The aerospace and defense industry are two of the biggest industries that exist in today’s time. Both these two industries hold significant importance in many ways. With billions of dollars of investment and business transactions, the USA has a massive aerospace and defense market. In the modern economy, these two industries have to lead to the growth of different new technologies and innovations over the years.
In the last 10 – 15 years, huge developments have taken place in both the aerospace and defense sectors. In the US, it is supposedly growing at a CAGR of above 3.5%. Aerospace and defense industries are an integral part of e every country. With time the importance of both these two sectors is going to go up. Today, we will be talking about the same and also discuss the best aerospace trade show and conference.
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Aerospace & Defense Market in the USA
When it comes to aerospace and defense, not many countries around the world can compete with the levels of the United States. With a CAGR growth rate of above 3%, it is the largest when you look from the infrastructure and manufacturing aspects of the industry. In 2018 alone, exports of the aerospace industry were more than $166 billion USD and that lead to the creation of a positive trade balance with a net worth of more than $80 billion USD. It produces and manufactures a lot of primary equipment and machines like commercial aircraft, helicopters, military aircraft, warships, satellites, etc.
Not all of then are used by the country’s national military reserve but also exported to other countries which generate billions of dollars in revenue for the government. Investments in the aerospace sector are majorly facilitated by the FAA or Federal Aviation Administration. They ensure seamless and most secured transactions and manufacturing process for the equipment. The FAA, in turn, has Bilateral Aviation Safety Agreements (BASAs) which helps to facilitate the trade approval for US-manufactured technology and equipment across 47 countries.
The industry has seen a massive demand in both commercial and military aircraft and other necessary equipment, in the past couple of years. Industry-leading names like the Lockheed Martin Corporation, Boeing Company, United Technologies Corporation, etc. are getting a good amount of orders to manufacture the necessary. The staggering number of orders and ever-increasing demands havo lead to the steady flow of investments and capital in the industries.
According to Deloitte, the size of the US defense market is the biggest in the world with an estimated net worth of around $1.72 trillion USD. On the other hand, the commercial figures are quite interesting and huge as well. It is being stated that in the next 20 years, Boeing will be generating a total revenue of more than $5 trillion USD. The figures can be reached before as well. So, you can understand how big the defense and aerospace industries are in the US.
Why Join a Trade Show/Conference in the USA?
Visiting a trade show or conference has a lot of benefits which you should know about. Trade shows allow you to connect, communicate, and make your audience aware of your products and services in the best possible manner. It is the place where you would want people to be exposed to your technology and innovations.
Raise Brand Awareness – one of the biggest benefits of joining a trade show or conference is to raise your brand awareness. People often relate to different brands depending on how much they have been exposed to it. You need to make them aware of your presence in the industry and tell them about your business. Raising brand awareness at a trade show is not rocket science and is quite easy. You will need to create eye-catching adverts and graphics that will be engaging enough for the audience. Make sure to put your brand name and logo prominently where everyone can see it. Also, don’t forget to add your social media information in order to allow the people to search you online.
Develop Business Relationships – regardless of how big or popular your company already is, you will always need help in the industry. That is why it is imperative to develop positive business relationships with other brands and companies. Forge alliances industry-related brands and get into discussions with them regarding how you can work together for each other’s betterment. A trade show or conference offers the best face-to-face conversation with the top officials. Take a look at the different events that will be conducted at the conference, and try to mingle with them when you feel it is the appropriate time. Check out the schedule, event details and ask the officials to provide details about the brands.
Competitor Analysis – when you are in any industry, there is always a competitor who is trying to overtake you in terms of success, popularity, and revenue. Competitiveness in the industry leads to growth and development for many companies and that is a positive sign. The aerospace industry surely has lots of competitors and you can analyze their strategies, motives, work plan, etc. at a trade show or conference. You will be able to do in-depth research and make observations of their activities. This will allow you to understand their gameplan well.
Getting assistance from Industry experts:
Connecting with Aerospace & Defense industry experts is one of the alternative solution in order to ask the different question that you have and to seek the advices that you need. Feel free to have a look at the services providers that we listed for you in the following categories:
Top 30 Trade Show And Conference in the USA
Here are the top 30 trade shows or conferences that are held in the United States of America –
National Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition – last year NBAA saw more than 25,000 people who came to admire technology and get close to the science that is behind it. Almost 100 companies took part in it and demonstrated to the audience about the brand new technologies and services they usually offer.
MRO Americas – for 25 years, MRO Americas have been one of the most popular tradeshow in North America. They have thousands of attendees to their show and several brands and sponsors who come together to host this event.
Heli Expo – Heli Expo is mostly flocked by aspirants who want to take a sneak peak into the helicopter industry and innovations of the year. An estimated 18,000 attendees and 700+ brands are supposedly going to take part in this show. This is the second biggest trade show on our list.
XPotential – from energy, transportation and aerospace, XPotential is flocked by over 8500+ attendees from all over the country. Several renowned companies and startups can be found at this annual tradeshow with their products. XPotential is the 4th biggest trade show here.
Aerospace and Defence Supplier Summit – with 700+ companies and 1600+ delegates from all over the world. They have a massive partnership with Boeing and their summit is one of the best you can look forward attending to.
