NBAA announces record-breaking attendance at SDC2026

NBAA announced on Thursday that the 2026 Schedulers andamp; Dispatchers Conference had a record-breaking 3,500 attendees. SDC2026 was held at the Huntington Convention Center in Cleveland and had a sold-out exhibit floor. This is the first time the conference has been held in Cleveland. More than 440 companies attended to showcase products and services to attendees from 55 different countries over two days. "The year's conference was yet another record-breaking event, but it was about much more than a set of numbers," said NBAA President and CEO Ed Bolen. "This conference uniquely brings together a group of professionals who fundamentally understand that we are all better - as individuals, and as an industry - when we can come together to share our passion, our knowledge and our sense of possibility about the future. That collective optimism and excitement also reached a high point at this year's conference." On opening day, a delegation of association staff and industry leaders met with representatives from Ohio's congressional offices at the Burke Lakefront Airport (BKL) to emphasize the importance of general aviation in connecting citizens, companies and communities. A key theme of SDC2026 was progress happens when people adapt, rethink and innovate. The show's sessions started with the standing-room-only keynote featuring Flexjet Chairman Kenneth "Kenn" Ricci. He shared his story on building the fractional business jet fleet as part of the show's theme. Over two dozen education sessions covered topics such as operations, technology, leadership and safety. RELATED STORIES: NBAA holds CLIMBING. FAST. Fly-In to discuss goal of net-zero carbon emissions NBAA plans to bring BACE to New Orleans in 2028 IATA releases 2025 Annual Safety Report on aircraft accidents The 2026 NBAA Schedulers andamp; Dispatchers Outstanding Achievement and Leadership Award was presented to Holly Whitaker, Exclusive Air founder and president. The NBAA states that the award is for those who have shared their expertise, provided extraordinary service, exhibited leadership and made significant contributions to the scheduling and dispatching function. Additionally, more than $40,000 was awarded in monetary scholarships, along with 16 training scholarships supporting 23 recipients. "Through a tireless partnership between NBAA, the volunteers of the Sandamp;D Committee, and our dedicated exhibitor and sponsor partners, we built an experience in Cleveland that saw record-breaking energy," said Jo Damato, CAM and NBAA senior vice president of events and professional engagement. "Watching SDC evolve from its early roots into this massive, multi-activation hub of action is a testament to our schedulers and dispatchers being the heartbeat of business aviation."