Michigan Aerospace and Defense Firms Announce 2024 Local and National Trade Events

With upwards of 3,000 aerospace companies and businesses doing work for the U.S. Department of Defense in Michigan, which combined have a workforce of more than 50,000 skilled professionals, numerous trade shows and industry events are taking place both locally and across the country.
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Military jets in flight
The June 8-9 Selfridge Air Show at Selfridge ANG Base in Harrison Township is on the list of local events for defense and aerospace contractors. // Photo courtesy of Team Selfridge

With upwards of 3,000 aerospace companies and businesses doing work for the U.S. Department of Defense in Michigan, which combined have a workforce of more than 50,000 skilled professionals, numerous trade shows and industry events are taking place both locally and across the country.

As more companies consider expanding or pivoting their work to include aerospace and defense, industry professionals are emphasizing the importance of relationship-building and making face-to-face connections.

“Aerospace and defense industries are filled with opportunities, and while certifications like AS9100 are an important first step to create credibility and open doors, the key to achieving growth is connecting to the right potential customer,” says Karyn Olsson, CEO of Marketing Department Inc. in Houghton.

“These industries have vast and deep supply chains so whether you research, design, engineer, manufacture, or test, there’s room for you. Attend events, make connections, and grab your piece of the pie.”

To assist companies currently working in aerospace and defense, or those hoping to pivot, Marketing Department Inc. and three industry groups have compiled a list of must-attend events taking place in Michigan and across the country this year.

March

21 Women in Defense MI Superstar Networking, Troy, MI: Make defense connections

26-28 AUSA Global Force Symposium, Huntsville, AL: Army contracting and partnerships

April

3 -4 Unmanned & Autonomous Systems Summit, National Harbor, MD: Integrating UxS capabilities

8-11 39th Space Symposium, Colorado Springs, CO: Premiere event for global space professionals

9-11 MRO Americas Aviation Week, Chicago, IL: Largest gathering of aviation maintenance community

23-25 NDIA Michigan Defense Expo, Warren, MI: Premiere DoD buy/supplier event

25 AUSA Breakfast at MDEX, Warren, MI

May

7-9 NDIA Cyber Event, San Antonio, TX: USAF modeling & simulation summit

14-15 Space Tech Expo, Long Beach, CA: B2B exhibition and conferences for the space industry

16 Women in Defense MI Superstar Networking, Ann Arbor, MI: Make defense connections

June

8-9 Selfridge Air Show, Selfridge ANGB, MI: Showcase the positive impact of STEAM on young people

14 AUSA Army Birthday Ball, Detroit, MI: Celebrate the Total Army Force

July

19 NDIA Michigan Annual Dinner Meeting, Grosse Pointe, MI

22 Women in Defense Scholarship Golf Outing, Shelby Charter Township, MI

August

13-15 NDIA GVSET Symposium, Novi, MI: Digitizing the Army to enable formations

23-26 NGAUS Conference & Exhibition, Detroit, MI: Army and Air National Guard annual meeting

September

4-6 AIAM AeroOne Novi, MI: Roundtables, networking & panel discussion for aerospace

14-15 AFA National Convention, National Harbor, MD: Gathering of Air & Space Forces delegates

16-18 Air, Space & Cyber Conference, National Harbor, MD: Networking and knowledge sharing

October

22-24 NBAA Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition, Las Vegas, NV

November

18-20 CyberSat24, Reston, VA: Satellite security event — thwarting next-gen attacks

December

8-9 North American Space Summit, Merritt Island, FL: Industry issues, trends and opportunities

10-11 Space Power Conference, Orlando, FL: TBA hosted by Space Force Association

The list was compiled by Marketing Department Inc., along with Sue Schweim Tellier at JetCo Federal, John Geisler at the Michigan Aerospace Manufacturers Association, and Elizabeth Gomez-Jazowski at JZ Global Solutions.