcase, which introduced 13 products\nand services new to the business aviation marketplace. \u201cThe showcase was very\nwell received,\u201d noted Tyler Austin, NBAA senior manager of certification. \u201cIt\nnot only offered these new entrants an opportunity to build relationships with\ncustomers; it underscored the innovative spirit characteristic of business\naviation.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
With a nod toward the industry\u2019s future, a group of SDC\nparticipants gathered before show-start at Charlotte Douglas International\nAirport with 45 students from Phillip O. Berry Academy of Technology, a local\nSTEM high school, where industry professionals offered the students a\nfirst-hand look at the career possibilities available in business aviation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
SDC participants also displayed their pay-it-forward spirit,\ngathering more than 1,000 pieces of professional business attire for local\ncharities Dress for Success-Charlotte and Suit Up Charlotte.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Despite the event\u2019s momentum, organizers concluded the full\nSDC program one day early, when the exhibit floor closed on Thursday, March 12.<\/p>\n\n\n\n