EBAS, formerly EBACE, to be held in Cannes in 2027?

EBACE was the flagship event of EBAA. A flagship event is an organization's main, most significant and high-profile gathering that defines and strengthens its brand reputation. 

 A flagship is the ship that says: “This is who we are at our best”. It is the operational and symbolic center of a fleet. The flagship is the most prestigious vessel that represents a brand publicly. The sinking of EBACE is a psychological blow to the European business aviation community and a strategic global embarrassment. It wasn’t torpedoed, it was leaking. 

 Losing a flagship is not just a tactical loss, it’s a reputational downfall. The first reputational risk is the perception of loss of leadership. Historically, a navy responds with immediate damage control and restoring confidence by transferring the admiral’s flag to another vessel, furthermore, issuing a clear, authoritative statement of continued command to demonstrate that operations continue without hesitation. Finally, an internal investigating is opened. Are we missing something here?

 Before EBACE Geneva (first held 2001), European business aviation events were more decentralized, with Cannes, Le Bourget, and Farnborough acting as regional centers rather than one flagship annual convention.

 In May 2000, Cannes-Mandelieu airport hosted a major European Business Aviation Exhibition / Cannes Air Show–style executive aviation gathering, tied to its established role as a strategic Mediterranean private aviation gateway. It was one of Europe’s leading pre-EBACE business aviation meeting points. Cannes’ role was one of Europe’s Riviera business aviation prominent hubs before Geneva’s EBACE became dominant in 2001.

 In 2005, the EBAA and NBAA announced that the entire staff at Cannes/Mandelieu Airport was to be recognized with an award for their groundbreaking work to develop effective partnerships between airport officials, the business aviation community and the residents living in the area surrounding the airport. Quoting NBAA President and CEO Ed Bolen: "The business aviation community is indebted to them for their dedication to serving and strengthening our industry, and we are pleased to present them with the award."

 The following section presents personal viewpoints and opinions. No approaches or contacts made yet. Stakeholder input is preferred.  And blessed is the person who has nothing to say, abstains from giving wordy evidence of the fact. There is no last word in diplomacy. Let’s run it up the flagpole and see if anyone salutes it.  Here we go…..

 No more EBACE, therefore instead EBAS – European Business Aviation Summit. It shall be held at Cannes Mandelieu Airport in 2027. Precise date to be determined. 

 EBAS will create a new event concept whereby the basic purpose centers on economical worth and meeting market needs of all participants in the event. It must be a value-creation engine. Participants shall get a positive response the their question ‘what’s in it for me?’ which translates into sales, contracts, and deals.

Cannes-Mandelieu (LFMD) can host an aviation‑centric conference and handle a static display. In fact, it is one of the best‑positioned airports in Europe for exactly this kind of hybrid aviation + leadership event. The location gives a unique strategic advantage that others cannot match. The Riviera is the only European location with the same gravitational pull as Las Vegas for NBAA‑BACE. 

 Cannes Mandelieu has on‑airport meeting rooms and hangars that can be converted into event spaces.It has FBO lounges suitable for VIP sessions. There is direct access to Cannes’ hotel and conference ecosystem and easy shuttle access.

 As France is the country where the event shall be held (my opinion), the following stakeholders may be consulted initially: 

 1. The President of EBAA France, a highly visible and vocal figure in French and European business aviation. Based on his role, network, and public advocacy, he could exert meaningful influence on whether EBAS is welcomed, supported, or strategically positioned in Cannes, though he does not have unilateral authority. His influence is political, relational, and narrative. Given his leadership within EBAA France and his longstanding commitment to the sector, his perspective would be valuable when refining this initiative.

 2. The Chairman of the Executive Board of Aéroports de la Côte d’Azur, the group that manages Nice Côte d’Azur, Cannes‑Mandelieu, and Saint‑Tropez airports. He has publicly highlighted that private aviation is a major growth engine for the Riviera, with Cannes‑Mandelieu at the center of that expansion. In principle, EBAS supports his strategic pillars: connectivity, sustainability, and competitiveness of his “Azur 2030” strategy. He has repeatedly stated that aviation has been his passion since childhood and that he sees his role as shaping the future of the sector. This might make him naturally receptive to a high‑level aviation summit.

 3. Chairman & CEO of Dassault Aviation who also chairs or has chaired major European aerospace bodies such as GIFAS and ASD Europe, giving him deep influence as the industrial voice in the aviation ecosystem. As EBAS is positioning itself as the summit where business aviation, capital, and creativity converge, he sits at the intersection of all three. He is a political heavyweight in Paris, Brussels, and the aerospace industrial base. He is a narrative-builder who has always framed aviation as a blend of engineering excellence, national pride, and creative design. That aligns perfectly with EBAS’s creative–economic positioning. 

 These three executives form the French aviation triumvirate whose alignment will make sure that EBAS Cannes is recognized as a European summit of global importance. They would be the Riviera aviation power‑triangle and consulting them first ensures EBAS Cannes is not perceived as a foreign event incursion landing on French soil but rather as a European summit anchored with local legitimacy, industrial weight, and operational alignment. Their consultation matters even more because France is extremely sensitive to territorial legitimacy, institutional hierarchy, aviation governance, and national industrial pride.

 Those were my personal five cents.

As for affordability and availability. Around 15–20 hotels sit within practical proximity of Cannes–Mandelieu Airport, offering an estimated 1,800–2,200 total rooms. 3‑star hotels typically range €80–€150/night, 4‑star around €150–€250/night, and 5‑star from €400 to €1,300+/night depending on season. 

 Delegates who land in CEQ (Mandelieu IATA code), can clear, and reach their hotel in under 15 minutes.. In general: CEQ → Mandelieu hotels: 5–10 minutes. Taxi / Ride‑hail: Standard taxi Mandelieu ↔ CEQ: €10–€18; Cannes ↔ CEQ: €25–€40. No queues, no commercial congestion, no long taxi times. It’s one of the most efficient VIP arrival experiences on the Riviera.

 The Cannes Convention Bureau asserts that because an overflowing imagination needs wide-open spaces, the Cannes Mandelieu aerodrome gives shape to your exceptional projects: Product launches, gala evenings, conventions, photo shoots, filming. As a privileged witness to Cannes' major events, the Cannes Mandelieu airport has long cultivated a taste for events and beautiful images. 

 And last but not least again the soul advice to whom it may concern: “Get your back off the wall if you want to dance and get down on it!”