Richard Mumford brings BACA’s expertise to ACE17 collaboration

Networking and fundraising for 2017

For this first column of the year for Charter Broker magazine I am looking ahead at what we have planned for 2017 – a busy 12 months for the air charter association.

BACA has a long and fine tradition of networking events, and our two lunches each spring and autumn present a fantastic opportunity for our members to get together and share ideas and thoughts in an informal setting. We have long believed that our members would value a more formal event, at which we could offer conference and exhibition facilities focussed on the serious business of air charter.

I am therefore delighted to have announced our collaboration with ACE17 to develop this event for the benefit of our members and for the charter market generally. The BACA council is working hard to deliver some real and tangible value at the event, including a senior discussion forum about BACA and about the market generally; a conference with sessions targeted at providing senior management guidance in the market.

It is therefore a great opportunity for our members to meet and engage with each other at the highest level, and for those members to interact with each other in the exhibition space and static display to talk about their respective businesses.

However, the event will also provide an opportunity for brokers to learn and to gain experience. We will have conference sessions delivering training to more junior brokers, and the event will provide a unique opportunity for brokers to meet with operators and to see the aircraft all in one place in the UK. Our aim is to provide a really interactive experience that those brokers can take back into their roles in the office.

I will no doubt be able to share more of the details about this event over the next few months. On a separate note, we have appointed a new charity for this year. RedR trains humanitarian aid workers all over the world to provide immediate relief in places of natural disaster, conflict or human struggles. We very much look forward to working with RedR to raise funds and to help raise awareness of their valuable work throughout the year.

Finally, we continue to receive reports of attempted cyber crime in the market and I want to remind everyone to remain vigilant.

I shall look forward to seeing our members and their esteemed guests at our spring luncheon on 26 April, and also at both our shared stand with Argus at EBACE and our drinks event, which is back at Mr Pickwick's Pub in Geneva from 6-8pm on the Monday night. We plan to host some outstanding events this year and any companies that wish to show their support will be very welcome.

Richard Mumford, chairman, BACA