AEROMART Montreal – this tradeshow offers a wonderful opportunity for aerospace enthusiasts to come in touch with a huge network of startups and well-established companies every year. OEM’s, Tiers 1, the entire supply chain and several other companies come together here.
Satellite – Satellite Tradeshow has turned out to become one of the most renowned aerospace event in the United States. With 15,000+ attendees and 300+ exhibitors, Satellite is the third biggest trade show in the US on our list.
American Helicopter Society – Usually held in Pennsylvania, the American Helicopter Society International is a trade show where you can expect more than 1200+ attendees and over 45 companies to take part in the event. Professionals and startups from the aerospace and aviation industry flock in this trade show.
Airborne Law Enforcement Association Annual Conference – One of the best shows in the USA, the ALEA is attended by more than 1200 visitors every year and you will come across 125 brands from different sectors of the aerospace industry.
EAA AirVenture Oshkosh Fly-In – one of the biggest aerospace trade show in the whole of USA, the EAA AirVenture Oshkosh expects well over 100,000 attendees with more 800 brands of the aviation and aerospace industry. It is one of the biggest, if not the biggest trade show in US.
AIAA Propulsion & Energy Forum & Exhibition – next on the list is the AIAA PEFE that features a wide range of communities of highly qualified and recognized professionals from various sectors of the aviation industry. 1,500 attendees and 60 brand exhibitors will be arriving here.
Regional Airline Association – head to the RAA to come across 170+ brands from the aerospace and defense industry, making the attendee count well over 2500. The trade show promises a hug level of crowd participation and discussions.
InterDrone Conference – a massive assembly of more than 3500+ attendees and 155 brands, the InterDrone conference is worth waiting for. It brings together different brands and technologies from various communities and states of the US. Making it a great platform for great opportunities to all the participating companies.
Airline Passenger Experience Association – this trade show helps to ensure that a lot of different and miscellaneous aerospace companies to come together and work for the benefit of the industry. It easily expects a crowd of 3000+ people and 150 brand exhibitors from the aviation industry.
Airports Council International – the ACI brings together the best in the aerospace industry. They work with professionals and help to improve the overall developments in the industry. The show will possibly be attended by 1700+ people and 129 brands will be arriving for the show.
Air, Space & Cyber Conference & Technology Exposition – an estimated 9000+ guests are going to attend this aerospace event and more than 90+ brands have been invited. They offer new opportunities and innovations in the field of air, space, and aerospace cyber capabilities. Of all the trades shows we have mentioned, it occupies the fourth position in the number of attendees.
GSE Expo Worldwide – took place in Vegas and it is an aerospace space show with over 2500 attendees and 210+ aerospace brands. The show is expected to provide unmatched and excellent opportunities to the brands to outreach to others and work together in community and industry.
Air Cargo Americas – if you want to develop good business networks and expose yourself to a healthy crowd of genuinely interested people, then this is the show you wouldn’t want to miss. It attracts an average of 6000 visitors and 200 companies from the various aviation sector.
National Agricultural Aviation Association – the NAAA features a highly interesting and fun and aerospace trade conference for the people in the US. the NAAA discusses majorly how aerospace innovations can help to improve agriculture in different ways and means.
Association of Air Medical Services – air medical services are very important and that is why the AMTC conference is dedicated to it. They have over 2500 attendees in the last year and more than 100 brands come to participate. It is the best place to take up social and industrial challenges with other people in the industry.
So, here are the top aerospace trade shows and conferences that you can attend in the US. Make sure to go through our list and check which one is going to be hosted close to your area.
Finding a job at an Aerospace Company
No matter if you are looking for an engineering, technician or executive position at an Aerospace or Defense company, we recommend you the following steps:
- To search for the preselected Company’s website and to look for any contact information available in order to send an application. Human ressources contact information are best but they are sometime not available online. You should realize this step to a small number of selected companies.
- Another good practice would be to use LinkedIn contact search feature in order to find the right contact within the targeted businesses. To do so, preselect the location filter, enter the name of the targeted company and look for any contacts with the same position that you target or from the human ressources department.
- To ask for more information/ help to the contacts that you found in the selected companies. It is always easier to get an answer when you ask for some advises. Try to connect with the targeted contact and to potentially organise a quick phone call in order to ask your questions about the work environment, the position,.. before applying. Your new connections would increase your chances of success with your application.
- Apply to the available position potentially referring to your new connection and referencing the information learned during your previous conversations.
AerospaceExport Job Application Service
AerospaceExport Job Application Service is an easy way to send your application to hundreds selected companies (including Boeing, Safran, Airbus, GKN, …) in one simple process.
DOING BUSINESS WITH an Aerospace company?
Willing to do business with an Aerospace company and you don’t know how to start? Looking for a person with extensive knowledge in the Aerospace & Defense market or in a specific company?
Aerospace Export regroups experts from all location with all type of skills (sales rep, M&A consultant, lawyers, government officials,..). We specialized in supporting the organic and external growth of Aerospace & Defense companies. If you feel that we could be helpful in your projects, please don’t hesitate to contact us. We will assist, advise and connect you with our network for FREE.
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