NAAA Insights

Precautions Being Taken but All Systems Still a Go for NAAA Fall Board Meeting and December Ag Aviation Expo

National Agricultural Aviation Association

The October NAAA and NAAREF Board Meetings and December Ag Aviation Expo are scheduled to take place in person. NAAA is working on plans to help with social distancing and safety, while at the same time accomplishing important business and enjoying each other’s camaraderie at its upcoming board meeting and Ag Aviation Expo. NAAA is working with the cities of Knoxville and Savannah and its contracted facilities to understand their steps for additional disinfecting/ sanitizing during our events.

October NAAA & NAAREF Board Meetings

The NAAA and NAAREF fall board meetings will take place at the Crowne Plaza Knoxville in Knoxville, Tennessee, Oct. 8–10. As of August, the state of Tennessee was allowing meetings of more than 50 attendees, if meeting space allows for attendees to maintain 6 feet of distance between themselves.

December 2020 Ag Aviation Expo

The 2020 Ag Aviation Expo will take place in person in Savannah, Georgia, Dec. 7–10. While some additional procedures will be in place for this year’s convention, attendees can expect the same high-quality, substantive and entertaining Ag Aviation Expo as always.

The state of Georgia is currently allowing meetings of more than 250 attendees if meeting space allows for attendees to maintain 6 feet of distance between themselves. More information about NAAA’s procedures for a healthy and safe Ag Aviation Expo are available farther down in this article.

NAAA is pleased to announce a few of the exciting events scheduled for the 2020 Ag Aviation Expo.

Kickoff Breakfast Speaker: NAAA is honored to welcome James Bradley, the author of The New York Times bestselling books “Flags of Our Fathers” and “Flyboys: A True Story of Courage,” as our Kickoff Breakfast speaker Monday, Dec. 7, at the Westin Savannah Harbor. Get a ticket early, as the Kickoff Breakfast is bound to sell out.

General Session – Medical, Legal and Food Trends Affecting Ag Aviation: This session will feature substantive presentations about legal, medical and food trends occurring in the ag aviation industry nationally and how that might affect you and your business. Starting the session off will be aviation attorney John Wright. He will discuss a legal case he tried in Colorado between an aggressive state government agency and reputable, professional aerial applicators. Following rudimentary procedures resulted in a victory for our industry. Wright also provides complimentary legal services for NAAA. Next on the dais will be Dr. Stan Musick, aviator and AME, who will address numerous medical topics, including over-the-counter drugs’ potency, fatigue and how to be granted a medical special issuance. Finally, Agri Marketing magazine publisher Lynn Henderson will discuss fairly radical changes in consumer food trends and how that may affect the aerial application industry.

NAAA Trade Show: The NAAA Trade Show is the Ag Aviation Expo’s premier event and for good reason. Nearly 75% of respondents consistently identify the NAAA Trade Show as their favorite program. Already more than 100 companies have purchased booth space and 11 aircraft are slated to be on display at this year’s NAAA Trade Show. Whatever your agricultural aviation business needs are, there is likely to be an exhibitor at the NAAA Trade Show that can fulfill them.

Education Sessions and CEUs: Earn potential CEUs at the Aerial Application Technology Research Session and more than a dozen educational sessions at the 2020 NAAA Expo.

2020 NAAA Awards: The Excellence in Ag Aviation Banquet will honor individuals and companies in the aerial application industry.

2020 Ag Aviation Expo at a Glance

Dates: Dec. 7–10, 2020

Location: Savannah Convention Center. Some events will also take place at the Westin, which is located right next to the convention center.

Schedule of Events: Visit AgAviation. org/schedule for the schedule of events.

Hotel: See hotel details below.

Attendee Registration: Now open at AgAviation.org/conventionregistration. (Special pricing is available to ag pilot with less than five years of experience and people interested in becoming an ag pilot.)

Exhibitor Booth Sales: Now open at AgAviation.org/exhibitors.

Auction Donations: Thank you to Pratt & Whitney Canada for donating a PT6-34AG engine to this year’s NAAA Live Auction. Support the aerial application industry by donating an auction item today. The earlier you inform NAAA of your auction donation, the more advertising you will receive on NAAA’s website and in its publications. Visit AgAviation.org/auctions to view the full list of auction items or to donate an item or service to the auction.

Book Your NAAA Expo Hotel Room

The 2020 NAAA hotel room block is coordinated through Visit Savannah, which is the Savannah Area Convention & Visitors Bureau housing office. Please do not call the hotels directly; follow the instructions below to book your room. Rooms are available at the Westin Savannah Harbor next door to the convention center and at the Hyatt Regency Savannah and Savannah Marriott Riverfront hotels across the river from the convention center and Westin. (Transportation is provided between the convention center and cityside hotels.) All room blocks close Nov. 13 at 5 p.m. ET.

• Westin Savannah Harbor: $150/night plus taxes. Please be aware that per the Westin’s cancellation policy, for each reservation canceled after Oct. 30, a nonrefundable one-night room rate, plus tax, will be charged to the credit card on file. Guests who check out early (before the reserved checkout date) will be assessed one full night’s room charge plus taxes.

• Hyatt Regency Savannah: $148/ night plus taxes.

• Savannah Marriott Riverfront: $142/night plus taxes.

Book your room at AgAviation. org/hotel, call the housing bureau at (912) 644-6465 (reservations are taken 9 a.m.–5 p.m. ET) or email reservations@visitsavannah.com. If you have challenges reserving in the NAAA room block, please email reservations@ visitsavannah.com or NAAA’s Lindsay Barber with your arrival and departure dates at naaaexpo@agaviation.org.

Procedures for a Healthy & Safe Ag Aviation Expo

The well-being of attendees and exhibitors has always been an underlying objective of the Ag Aviation Expo but having clear health and safety protocols takes on heightened importance in the age of COVID-19. NAAA is diligently working on plans to help with social distancing throughout its convention because it is required by the state of Georgia and the city of Savannah to proceed with the Ag Aviation Expo.

A few of the procedures NAAA is considering implementing include:

• Creating 6 feet of space between people in the registration line. Staff will be wearing masks at the registration desk and will wipe down the desk in between each person. To reduce the amount of on-site registration, NAAA strongly encourages attendees to register online or over the phone this year. Attendee registration is open at AgAviation.org/ conventionregistration.

• In lieu of handshakes, foot bumps or elbow bumps are encouraged.

• Creating a physical distancing flow on the trade show floor with arrows and distance marker stickers.

• Depending on the availability of products, NAAA will have PPE stations on the floor and in the registration area that will house hand sanitizer, hand gloves and face masks.

• In the meeting rooms, some chairs will be placed closer together for people who have traveled together. Other chairs will be distanced farther apart for attendees who want to socially distance.

• Implementing changes with the food and beverages at NAAA’s receptions, banquets and coffee breaks so that multiple people are not touching banquet station handles.

Furthermore, attendees are encouraged to travel with and wear face masks and to take liberal advantage of hand sanitizer. Most airlines are requiring face masks on flights. As of this writing, Savannah is requiring face masks in public as well.

While not everyone may agree with these precautions, NAAA has a responsibility to you, the facilities and the city of Savannah to show what policies it has in place to make sure risks are mitigated as much as possible from the spread of COVID-19. The association also owes it to its staff, attendees, exhibitors and the citizens of Savannah to do what it can to promote a healthy and safe annual convention.

See you in Savannah!