NAC Connect
You asked. We listened.
AAAE members have told us they want more opportunities to build meaningful professional relationships, expand their networks, and connect with peers across the airport community.
New for 2026, NAC Connect helps attendees make meaningful connections before they even arrive at the F. Russell Hoyt National Airports Conference.
Through NAC Connect, attendees can be matched with experienced NAC participants, NAC Navigators, who can help make introductions, share experiences and perspectives, navigate conference opportunities, and build connections across the AAAE community.
Whether you're attending NAC for the first time or have joined us before, NAC Connect can help you get even more from your conference experience.
Two Ways to Participate
- Be a NAC Navigator
- Get Connected
Be a NAC Navigator
Know NAC? Help someone else get connected.
NAC Navigators are returning attendees who know the conference, enjoy meeting people, and are willing to help another attendee make connections and get more from their NAC experience.
You don't need to be a longtime airport/aviation professional or have all the answers to be a great Navigator. We're looking for people who are welcoming, engaged, responsive, and willing to share their experience and their network.
As a Navigator, you might help someone:
- Meet other airport and industry professionals
- Navigate NAC and identify conference opportunities
- Learn about ways to become more involved with AAAE
- Gain career and professional development perspectives
- Connect with peers at similar airports, in similar roles, or within particular areas of the industry
Get Connected
Looking to expand your NAC network? We'll help make the connection.
You don't have to be new to NAC, AAAE, or the airport/aviation industry to participate. NAC Connect is for anyone interested in meeting new people, expanding their professional network, or becoming more connected to the AAAE community.
Tell us a little about your background, interests, and what you're hoping to get from NAC. AAAE will use that information to thoughtfully match you with a NAC Navigator.
Sign Up!
To participate, you must be registered for NAC and complete the NAC Connect signup form by Wednesday, September 9, 2026.
This deadline allows AAAE time to make thoughtful matches and gives Navigators and participants an opportunity to connect before the conference.
How NAC Connect Works
Sign Up
To participate, you must be registered for NAC and complete the NAC Connect signup form by Wednesday, September 9, 2026.
This deadline gives AAAE time to make thoughtful matches and gives Navigators and participants a chance to connect before the conference.
Get Matched
AAAE will make matches based on participants' backgrounds, professional interests, areas of expertise, networking goals, and other information provided during signup.
You'll receive an email introducing you to your NAC Navigator or participant approximately two weeks before the conference.
Connect Before NAC
Once you've been introduced, connect at least once before NAC by phone, video call, or email.
Use the conversation to get to know one another, talk about what you're hoping to get from NAC, identify areas of interest, and make a plan to connect in person.
Connect at NAC
Navigators and participants are encouraged to meet in person at the Claudia Holliway Newcomers' Reception on Sunday at 5:15 p.m.
Keep the connection going throughout NAC. Meet for breakfast or lunch, catch up during a break, attend a session together, or find another time that works for your schedules.
Navigators and participants commit to connecting at least twice during the conference and are encouraged to meet additional times as schedules allow.
A NAC Tradition, Reimagined
Professional development and relationship-building have long been part of the National Airports Conference.
F. Russell Hoyt, AAAE's first chief executive, was a strong advocate for professional development and educational opportunities for AAAE members, including the National Airports Conference. Following his death in 1997, AAAE renamed the conference in recognition of his exemplary service to the airport management profession and AAAE members.
For many years, NAC also included a mentor program connecting experienced attendees with those new to the conference. NAC Connect reimagines that tradition for today's NAC, creating an intentional but informal way for attendees to meet, share experiences, expand their networks, and build relationships across the airport community.
Ready to Connect?
Be a Navigator. Get Connected. Start building your NAC network before you arrive.
Sign up for NAC Connect by Wednesday, September 9, 2026.