Barry Valentine, Senior Advisor to The Wicks Group PLLC, participated last week in the European Business Aviation Convention and Exhibition (EBACE) in Geneva, Switzerland. EBACE, an annual convention for the European business aviation community, featured more than 450 exhibitors and over 12,000 attendees this year.
Mr. Valentine, who has attended EBACE every year since its inauguration 16 years ago, met with business aviation industry interests to discuss the expansion of opportunities for business aircraft. A former FAA Administrator (Acting), Mr. Valentine has extensive experience expanding access for business aircraft at international airports and developing regulatory structures for private business aircraft in foreign countries.
The EBACE conference is jointly hosted by the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) and the European Business Aviation Association (EBAA). The event, held at the Palexpo Convention Center adjacent to the Geneva Airport, allows for attendees to walk alongside over 60 business aircraft on showcase to the aviation community.
“The location of EBACE at the Palexpo and the Geneva Airport offers a comprehensive viewing experience to its attendees, as the static display of airplanes is located just outside the exhibit hall,” noted Mr. Valentine.
The EBACE 2016 opening ceremony included keynotes by Dr. Bernard Kouchner, the co-founder of Doctors Without Borders and former French Minister of Foreign & European Affairs; Patrick Ky, Executive Director of the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA); and Bassim Haidar, CEO and Chairman of Channel IT Group. The three speakers opened the conference by highlighting the importance of business aviation to the economy and society at large. Dr. Kouchner stated that without the emergence of business aviation, Doctors Without Borders could not have grown into a world-renowned humanitarian organization with global reach.
Each year, EBACE attracts business leaders, government officials, manufacturers, flight department personnel, and entities that are involved in every aspect of business aviation. The Wicks Group has extensive experience serving the business aviation sector, including the range of corporate, charter, and private operators of business aircraft, as well as foreign government agencies interested in developing the business aviation sector in their country.
TWG services regularly provided to business aviation operators include strategic planning and financial analysis; assessment, review, and valuation of business aviation companies involved in potential mergers and acquisitions; recommendations on aircraft ownership and operating structures; and recommendations on aircraft acquisition, financing, leasing, and aircraft completions.
The Wicks Group is a multi-disciplinary legal and consulting firm that provides specialized services to clients with aviation and transportation-related interests world-wide. TWG advises countries across the globe on achieving their civil aviation development objectives, whether achieving compliance with standards of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) or establishing international best practices to foster economic growth.
For more information on EBACE 2016 and TWG’s participation in the conference, please contact Mr. Valentine at bvalentine@wicks-group.com.