As the 25th annual NBAA’s Schedulers & Dispatchers Conference kicks off in New Orleans on Tuesday, organizers anticipate setting a new record for exhibitors at approximately 500. This would eclipse the 425 airports, FBOs, fuel suppliers and other companies that displayed their services at last year’s event, which was held in San Antonio.

Commonly referred to as simply “S&D,” the confab is the industry’s premier event for flight planners and flight department managers. This year’s conference at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center features a slate of 29 education sessions aimed at helping attendees in their roles supporting flight departments, ranging from “Personal Safety for the Traveling Professional,” to “Get Ready for a New FBO Business Model.”

This year’s theme is “Take the Lead,” and the conference’s opening general session Wednesday morning will feature noted CEO, entrepreneur and leadership consultant Betty Shotton as keynote speaker.

For the fourth consecutive year, the show’s organizing committee is inviting attendees to donate “gently used” business attire at registration, which will be presented through its “Pay it Forward” program to local area charities. Conference organizers expect to host more than 2,500 visitors at the event, which runs through Friday.