Paragon Aviation Group successfully hosted its 2025 Leadership Conference on 11-13 November at Henriksen Jet Center in Austin, Texas, marking the first time the Austin Executive airport facility has served as the host for this flagship event and bringing together executives, general managers and owners from Paragon Network FBOs.

“This year’s Leadership Conference set a new benchmark for excellence,” says PAG president Crystal Kubeczka. “The engagement, innovation and camaraderie across our network were truly inspiring. We are profoundly grateful to Henriksen Jet Center for hosting such attention to detail and hospitality. Its commitment to elevating the customer experience continues to raise the bar for the entire industry.”

The conference kicked off with the Texas Hoedown Welcome Reception, generously sponsored by World Fuel Services, Executive Flight Training and O’Neills, and supported by partners Hangar Coffee Roasters, Torn Ranch, Reata Jet and Cirrus Aircraft.

Educational sessions featured insights from leading industry partners such as Polaris Aero (Salvador Pettit, sales manager Latin America and US Southeast), AirPlx (Greg Lamp, co-founder and CTO), X-1FBO (Jim Wiley, CEO) and AIN Media Group (Ruben Kempeneer, president), covering trends in business aviation, technology integration and operational best practices.

For the first time, the conference introduced the FBO One Minute Challenge, in which each Paragon FBO delivered a concise, high-energy presentation highlighting what makes their location unique. This addition encouraged creativity, pride and healthy competition, while reinforcing the collaborative spirit of the network.

Attendees also participated in an interactive trivia session, testing knowledge gained throughout the event, followed by the Big Idea competition, where FBO services manager Jeremy Sobolik was recognised for his innovative Replit-powered dashboard app concept, aimed at improving operational efficiency across Paragon locations.

Henriksen Jet Center received resounding praise from attendees for its hospitality and attention to detail, culminating in a standing ovation during the closing session. Additionally, Ysabella Tetley, director of airport and client services, was honoured as the Most Valuable Person (MVP) of the conference for her dedication, leadership and contributions to the network.

“Hosting Paragon’s Leadership Conference for the first time was an incredible honour for the entire Henriksen team,” says executive director Andrew D Perry. “Welcoming professionals who share our passion for aviation and service excellence has made this a powerful and memorable experience. We are proud to support the Paragon Network and look forward to continued collaboration.”

Paragon Aviation Group also expressed deep appreciation to all event sponsors whose support was critical to the conference’s success. Gold sponsors included AirPlx, O'Neills and Polaris Aero; Silver sponsors included Global Ground Support, Centrex and RealClean; and additional contributions came from FlightBridge, All Luxury Worldwide, Go Rentals and welcome reception partners.