September 1-3, 2026 • Caesars Forum • Las Vegas
Registration is now open - click here to register!
September 1-3, 2026 • Caesars Forum • Las Vegas
As a Project Manager overseeing UAV programs, you’re tasked with balancing innovation, safety, workflow efficiency, and budget—all while staying ahead of regulations and tech trends. That’s where Commercial UAV Expo comes in. This is the premier event where you can get hands-on with the latest drone hardware and software, connect directly with regulators and industry leaders, and gain insights from real-world use cases. Whether you’re streamlining data capture to visualization or exploring the next generation of drone applications, this is where strategy meets execution—on the show floor and in the air.
The FCC's decision to place foreign-manufactured drones and critical components on its Covered List generated a palpable buzz throughout the industry, as well as some understandable confusion. This panel brings together industry veterans to cut
…
Passing a Part 107 exam and being able to fly well are no longer enough on their own to build a sustainable drone business. The market has matured, margins for generalist operators are tightening, and
…
What do pilots, fleet managers, and commercial drone operators actually think about the state of the commercial drone industry? Earlier this year, Commercial UAV News and Pilot Institute set out to find out, surveying the
…
Utilities have moved drones from pilot programs into core operational workflows, but scaling those programs in regulated, risk-sensitive environments comes with a distinct set of challenges. Cybersecurity requirements, vendor concentration risk, data infrastructure gaps, and
…
The commercial drone industry is advancing faster than its workforce pipeline. New regulations reshape certification requirements, technology demands new skill sets, and public perception still shapes who considers a career in the sector at all.
…
Insurance is one of those topics drone operators know they need to take seriously, but many don’t always fully understand until they're filing a claim. This panel brings together insurance professionals who specialize in the
…
State Departments of Transportation have moved well past the question of whether drones deliver value. The real challenge now is building programs that scale across divisions, districts, and mission types, all without sacrificing safety culture,
…
As the commercial drone industry continues to mature, the demand for qualified, well-prepared professionals has never been greater. This roundtable convenes educators, hiring managers, and established industry practitioners for a structured discussion on the pathways,
…
Utility drone programs have long cleared the proof-of-concept stage. The last few years have seen steady but modest scaling and now the question is how to achieve exponential scale — adding many multiples of pilots,
…
Coordinating multiple aircraft, whether in a precisely synchronized drone show, a distributed infrastructure inspection network, or an autonomously dispatched emergency response fleet, introduces a fundamentally different set of challenges than single-aircraft operations. This session brings
…
The architecture, engineering, and construction industries have moved well past proof-of-concept drone deployments. The question now is how to embed aerial data collection into core workflows in ways that drive real operational value: better planning,
…
With Part 108 on the rise, commercial drone traffic will become exponentially higher in the next year. While this is an exciting advancement for industry, the influx of traffic in the airspace means more opportunities
…Drone technology has moved beyond experimentation — today, its value lies in how effectively it drives safer operations, measurable efficiency gains, and smarter decision-making. This session focuses on the practical, real-world application of UAS for
…
Learn to bring Aviation Safety Culture into the drone industry and into your own missions with Commercial Airline Pilot and UAS SAR expert Kyle Nordfors.
Artificial intelligence is reshaping commercial drone operations, but the gap between what's being promised and what's being deployed in the field remains wide. This panel cuts through the noise to examine where AI is delivering
…
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
…As drone data collection becomes standard practice across surveying, engineering, and infrastructure projects, the ability to merge UAV datasets with mobile mapping, terrestrial lidar, ground-penetrating radar, and other capture methods is becoming an increasingly critical,
…
The regulatory environment governing commercial drone operations has never been more layered or more consequential for how operators run their businesses. Federal, state, and local frameworks don't always align neatly, and the gap between what
…
The commercial drone industry is growing faster than its talent pipeline can keep up with. Companies are struggling to find candidates who combine technical flight proficiency with data skills, regulatory fluency, and the soft skills
…
This presentation will examine the future direction of the commercial drone market and the significant gaps innovators still need to fill. Drawing on insights from years of covering global UAV deployments and policy shifts, Miriam
…
Launching a drone program is one thing. Building one that scales reliably, operates safely across complex environments, and delivers consistent value over time is something else entirely. This session brings together practitioners who have navigated
…
For operators, BVLOS has long existed as a regulatory question. That’s changing. As waivers give way to standardized operations, the conversation shifts to something more practical: what does your organization actually need to look like
…
Large companies are going all in on drones and building serious internal programs to prove it. In this session, get a rare inside look at how they do it, what makes these programs succeed, and
…
Some of the most significant advances in commercial drone capability didn't originate in commercial applications, but were forged in environments that demanded absolute reliability under the most challenging conditions imaginable. This session examines how technologies
…
The FCC's decision to place foreign-manufactured drones and critical components on its Covered List generated a palpable buzz throughout the industry, as well as some understandable confusion. This panel brings together industry veterans to cut
…Passing a Part 107 exam and being able to fly well are no longer enough on their own to build a sustainable drone business. The market has matured, margins for generalist operators are tightening, and
…What do pilots, fleet managers, and commercial drone operators actually think about the state of the commercial drone industry? Earlier this year, Commercial UAV News and Pilot Institute set out to find out, surveying the
…Utilities have moved drones from pilot programs into core operational workflows, but scaling those programs in regulated, risk-sensitive environments comes with a distinct set of challenges. Cybersecurity requirements, vendor concentration risk, data infrastructure gaps, and
…The commercial drone industry is advancing faster than its workforce pipeline. New regulations reshape certification requirements, technology demands new skill sets, and public perception still shapes who considers a career in the sector at all.
