The BA-MEETUP is a must-attend educational and network development conference for business aviation professionals.
This is the only conference to bring all of the key links in the business aviation sector together under one roof -
Schedulers, Dispatchers, Route Planners, Pilots, Operators, 3rd Crew Members, FBOs, Business Airports and other Service Providers.
The focus is on interchange, interaction and participation, rather than on listening to speakers' past experiences.
The result is a proactive platform upon which successful networking can be built, the perfect place for face-to-face
business discussions and comprehensive sector-specific services.
This a conference organized by the business aviation industry for the business aviation industry.
Developed in close consultation with senior executives and educators working in the sector, the event is designed to optimize the
exchange of information, expertise and experiences, and to facilitate targeted networking.
BA-Meetup, more than any other in the conference calendar, brings the right people together
from the different disciplines of business aviation and stimulate interaction across the sector.
Attending a conference must be justifiable. It must bring clear benefits and the cost of attending must be reasonable.
London was selected because it can be reached from vitually anywhere in the world at reasonable flight fares. It is important that the
hotel rates are reasonable considering that attendees are spending very little time in their rooms other than for getting a good rest.
Who will be attending the BA-Meetup in London?
A capture of the BA-Meetup's website visitors map on a random day,reflects the geographical interest.
Intentionally different
"...the concept of a somewhat different conference, in which the interaction and mutual exchange had a
particularly high value, was very well received by the participants..."
"...the intensive discussions and debates led to occasional slides in the schedules.
But since the conference was supposed to be slightly different, according to the intentions of the organizers
it was actually not an issue that irritated the participants. Rather, it was widely perceived as pleasant that
more time was made available for a topic that was well liked by the audience."
Attire
BA-Meetup is a dress-down conference! Business-casual dress is recommended for all sessions. Comfortably dressed attendees are happier.
The sessions are about work and training. Having a relaxed environment encourages to think and communicate more openly.
This type of wardrobe will convey that you are approachable and friendly. One can still
look confident and sharp in business casual apparel. Adhering to a business casual dress code means looking professional
and put together, yet comfortable at the same time.
Khakis with a long-sleeved shirt are popular, a tie isn't necessary. A turtle neck and sport coat combine well.
An ascot instead of a tie would also do well. Smart casual is the preferred code of dress in academic circles,
especially for events which involve speaking in front of an audience. Convey a certain level of informality while
still commanding a certain degree of authority and respect. No matter how you are dressed the greatest asset and
the most important detail of the appearance is a smile!
To enable a high level of interaction some sessions may have a limited number of particpants.
Targetting Change, Progress and Innovation.
"A conference would be just another conference if it isn't unique The BA-Meetup does have a different concept
of conferencing than the usual meetings.
It will stand out simply because it will feature what others don't or can't. It will have its own character and charisma.
It will combine innovation with pragmatism. It will be an event to find solutions. We will even find solutions
for problems that don't exist yet. Strange? No! We can foresee what issues we will be confronted in the future.
It is better to be pro-active and be prepared."
"Especially now that we are in a time of change where the stimulants or turn-ons to fly private seem to be missing,
we have to create and offer turn-ons! Flying smarter and operating smarter will be the motto
of a new era of business aviation"
"In business aviation development, I deal with a wide scope of issues. I need to interact with schedulers
and dispatchers to create awareness or to find out about the reasons why one or the other airport or FBO is preferred.
Or was it the pilot who made the decision? How can I help the operators to find potential clients who may want to
use a charter? I interact with regional agencies that are looking for new investors; in my view every passenger who
arrives on a private or business jet is a potential investor in the region."
"Improvements and new ideas are not necessarily found in the boardroom. I aim to gather people from different backgrounds for this conference and make sure that it each gets the most out
of it by being able to talk to new people and hearing different views. The focus is on interaction, open exchange of
opinions, and networking and finding new ways of cooperation or new services in business aviation."
Cdr. Bud Slabbaert BA-Meetup Conference Chairman
"I have attended several vertical-community aviation gatherings in the USA and thought, why can't we have something like this
in Europe for both Europe and the Middle-East? It is expensive for European companies to have their aviation
professionals travel several times per year to America for their business aviation information and networking.
Initiating the BA-Meetup was just a logical step. In the meantime it has proven that coming from overseas to the BA-Meetup
is already loved."
