The National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) plans to kick off its inaugural Virtual Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition (VBACE) with critically acclaimed singer/songwriter Dierks Bentley. VBACE, a fully immersive convention experience, will take place 2-3 December 2020.

“No one will want to miss this one-of-a-kind kickoff to VBACE,” says NBAA president and CEO Ed Bolen, noting that Bentley's keynote will characterise the overall event, which has a single aim: to bring people together in an industry that thrives on connection. The keynote session will feature a conversation between Bolen and Bentley, along with audience questions and perhaps a song or two.

A certificated pilot, Bentley first spoke about the importance of utilising business aircraft in his life and career to a packed audience at NBAA-BACE 2015 in Las Vegas, Nevada. His energetic presentation, in which he described flying to concerts and then quickly returning home to his family, brought the crowd to its feet.

Bentley continues to be a dominant voice in country music with over 6.4 billion streams. He co-wrote 10 of 13 tracks on The Mountain, which earned him the highest debut sales of his career and became his seventh chart-topping album. Bentley has amassed countless nominations from the ACMs, CMAs, Billboard Music Awards and more, while also earning 14 Grammy nominations. He recently celebrated his 15-year anniversary as a member of the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville.

NBAA thanked sponsor Textron Aviation for supporting the VBACE kickoff with Bentley, noting the performer has had a storied relationship with the company. “Dierks Bentley has been a friend of the Textron Aviation family for many years,” explains Rob Scholl, senior VP of sales and flight operations. “We are privileged to develop lasting relationships with our customers, and our relationship with Dierks is no exception. Being a pilot himself, his incredible passion for aviation made him the perfect keynote for the first-ever VBACE conference.”

“Clearly, VBACE will uniquely offer the speakers, new products, professional development content and other features that will bring the industry together, so we can move not just online, but ahead,” adds Chris Strong, NBAA senior VP of conventions and membership. “In a year unlike any other, we want to provide opportunities to connect, so we can work with each other and chart a course for the future. Dierks is the perfect person to get us started on the event's two days.”