19 September 2022

In yet another indication that drones and droning are getting hotter than Taylor Swift's command of record charts and social-media audiences, the Commercial UAV Expo 2022 broke records with 232 exhibitors (a sell out!), 4,100 registrants, and the largest-ever attendee base. 

Held September 6-8, at Caesars Forum in Las Vegas, the eighth-annual event also hosted drone disciples from 60 countries and 48 U.S. states, cementing itself as the leading international trade show and conference focusing on the integration and operation of commercial UAS.

“The turnout was monumental,” said Lee Corkhill, Group Event Director at Diversified Communications, organizer of Commercial UAV Expo. “We surpassed every expectation this year. With a 74-percent increase of verified registrants over last year and a sold-out exhibit floor, Commercial UAV Expo has proven to be the opportunity of the year for anyone who needs to keep up with commercial UAS technology, trends, and developments.”

The event kicked off Tuesday, September 6, with extensive pre-conference programming, including the Live Outdoor Flying Demonstrations put on in cooperation with Sundance Media Group and participating vendors Ascent AeroSystems, Autel Robotics, Commaris, Frontier Precision Unmanned, Skydio, Skyfront, Volatus Aerospace, and Wingtra. These vendors showcased new, cutting-edge commercial drone solutions; a sophisticated a/v set up allowed attendees to see the data and images as they were being captured.

A full recap of the Outdoor Demos as well as Tuesday’s Exhibitor Showcase presentations can be found here.

The sold-out exhibit hall floor opened Tuesday evening and was immediately flooded with attendees exploring solutions from among the 232 exhibitors, showcasing solutions in 340 booths.

“This is the drone show in the Commercial UAV space,” said Christian Stallings, Director of Geospatial Operations for Alynix, LLC . “There's no better place to learn about drone technology, to see real world applications, to meet others who are using these successfully in their organization. So I'd say to anyone who was thinking about coming, if you're serious about integrating robotic technology, drone technology into your work, there's not a better place to find out what's working, meet the people who are doing it successfully and educate yourself about the opportunities that are available.”

Wednesday morning, Lee Corkhill and Commercial Drone Alliance’s Executive Director and Commercial UAV Expo Advisory Board member Lisa Ellman delivered opening keynote remarks. More than 1,000 attendees packed the conference room to hear from Federal Aviation Administration’s Acting Associate Administrator for Aviation Safety, David H. Boulter, to hear about “FAA’s Vision to Enable the Next Generation of Flight”—Boulter also announced the first FAA Type Certification was granted to Matternet—and Skydio’s Chief Executive Officer, Adam Bry on “Unlocking the Future of Successful Drone Adoption.”

The Thursday morning keynote took a look into the “Future of Drone Delivery,” with insights from Dallas Brooks, Aviation Regulatory Lead, Wing; Sean Cassidy, Director, Safety, Flight Operations & Regulatory Affairs, Amazon Prime Air; Jim O’Sullivan, Vice President, Regulatory & Special Projects, Matternet; and Tom Walker, Chief Executive Officer, DroneUp. The keynote was moderated by Jay Merkle, Federal Aviation Administration.

All Keynote Presentations Accessible Online

The conference program focused on how drone technology is solving problems and creating meaningful ROI across various industries. With over 180 speakers, the conference sessions addressed the pressing issues facing commercial drone professionals today. Experts from the FAA, NASA, Department of Homeland Security, Department of Justice, Amazon Air Prime, Lockheed Martin, Skydio, the State of Alaska, Ohio DOT, DroneUp, USGS National UAS Projects Office, Dominion Energy Services, Inc. Sundt Construction, Windover Construction, Wing, Florida Power & Light Company and many other top organizations shared their expertise on a wide range of topics.  

View a brief recap of the final day, including the Women Behind the Drone Revolution panel and more here.

Special features of the 2022 event included numerous networking events, industry-specific roundtable discussions, vendor-delivered exhibitor showcases, and the DRONERESPONDERS Public Safety Summit, which held two full days of programming for drone operators and program managers across law enforcement, fire, search & rescue, and other emergency services.

Commercial UAV Expo was supported by 300+ publications, portals, associations, user groups, analysts, cooperating events, and government agencies, covering six continents.

“We are thrilled to have such far-reaching global support,” expressed Corkhill. “These groups are recognizing Commercial UAV Expo as the leading international event in the commercial drone space.”

The next edition of Commercial UAV Expo takes place September 5-7, 2023 at Caesars Forum in Las Vegas.

Stay up to date by inquiring about attending or exhibiting, and continue to follow Commercial UAV News for post-event coverage.

About Commercial UAV Expo   

Commercial UAV Expo, presented by Commercial UAV News, is an international conference and expo exclusively focused on commercial UAS integration and operation covering industries including Construction; Drone Delivery; Energy & Utilities; Forestry & Agriculture; Infrastructure & Transportation; Mining & Aggregates; Public Safety & Emergency Services; Security; and Surveying & Mapping. Commercial UAV Expo is produced by Diversified Communications’ technology portfolio which also includes Commercial UAV News; Geo Week, Geo Week Newsletter, 3D Technology Newsletter, AEC Innovations Newsletter, Geo Business (UK) and Digital Construction Week (UK).