Drone conferences start to return in 2021

As COVID-19 vaccinations roll out, organizers of the big 2021 drone conferences are planning for gatherings, both in-person and hybrid. Let’s take a look at what’s in the pipeline.

You’ve got to hand it to the organizers of major conferences in 2020. Faced with the pandemic, there was little they could do except pivot to online gatherings. And while that was fine for learning sessions and keynotes, there was simply no way to capture what an in-person gathering can bring: The networking, the displays, the product unveils, the demonstrations, and the negotiations for deals.

This year, thankfully, we’ll be getting more or less back to some sort of normalcy.

Major shows

There are always some big shows that many mark on their calendars. They include:

• AUVSI’s XPONENTIAL
• UAS Summit and Expo
• Commercial UAV Expo Americas
• Commercial UAV Expo Europe
• InterDrone
• NAB Show (National Association of Broadcasters)
• Unmanned Systems Canada / Systèmes Télécommandés Canada

All of these are known for excellent educational sessions and some pretty amazing keynotes. For many commercial and industrial operators – and even recreational pilots and small businesses – some of these are simply must-attend events. And, at least from our perspective, we’re raring to go.

AUVSI’s XPONENTIAL will be a hybrid event this year, spread out over two phases. The online portion will take place May 4-6, with the in-person event August 16-19 in Atlanta. You can find more information and register here.

The UAS Summit and Expo is taking place at Grand Forks, October 13-14. Its website hasn’t updated for registration yet.

Commercial UAV Expo Americas is slated for September 7-9 in Las Vegas. This year’s conference will include an Urban Air Mobility summit. Deets here.

Commercial UAV Expo Europe will take place in Amsterdam December 7-9. It’s the leading pan-European summit and conference, and you can find out more here.

InterDrone is lined up for August 10-12 in Dallas. More here.

The NAB Show is something of a sleeper. Though it focuses on the broadcast world, there are a lot of drones at this show. It skews more toward cinematography drones, but there’s still no shortage of amazing stuff to see. October 9-13, Las Vegas.

Unmanned Systems Canada/Systèmes Télécommandés Canada is a must-attend for Canadian operators. It has an outstanding reputation for its learning tracks and networking opportunities. Details for this fall’s conference are not yet online.

More to come

We’ll keep you posted as more details emerge. We’ve hoping to take in at least a couple of these events, and will be sure to give you a heads-up.

And wow, are we looking forward to seeing drones, and people, rather than looking at a screen.

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