
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.