NBAA's Schedulers & Dispatchers event continues growth at 30th anniversary

摘要

In 1987, corporate flight department members Robert Weinwurzel and Fred Towers had the brainstorm to develop a group within NBAA that dealt primarily with the needs of the flight scheduler and dispatcher community. The pair repeatedly pitched the idea to the organization, which eventually ran with it and elevated it to full committee status. The first Schedulers & Dispatchers Conference (SDC), which attracted less than 100 attendees and a handful of exhibitors to a hotel in Montvale, New Jersey, took place in 1989. Fast forward three decades to San Antonio, Texas, where SDC 2019 celebrated the show's 30th anniversary in January. In that span, it has grown, tallying a record nearly 3,000 attendees this year, drawing guests from all 50 states and more than 40 countries, from as far away as China. Those few initial exhibitors likewise expanded to more than 580 booths on the show floor at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center, also a record. "It's truly amazing to see what this conference has accomplished and the progress it's made," said Kindra Mahler, conference co-chair and sales and marketing manager at Fargo Jet Center, at the opening general session. "I can't wait to see what's in store for the future, and I hope industry members like yourselves will continue to support this effort, volunteer and foster the growth of this conference."