…Insurance is one of those topics drone operators know they need to take seriously, but many don’t always fully understand until they're filing a claim. This panel brings together insurance professionals who specialize in the
…State Departments of Transportation have moved well past the question of whether drones deliver value. The real challenge now is building programs that scale across divisions, districts, and mission types, all without sacrificing safety culture,
…As the commercial drone industry continues to mature, the demand for qualified, well-prepared professionals has never been greater. This roundtable convenes educators, hiring managers, and established industry practitioners for a structured discussion on the pathways,
…Utility drone programs have long cleared the proof-of-concept stage. The last few years have seen steady but modest scaling and now the question is how to achieve exponential scale — adding many multiples of pilots,
…Coordinating multiple aircraft, whether in a precisely synchronized drone show, a distributed infrastructure inspection network, or an autonomously dispatched emergency response fleet, introduces a fundamentally different set of challenges than single-aircraft operations. This session brings
…The architecture, engineering, and construction industries have moved well past proof-of-concept drone deployments. The question now is how to embed aerial data collection into core workflows in ways that drive real operational value: better planning,
…With Part 108 on the rise, commercial drone traffic will become exponentially higher in the next year. While this is an exciting advancement for industry, the influx of traffic in the airspace means more opportunities
…Drone technology has moved beyond experimentation — today, its value lies in how effectively it drives safer operations, measurable efficiency gains, and smarter decision-making. This session focuses on the practical, real-world application of UAS for
…Learn to bring Aviation Safety Culture into the drone industry and into your own missions with Commercial Airline Pilot and UAS SAR expert Kyle Nordfors.
Artificial intelligence is reshaping commercial drone operations, but the gap between what's being promised and what's being deployed in the field remains wide. This panel cuts through the noise to examine where AI is delivering
…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
…As drone data collection becomes standard practice across surveying, engineering, and infrastructure projects, the ability to merge UAV datasets with mobile mapping, terrestrial lidar, ground-penetrating radar, and other capture methods is becoming an increasingly critical,
…The regulatory environment governing commercial drone operations has never been more layered or more consequential for how operators run their businesses. Federal, state, and local frameworks don't always align neatly, and the gap between what
…The commercial drone industry is growing faster than its talent pipeline can keep up with. Companies are struggling to find candidates who combine technical flight proficiency with data skills, regulatory fluency, and the soft skills
…This presentation will examine the future direction of the commercial drone market and the significant gaps innovators still need to fill. Drawing on insights from years of covering global UAV deployments and policy shifts, Miriam
…Launching a drone program is one thing. Building one that scales reliably, operates safely across complex environments, and delivers consistent value over time is something else entirely. This session brings together practitioners who have navigated
…For operators, BVLOS has long existed as a regulatory question. That’s changing. As waivers give way to standardized operations, the conversation shifts to something more practical: what does your organization actually need to look like
…Large companies are going all in on drones and building serious internal programs to prove it. In this session, get a rare inside look at how they do it, what makes these programs succeed, and
…Some of the most significant advances in commercial drone capability didn't originate in commercial applications, but were forged in environments that demanded absolute reliability under the most challenging conditions imaginable. This session examines how technologies
…As a Project Manager overseeing UAV programs, you’re tasked with balancing innovation, safety, workflow efficiency, and budget—all while staying ahead of regulations and tech trends. That’s where Commercial UAV Expo comes in. This is the premier event where you can get hands-on with the latest drone hardware and software, connect directly with regulators and industry leaders, and gain insights from real-world use cases. Whether you’re streamlining data capture to visualization or exploring the next generation of drone applications, this is where strategy meets execution—on the show floor and in the air.
10:30 AM – 11:30 AM
The Best and Most Revealing Uses of Drone Technology in 2025
*Included with a full Conference pass
11:00 AM – 12:30 PM
12:00 PM – 1:30 PM
1:00 PM – 2:30 PM
2:00 PM – 3:00 PM
Navigating the future of the drone industry: Autonomy, AI, Innovation, and Beyond
*Included with a full Conference pass
2:30 PM – 4:00 PM
3:30 PM – 5:00 PM
Thursday, September 4, 2025
10:00 AM – 11:00 AM
How Real-World Efficiencies Are Being Enabled by Drone-in-a-box Solutions
*Included with a full Conference pass
12:30 PM – 2:00 PM
1:00 PM – 2:30 PM
2:30 PM – 3:30 PM
