Attending aviation industry and innovation-focused events offers great opportunities for airport organizations to network and gain new insights on transformative technologies and methodologies for fostering innovation. This section lists both virtual and in-person events that readers may consider attending. Though not exhaustive, this list uses the following categories to present several of the events attended most by aviation and related stakeholders:
- Aviation/Industry Technology and Innovation
- Industry Networking
- General Innovation/Technology
- Engineering/Construction
- Local/Regional Conferences
Aviation/Industry Technology and Innovation
SMART Airports & Regions Conference
Typical Timeframe: July
Summary: “The annual SMART Airports & Regions Conference and Exhibition will explore the catalytic effect and critical success factors [of such airports,] covering the economic development ecosystem of SMART airports and the regions they serve, integrate and connect with.” (See the About SMART Airports & Regions page.)
Relevance: This event provides airport operators with opportunities to interact with other airport representatives, airlines, vendors, and consultants on aviation topics. Attendees will benefit from both the exhibition hall and the workshops hosted by industry leaders.
Conference Website: https://smart-airports.com/sar/
Future Travel Experience Global
Typical Timeframe: September
Summary: “Future Travel Experience Global 2023 is a global forum that brings together airlines, airports, government agencies, vendors, start-ups, terminal designers, architects, ground handlers, destination partners and various other travel industry stakeholders to learn, collaborate and be inspired on their next moves to transform their organizations’ passenger experience, business performance and sustainability strategies.” (Summary was provided by the conference website.)
Relevance: Attendees will gain insights into the impacts and trends of topics such as digital twin, 5G, robotics, biometrics, and many others. Additionally, airport-specific topics are covered each year, such as passenger well-being, terminal design, and digital transformation.
Conference Website: https://www.futuretravelexperience.com/fte-global/
Industry Networking
Passenger Terminal Expo and Conference
Typical Timeframe: March
Summary: “Passenger Terminal Expo and Conference will once again provide a significant opportunity for airports and airlines to debate current issues and form business relationships on a global scale, with 10,000+ people from at least 130 countries attending each year (*based on previous performance).” (Summary was provided by the conference website.)
Relevance: This is an international event where thousands of executives from airlines, airports, and businesses gather to discuss the state of the industry. The expo also provides a place for attendees to interact with many new innovations and technologies from several vendors.
Conference Website: https://www.passengerterminal-expo.com/en/index.php
ACI-NA Airports@Work Conference
Typical Timeframe: April
Summary: “ACI-NA’s Airports@Work Conference brings together the most complex facets of airport operations—safety, security, environment, technology, and technical affairs—for a collaborative discussion about today’s challenges and tomorrow’s opportunities.” (See ACI-NA’s 2024 Airports@Work Conference page.)
Relevance: As the name suggests, the focus of this conference is providing airport operators with practical insights. Attendees include a wide array of airport staff and leadership, as well as consultants and solution providers that support the various airport functions and departments. Particularly relevant to transformative technology are discussions held by the Business Information Technology (BIT) Committee.
Conference Website: https://airportscouncil.org/education/conferences/
ACI-NA Annual Conference and Exhibition
Typical Timeframe: September/October
Summary: “Over the years, attendees have counted on the ACI-NA Annual Conference and Exhibition to stay ahead of emerging trends, see the latest industry solutions, and connect with friends and colleagues. While so much has changed in our ever-evolving industry, attendees can continue to count on ACI-NA to deliver a forward-thinking conference agenda that positions the industry for success in the years to come.” (See ACI-NA’s 2023 Annual Conference and Exhibition page.)
