Why I’m looking forward to EBACE 2015
Like many in our industry, next week I’ll be heading to Geneva for EBACE (European Business Aviation Conference & Exhibition).
It’s always a major highlight of the industry calendar for me. A chance to meet face-to-face with many of our aircraft operator suppliers, manufacturers and other service providers. And there are always some in-depth discussions about the direction of business aviation in Europe. Not to mention the real stars of the show…the aircraft themselves. The static display gives a chance to get up close and personal with a huge range of aircraft, and offers the chance to see some brand new aircraft (and early stage concepts) for the first time.
This is what I am looking forward to this year at EBACE:
Representing our customers
I’ll be discussing with our key aircraft operator suppliers how they can enhance the service we offer our clients – whilst keeping the price of booking with PrivateFly the lowest on the market. This isn’t a case of asking for them to reduce their profitability: PrivateFly can help them to work more efficiently, at lower operational cost. So it’s a win win for everyone.
Flying the flag for tech in bizav booking
PrivateFly has led the charter industry for the past 7 years in tech developments. Often this involves bringing traditional companies into our online world from their offline past. In the early days this was like pulling teeth, but happily every year at EBACE, I am approached by more and more new suppliers and software companies, wanting to discuss working with PrivateFly. We have created a wave of online enthusiasm and my role at EBACE is to keep this rolling forward.
New aircraft announcements
EBACE is the time of the year when the manufacturers unveil and update their new aircraft plans. It is probably one of the most enjoyable aspects of my role as both CEO and pilot, to look at this new machine and try to judge: Will it be a success? Or, like many projects, not quite make it to the runway?
Team work
Our industry is very much about people and we don’t forget that at PrivateFly – despite our tech focus. The rest of the team will be out in force at EBACE to strengthen the great partnerships and friendships we have in the sector – and also to enjoy a close up look at the static display of course. Our Flight Team amaze me with their encyclopedic aircraft knowledge already. But it’s a great boost to their training to be able to step inside different configurations, of different aircraft types. So they can add this experience their advice to customers.
And no doubt the Flight Team cameras will be out in force. I’m looking forward to seeing the results, particularly from Alex Peake, our resident aviation photographer. See some of Alex’s previous private jet photography.
Fun
During my 10 years of flying in the RAF I learned that work should be fun. And having a good time only enhances a team’s performance and helps relationships with suppliers. So EBACE for me is about working and playing hard. That said, I will still force myself out of bed at 5.30am to go for a run each morning in Geneva. The early morning is the best time to run in a city. The traffic is calmer and with few pedestrians the city is your own for a precious period.
Look out for our updates from our team at EBACE 2015 on the blog next week. If you’re attending this year yourself and want to meet up with any of our team, contact us or call +44 1747 642 777
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