Thinking about Going to Commercial UAV Expo This Year? Here Are Our Top Ten Reasons to Attend

In less than two months Commercial UAV Expo will host its annual conference in Las Vegas.

Last year the conference drew almost 2,000 attendees—pretty impressive, especially given that people were still just starting to travel again after all the pandemic lockdowns.

It also brought in 130 exhibitors from 24 different countries, representing some of the biggest names in the drone industry from all over the world.

We always get excited as Commercial UAV Expo approaches, since it’s one of the biggest, best, drone events in the world. To help share that excitement, we drew up a list of our top ten reasons to attend Commercial UAV Expo 2022.

If you’ve been thinking about going but are still on the fence, this list may help you decide.

1. Record Number of Exhibitors Expected

This year is shaping up to be a record breaker when it comes to the number of exhibitors you’ll find at Commercial UAV Expo.

This is exciting, because it means that the newest drone technology from all around the world will be on display—all in one place.

Walking the exhibition hall and seeing all of the latest and great drones is one of our favorite things to do at drone shows, and this year is stacking up to have some incredible technology on display.

Flyability will be there with its new Elios 3 (pictured below), along with over a hundred other companies.

Want to see who will be exhibiting? Here’s a list of all the exhibitors attending Commercial UAV Expo this year.

2. Career-Tracked Drone Education

Want to learn more about drones and how people are using them for work? Commercial UAV Expo is a great place to level up your drone knowledge.

The conference program this year will address topics like the regulatory landscape, BVLOS operations, Remote
ID, safe integration of UAS into the airspace, and disruptive UAS technologies.

It will also have a focus on nine—nine!—different career tracks one can take with drones. Here they are:

• Construction
• Drone Delivery
• Energy & Utilities
• Forestry & Agriculture
• Infrastructure & Transportation
• Mining & Aggregates
• Public Safety & Emergency Services
• Security
• Surveying & Mapping

Quick plug from the author of this post:

If you’re interested in how indoor drones equipped with LiDAR are being used for internal inspections, I will be leading a panel on industrial use cases for indoor drones with speakers from Cargill, FMI, GAPAC, and the DOE.

The panel will take place on Wednesday, September 7 from 4:30-5:30 PM local time. Learn more here.

3. Meet the UAV Coach Team

Liz Robertson (Marketing Director) and Zacc Dukowitz (Contributing Writer) at last year’s conference

That’s right—several members of the UAV Coach team are going to be there!

If you plan to attend, please let us know so we can say hello.

4. The Keynotes

The list of speakers at Commercial UAV Expo always features heavy hitters from the drone industry, and this year’s lineup is no exception.

Keynotes this year include:

• Lisa Ellman, Chair of the UAS Group at Hogan Lovells and Co-Founder and Leader of the Commercial Drone Alliance—learn more about them here
• Dallas Brooks, Aviation Regulatory Lead at Wing—learn more about them here
• Jay Merkle, Executive Director of the UAS Integration Office at the FAA—learn more about them here
• Keller Rinaudo, Co-Founder and CEO at Zipline—learn more about them here
• Tom Walker, Founder and CEO at DroneUp—learn more about them here
• Jim O’Sullivan, VP of Regulatory & Special Projects at Matternet—learn more about them here

See a full list of speakers here.

5. Special Events

Every year, Commercial UAV Expo puts on special events in addition to the main lineup of talks and panels.

Here are this year’s events:

• Workshops and Training—learn about LiDAR and 3D mapping with drones, flying at night, and other topics in one of these special in-depth workshops and trainings. Learn more and register here.
• “Pitch the Press” Event—hear the questions press members have about the top 15 products and solutions on display in the exhibit hall. Learn more here.
• Networking Happy Hours—mingle with other attendees to share ideas, make new contacts, and even potentially find work at the happy hour events planned for the conference. Learn more here.
• Exhibit Hall Theater Programming—watch programming highlighting the latest drone technology from global drone companies and drone industry thought leaders.

6. Learn about the Women Behind the Drone Revolution

This year’s conference features a talk called “Women Behind the Drone Revolution,” which will highlight the stories of inspirational women in the drone industry.

In the talk, you’ll hear career path stories and get actionable insights from leaders in the drone industry based on their successes, challenges, and current activities in the industry.

The three speakers leading the session are:

• Eszter Kovács, CEO & Founder at Manageld and Co-Founder at DroneTalks. Learn more about them here.
• Candice McHargue, UAS Maintenance Controller at UPS Flight Forward. Learn more about them here.
• Okeoma Moronu, Legal & Aviation Regulatory Counsel at  Zipline. Learn more about them here.

The talk is scheduled for Thursday, September 8.

7. Learn How the Airspace Is Being Integrated with UAVs and Taxi Drones

Credit: Jetson

Want to hear what the future looks like for taxi drones? Or for the drone industry in general on the regulatory front?

Commercial UAV Expo is one of the best places to get up-to-date information on where we are headed.

Although some continue to view advanced air mobility (AAM) as something in the far-off future, the AAM industry is here, it is growing, and it will play an important role in our everyday lives. AAM ecosystems will continue to improve drone delivery services but they will also need to define how everything from small drones to drone taxis to traditional airplanes operate safety in the same relative
airspace.

– Commercial UAV Expo statement

8. Networking

Where else can you rub shoulders with over 2,500 people who work with drones?

Attendees at the conference this year include people from top drone-related organizations and government agencies, including AASHTO, AECOM, Arizona Dept. of Public Safety, AT&T, Balfour Beatty Construction, California Department of Corrections, FAA, Facebook, Google, Federal Highway Administration, Fluor, Hensel Phelps, Kiewit, McKim & Creed, Michael Baker Intl, SAM, Skanska, Southern Company, Whiting Turner and numerous DOTs.

If you’re looking for work, or just to grow the list of contacts you have in the drone industry, Commercial UAV Expo is a great place to do it.

The conference even offers a personalized matchmaking service, which you can use to connect with the specific people you’d like to meet.

9. See Live Demos of Your Favorite Drones

If you like drones, then you may love drone demos.

This year you’ll be able to see drones from some of the top drone companies in the world fly live at Commercial UAV Expo, including the latest technology from companies like Autel, Skydio, and others.

Learn more and register here.

10. Las Vegas

Las Vegas doesn’t just have casinos and nightclubs.

It’s also home to some of the best live entertainment in the world, including music, comedy, and stunning dance performances from shows like the Cirque du Soleil.

Not only that, but it has some of the best food in the world, with a huge list of restaurants that offer a wide variety of types of food.

Every time we go to Las Vegas we end up finding new artwork, new performances, and new places to eat. If ambience is important to you, Commercial UAV Expo’s location has it in spades.

Want to learn more or register for Commercial UAV Expo 2022? Visit the Commercial UAV Expo website now.