Please join us Feb 28 – Mar 1 2025 for the NWCAS Conference

at the Best Western Plus Port O’Call Hotel

in Calgary, Alberta

 

Register for the conference HERE and be

sure to register for your hotel room at the special

conference rate HERE until January 28, 2025

 

 

Schedule and Highlights

 

Welcome Reception – Come join us Friday night at The Flight Hangar Museum for the return of NWCAS! What better way to start one of the air show industry’s best educational & networking events, than to be among the very thing that brings us together, AVIATION!   https://thehangarmuseum.ca

Registration Opens at 1600 Friday February 28th in the Port O’Call hotel lobby and will close at 1700, so we can transition to the museum.

Welcome Reception @ The Hangar Museum 1800 – 2100

Conference Education Sessions, Annual General Meeting (AGM), and Networking @ the Port O’Call hotel 0800-2000. 

  • Breakfast begins at 0800
  • Programming (lunch provided) 0900 – 1700
  • Dinner begins at 1800.

Keynote Speakers:

  • Mike Kennedy – Weapons trader, Zoologist, conservationist, thrill seeker   
    • Mike is a charter pilot for over 20 years, with his home on the road. Join us as we listen to one of our keynote speakers talk about his exciting life in aviation and a daredevil lifestyle.
  • Don Lee – Alaskan bush pilot — “It’s not a job, it’s a lifestyle”
    • Don Lee talks about the serious business that is Alaskan bush flying and teaching pilots that venture North the ropes of the backcountry as one of our keynote speakers at this year’s NWCAS

Guest Speakers and Panel Topics:

  • Samantha Tryggvason – “Wingwalker Sam” has honed her craft, performing at shows across North America since 2014. Outside of air shows, Sam is a satellite collision avoidance engineer who supports the continuation of science missions in space! At the 2025 NWCAS conference, she’ll be sharing her insights and experience working in an industry that’s ‘out of this world’ and how the rapidly evolving space environment influences all of us Earthlings.
  • Dan Hollowell – Representing ICAS, Dan will provide an ICAS update and the opportunity to talk directly with one of the top ICAS representatives (Vice President Safety & Operations).
  • 1 Canadian Air Division – Maj. Ken Mick has been kind enough to join us this year at NWCAS to talk with shows on how to work with 1CAD. Be it applying for military assets, or working with the support manuals, Ken will be the “go-to” on what needs to be done to get Canadian military assets to your show.
  • An Air Show, with no cell service! All shows take work, and months of planning. We have built contingencies on how to deal with a variety of scenarios but what happens when we lose communication due to the cell network being overloaded? NWCAS has come up with a presentation on how to deal with loss of cell service and the contingencies needed to press forward with your event.
  • Crossing the Border – a panel led discussion regarding the challenges associated with crossing the border in both directions from the perspective of Event Organizers, Performers, and Service Providers.
  • Performer Safety Stand Down – Every conference, one of our veteran air show performers talks about the importance of safety. This year, Ross Granley will lend us his experience and teach us what to do, how to act and most importantly how to avoid potential problems.

Elections and AGM – Every NWCAS conference is your opportunity to be heard. This is when we have our AGM and elect the new board. If you are interested in a board position please reach out, we are always very excited for new faces to give input on how to make NWCAS even better!

Networking – Possibly the greatest value we can offer! Each region has its own unique challenges, and the Northwest is no different. NWCAS is an opportunity to come together and find ways to move forward through planning, communication and creating a real sense of comradery among industry professionals.

Whether you are a seasoned airshow professional or just starting in the industry – the NWCAS conference is your ticket to educational events, promotional opportunities, networking and of course, our renowned social events!

Best Practices Brainstorm

These interactive sessions provide you with access to the expertise of a number of show professionals. From marketing, sponsorship, traffic and gates or air ops our panel discussions gives you direct contact to those with years of experience and best practices in their area of specialty.

Performer’s Showcase

The performers showcase has become a staple of the conference. Send a link to your 1-2 minute video to info@nwcas.org to be included. Whether you are a veteran performer or new to the circuit – this is your chance to market!

Keynote Speakers

Hear from entertaining speakers from the aviation industry on a variety of topics. Some will inspire you, some will make you laugh but most importantly they are speaking on area of interest to all of us – aviation

Agencies

For many years we have appreciated the support of 1 Canadian Air Division, the Canadian Forces Snowbirds and the USAF Air Combat Command at our conference. Each agency will provide you with the latest updates on process and procedures for their show season. This is also a great opportunity to network if you are a new show or looking to add a military aspect to your event.

Having Fun

And if none of the above appeal to you, just attend the conference for our social events. Catch up with your airshow friends and family, meet new ones, and have some fun. We have added new networking segments to the conference!