AIR Convention bringing aviation industry giants to the Center of Europe

When looking to discover new ideas, networking or just landing a big business deal, industry conferences seem like the best bet, especially in aviation, where most deals are done face-to-face. That’s where AIR Convention 2018 comes in. The international Aviation Industry Review conference, exhibition and awards, taking place in Vilnius, Lithuania on September 26-27th 2018, is specifically designed to optimize networking opportunities over the two days span.

“We understand that to many guests, the most important part of attending a business conference is networking and solidifying business partnerships. That is why we made sure to provide attendees with spaces to meet and do business in a cozy yet professional environment where they can break the ice and get down to business,” explains Skaiste Knyzaite, General Manager of AIR Convention.

In fact, the whole event is scheduled to have as many networking events as possible – starting with reception cocktail party, Awards gala dinner, networking breaks, various activities including tours around the city, other parties and dedicated spaces for business meetings.

For those looking to not only connect, but be inspired, the conference will offer a wide range of mind-opening talk panels, with topics focused on innovation and industry-leading practice. The event is set to host over 100 speakers in talk panels from companies like Air Asia, American Airlines, Flydubai, IATA and even the acclaimed Living Legend of Aviation − Steven F. Udvar-Hazy.

“Even though we are taking extra care to maximize networking possibilities for our guests, it is the quality of the event that is going to bring the best companies to AIR 2018. And with 4 months to go, the conference and exhibition are shaping up to be enormous. For now, our estimates show that AIR will welcome over 1000 attendees – a truly notable number for a conference, especially in the Baltics region,” shares the General Manager.

Sure, the location of the event might appear unusual at the first glance. However, the city, which is quickly becoming Europe’s technology hub, represents the core values of AIR Convention 2018: innovation, progressive thinking and new technology in aviation. 

Vilnius was ranked one of the top three cities of the future by Financial Times, while Lithuania now ranks eighth of 25 European states in economic freedom. The Word Bank places it 21st of 191 countries worldwide in doing business, and the World Economic Forum ranks Lithuania 35th globally in its Global Competitiveness Report.

Besides, “Lithuania is right at the sweet spot of two major continents – Europe and Asia. While it is a member of the European Union, the country’s location also makes it easily accessible to Asian countries in terms of traveling. This is a great advantage when trying to bring together companies from different regions, and part of the reason the event is going to be massive,” adds S. Knyzaite.

Indeed, the location of Vilnius seems to have been the right choice. With the attendee list comprised of companies like Airbus, Lufthansa, Etihad, Aeroflot, IndiGo, Delta Airlines, Bombardier and dozens of others, the conference is gearing up to be a truly significant event. With not only covering relevant issues in aviation, but focusing on the networking aspects of industry events, AIR 2018 already seems to deliver the promise of Vilnius becoming the center of aviation.