Relevance: This event is Airports Council International-North America’s (ACI-NA’s) flagship conference, featuring a lineup of panelists and a full exhibition hall. Like other ACI conferences, attendees include a wide array of airport staff and leadership, as well as consultants and solution providers that support the various airport functions and departments. This event has two sections:
- The first two days are set aside for subcommittee meetings that are open to all attendees, in which panels discuss trending and impactful topics in the industry. These topics often cover transformative technologies that are coming soon to the industry. Though some attendees skip the first two days, they miss out on ample opportunities for networking between sessions and informative conversations based on the panelists’ discussions. Discussions held by the BIT Committee are particularly relevant to transformative technology.
- The final two days are set aside for the general sessions and the open exhibition hall. The general sessions typically feature a higher level of discussion than the subcommittee meetings of the previous two days. For many attendees, walking through the vast exhibition hall to interact directly with many vendors’ solutions and new technologies is of great value.
Conference Website: https://airportscouncil.org/education/conferences/
General Innovation/Technology
Inside Quantum Technology
Typical Timeframe: March
Summary: “The conference brings together corporate management, entrepreneurs, end users, technology providers, infrastructure partners, researchers and investors who are working on the current future developments of quantum communications and quantum security. IQT [Inside Quantum Technology] The Hague is organized by 3DR Holdings, IQT Research, QuTech, QIA (Quantum Internet Alliance of Europe) and Quantum Delta, who will bring leading organizations and professionals together in this important event.” (Summary was provided by the conference website for IQT The Hague 2023.)
Relevance: This multiday event has a new focus each year and brings together experts from companies and organizations across the world. This is an advanced technology event that may provide value to any attendees interested in staying informed of cutting-edge computing trends.
Conference Website: https://www.insidequantumtechnology.com/
VentureBeat Transform
Typical Timeframe: July
Summary: The flagship event of VentureBeat (VB), a top publisher of artificial intelligence (AI) content, is VB Transform. This event is for “enterprise leaders who want to learn how to leverage generative AI and data technology to transform their businesses. This two-day, in-person event connects you with top experts and peers from leading brands who will share their insights and best practices on the data journey of enterprises.” (Summary was provided by the conference website.)
Relevance: This event could provide value to any airport operator that is looking to stay on top of developments in AI.
Conference Website: https://events.venturebeat.com/transform-2023/
Future Festival
Typical Timeframe: All year; September for World Summit
Summary: The Future Festival is a series of events, spread out over the year, where many companies from around the world gather. “Future Festival was designed for innovators who are looking to stay on top of need-to-know trends in a fun, engaging environment surrounded by like-minded disruptors. Since Future Festival’s content is designed to be industry spanning, Managers, Directors, VPs and C-Level execs from all over attend to help better prep and plan for their upcoming year.” (Quote was provided by the conference website.)
Relevance: This series of general innovation conferences covers a large range of industries and is attended by many major corporations.
Conference Website: https://www.futurefestival.com/
Engineering/Construction
AAAE/ACC Design Symposium
Typical Timeframe: March
Summary: The Airport Planning, Design and Construction Symposium—hosted by the American Association of Airport Executives (AAAE) and the Airport Consultants Council (ACC)—is a prominent “technical event of the year where attendees learn about the latest information and developments affecting the industry.” (Summary was provided by the conference website.)
Relevance: This conference is focused mostly on airport development projects. Attendees include airport design and construction representatives, large construction firms, representatives from the many trades involved in construction projects, and various others.
Conference Website: https://www.aaae.org/pdcs
Local/Regional Conferences
Florida Airports Council Annual
Typical Timeframe: July
Summary: “The Council is the official association of the publicly owned and operated airports in Florida. Originally formed as the Florida Airport Managers Association (FAMA) in October of 1969, the organization was created to provide the strength of numbers needed to successfully face the major challenges of the industry at that time . . . and in the future.” (Summary was provided by the conference website, including ellipsis.)
Relevance: This event provides opportunities for training, seminars, and workshops for local Florida airport operators. The attendees can also participate in meetings with local and federal officials to express any need for legislative changes on aviation-related issues.
Conference Website: https://www.floridaairports.org/about-us/
Header photo by Headway on Unsplash.