AOPA Sponsors MODAERO 2016

CONROE, TX, December 14, 2015 – The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) has reached an agreement with NextGen Aero, Inc. for Anchor Sponsorship of the Inaugural MODAERO NextGen Aviation Festival to be held March 16-19, 2016 at the Conroe – North Houston Regional Airport in Conroe, Texas.

“MODAERO was created to meet the untapped demand for an aviation event featuring the topics, interests and culture unique to Millennials,” said Brian Columbus, Founder of NextGen Aero, Inc., producer of the event. “This demographic, despite being the most thriving in the industry, is lacking a real-world venue to celebrate their own version of aviation culture and community,” said Columbus. “We have seen an explosion in GA’s online and social media spheres, but there has been no purpose-built events targeting this growth demographic. We believe this level of community participation is the key to growing the aviation population again.”

AOPA Senior Vice President & Chief Marketing Officer Jiri Marousek was an early-adopter of MODAERO’s engagement strategy. “The AOPA team is looking forward to supporting MODAERO on launching this new event concept that brings a new perspective and focus,” said Marousek. “”We are looking forward to seeing this Millennial-centered, high-energy event concept come to life for this critical part of the aviation community.”

Although terms of the sponsorship were not disclosed, MODAERO is cognizant of the value-add created by establishing a strategic partnership with the world’s largest aviation association. “Having the support of AOPA for marketing, planning and programming is invaluable to us. We couldn’t ask for a better strategic sponsor for our Inaugural Event,” said Columbus.

ShareAviation.com Co-Founder Jason Stewart said, “Over the past several months, the event team has reached out to a number of companies and organizations that understand the dire importance of engaging the growth demographic in aviation. Millennials are the vital base of today’s aviation market as they represent 78% of all new pilots. AOPA has been ahead of the pack in acknowledging the importance of that mission and their support of MODAERO exemplifies that.”

MODAERO has steadily garnered sponsorship support from aviation’s leading companies and organizations. Current sponsors include AOPA, ExpressJet Airlines, AvWeb, National Association of Flight Instructors, BoldMethod, ShareAviation, Spartan College and others. For sponsorship opportunities, please contact Ron Kaplan via email at [email protected].

ABOUT MODAERO

• Mission Statement: “To engage, educate and empower the growth segment of the aviation population.”
• Target demographic: Aspiring and active pilots, mechanics and engineers ages 16-39
• Millennial Pilot Market Share: 238,000 Pilots (40% of Total), 94,000 Student Pilots (78%), 51,000 Commercial Pilots (43%) and 34,000 Instructors (34%)
• Attendance/Participation: 5,000 Daily Attendees, 800 Fly-In Aircraft, 300 Exhibition Aircraft, 300+ Companies in Exhibition
• Organizer: NextGen Aero Incorporated, a non-profit Texas corporation
• MODAERO Management: Team: Group of young aviation executives led by Brian Columbus, Publisher of Atlantic Flyer Newspaper & Jason Stewart, Founder of com (AOPA Partner)
• Contact Info: Brian Columbus, 844-MOD-AERO, www.modaero.net

ABOUT AOPA

Since 1939, AOPA has protected the freedom to fly for thousands of pilots, aircraft owners and aviation enthusiasts. AOPA is the world’s largest aviation member association, with representatives based in Frederick, Md., Washington, D.C., Wichita, Kans., and seven regions across the United States. AOPA provides member services that range from advocacy at the federal, state, and local levels to legal services, flight planning products, safety programs and award-winning media. To learn more, visit www.aopa.org