FREDERICK, MD – The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) has decided to suspend holding its annual Aviation Summit in favor of reaching more members “where they fly.” The AOPA Aviation Summit in Fort Worth, Texas, October 10 – 12, 2013, will be held, but convention plans for 2014 have been cancelled.
While the AOPA Aviation Summit, previously called AOPA Expo and before that named Plantation Party, was a very good way for AOPA to meet with members and engage with valued industry partners, it no longer made sense for the organization and its members to invest in a single large event. AOPA plans to redirect the time and resources previously spent on the Summit to meeting members at community airports and hosting more grassroots events.
“One of my biggest priorities is to meet members in venues that truly spark their passion. I want our members to make a personal connection with AOPA, and that is best achieved by meeting them where they fly,” says Mark Baker, AOPA’s new president and CEO. “We now have a wonderful opening to visit general aviation airports and engage pilots in a much bigger way that is also more affordable and accessible for members.”
In 2014, AOPA will host a series of enhanced pilot town halls and fly-ins. These Saturday events will give members the chance to share in a discussion with Mark Baker and other AOPA leaders, partake in an educational forum, and enjoy a burger or a hotdog on AOPA, in celebration of AOPA’s 75th anniversary in 2014.
More details about next year’s pilot town halls and fly-ins, as well as activities around AOPA’s 75th anniversary year, will be released as they become available.
Learn more about AOPA Aviation Summit in Fort Worth: http://www.aopa.org/summit/
