9 Reasons to Attend Commercial UAV Expo 2023

Commercial UAV Expo 2023 is just a few months away.

The annual conference is one of the biggest commercial drone events in the world. And since the pandemic forced several in-person drone events to shut down—some for good—Commercial UAV Expo has emerged as one of the best drone shows to attend in North America.

The conference will be held at Caesars Forum in Las Vegas, NV from September 5-7.

You can get $100 off a Full Conference Pass or a FREE Expo Pass ($150 value) by using code ‘SAVE100’ at checkout. Keep reading to see our list of the top 9 reasons to go, or visit the Commercial UAV Expo site to register now and lock in that discount.

1. The Most Attendees Ever

Last year, 232 exhibitors and 3,405 people attended Commercial UAV Expo.

This year is shaping up to break both of those records, with conference planners anticipating 4,000 attendees and 250 exhibitors.

Pulling people in from 75 different countries, the event will truly be a global meeting place for all things drone-related.

If you want to see the latest drone technology, walking the exhibit hall and seeing all the newest releases from 250 (or more) of those exhibitors promises to be a highlight. Not to mention rubbing elbows with thousands of other drone professionals, enthusiasts, and experts!

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

2. Vertical-Specific Drone Education

Already work with drones and want to get better at what you do? Or looking for ways to use drones in your work, and need some pointers?

Commercial UAV Expo is a great place to level up your drone knowledge.

The conference program this year will offer talks in nine different key drone verticals. Here’s the full list:

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

View the full 2023 conference program.

3. The Keynotes

Where is the drone industry at this moment? And what lies ahead?

Get personal perspectives from the top thought leaders, visionaries, and innovators in commercial drones during keynotes at Commercial UAV Expo this year.

Here’s a snippet from one of last year’s keynotes, featuring Skydio Co-founder & CEO Adam Bry and Commercial UAV Expo’s Jeremiah Karpowicz.

See the full list of 2023 speakers here.

4. Special Workshops and 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 top workshops and events:

• Photogrammetric Mapping with UAS—led by ASPRS. Learn more here.
• LiDAR Mapping with UAS—led by ASPRS. Learn more 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.
• Exhibitor Showcases—hear about the latest drone technology from exhibitors and see it live. Learn more here.

5. University Roundtable Discussion

Drones are mainstream now. And that means more and more universities are looking into training students in how to use them.

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Here’s the session description from Commercial UAV Expo:

As more universities are looking to implement new UAV programs of study or keep already established programs up to date with the latest UAV applications, faculty and administration are left to set standards, determine best practices, stay within regulation, and more.

This interactive roundtable is open to anyone involved in an academic role who wants to discuss and learn from others on topics such as: program & curriculum development, preparing students for the workforce, liability & insurance, qualifications for instructors, and student recruitment & assessment.

We’re especially excited for this session. It should be incredibly helpful

Learn more about the roundtable here.

6. The DRONERESPONDERS Public Safety Summit

Presented by AIRT, the Public Safety Summit is a co-located event that takes place over two days during Commercial UAV Expo.

The Summit features programming designed to educate and prepare first responder UAS program managers and remote pilots at every experience level for public safety UAS operations.

Here’s an excerpt of the Summit description from the Commercial UAV Expo website:

DRONERESPONDERS brings together an incredible group of professionals from around the Americas to explore successful strategies for building and managing public safety UAS programs. You’ll hear actual case studies and explore after-action reviews of how various departments have used unmanned systems to help save lives and protect property.

If you work for a public safety agency and have been wanting to get up to speed with how to use drones, this event is a great opportunity to jump start your knowledge for using drones in your work.

Learn more about the Summit here.

7. Networking

Where else can you rub shoulders with over 4,000 people who work with drones?

If you’re looking for work, to hire a drone pilot, to partner with another drone hardware or software company, or just to grow the list of contacts you have in the drone industry, Commercial UAV Expo is a great place to do it.

Credit: Commercial UAV Expo

Attendees at Commercial UAV Expo this year include people from top drone-related companies, government agencies, and some of the biggest companies in the world.

Commercial UAV Expo hasn’t released the names of those attending for this year, but you can check out last year’s list to get a sense for who might be there in 2023.

8. Live Outdoor Flying Demonstrations

Want to see the latest drone technology on display—not just in an exhibit hall, but actually in the air?

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 during the conference’s outdoor flying demos. Watch the video above to get an overview of the demos from last year.

This year, demonstrations will be performed by Autel, Frontier Precision Unmanned, and Skyfront.

Learn more about this year’s live demos.

9. Las Vegas

Las Vegas isn’t just about gambling.

The city is also home to some of the best restaurants in the world, as well as top live entertainment of all kinds of genres, including music, comedy, and stunning dance performances from shows like the Cirque du Soleil.

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.

Visit the Commercial UAV Expo website now to learn more about the 2023 conference.