Beginning next year, the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) and the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) will each host Light Business Aircraft Conferences as part of their annual conventions.

“NBAA and AOPA have a long history of working together,” said NBAA President and CEO Ed Bolen. “This new collaborative effort to address the needs of a vital sector of the industry – the small businesses which use aviation – will enhance the value of each organization to our members and can help businesses that do not yet take advantage of business aviation understand why it would be in their interest to do so.”

Because the AOPA Aviation Summit and NBAA’s Annual Meeting and Convention are often on opposite sides of the country, the jointly hosted Light Business Aircraft Conferences will be able to reach more pilots each year, association officials said. They will feature education sessions, as well as an aircraft display featuring the kinds of aircraft that make sense for small businesses.

With more than 415,000 members, AOPA is the world’s largest civil aviation association, working to protect the interests of general aviation and providing member services that range from representation at the federal, state, and local levels to legal services, advice, and other assistance. About 70% of all U.S. pilots are members of AOPA, according to the association.

Founded in 1947, NBAA represents more than 8,000 companies and provides more than 100 products and services to the business aviation community, including the NBAA Annual Meeting & Convention, the world’s largest civil aviation trade show.