Good morning!

This event is roaring back from the lockdown — but AUVSI hasn’t missed a beat. I know this because our membership numbers have been rocking and rolling.
 
During AUVSI’s 50^th anniversary year, most of what we’re doing is looking forward, and there’s so much for us to look forward to. Last year when we came together, we were talking about the momentum this industry has. From this keynote stage, I talked about industry cohesion as the key that our partners are looking for – and we’ve made some really good progress with industry cohesion this last year.
 
For example, we’ve had the BVLOS ARC, which is what will get us to the holy grail: regulatory approval for standard flights beyond visual line of sight. The BVLOS ARC has reported to FAA a report with tremendous thinking, and certainly industry cohesion was key to getting a quality report to the FAA. For our technology to flourish and society to benefit from it, a new regulatory approach is required.
 
In the maritime domain, AUVSI has deepened our engagement with the Navy, Coast Guard and International Maritime Organization. Our advocacy effort in the maritime domain has achieved great work.
 
On the ground side, we have really leaned into where AUVSI can add value to a crowded field – and automated freight is where we’ve found real traction.
 
Every one of these areas has their own focus at the show. On the airside we have the FAA Drone Symposium; on the maritime side we have a Defense Acquisition Workshop, which includes stakeholders from all branches looking at how we speed the integration of these systems into the hands of the warfighter; and on the ground side we have the Automated Goods Movement Summit. These are just a few of the special events and discussions here, and that’s what the XPONENTIAL platform is for.
 
We’ve got all of this activity and growth, and it makes perfect sense – Associations are based on an open concept. We are trying to get more and more people working toward a common cause. The more members we have, the more relevant and powerful we are, and the further we move as a community.
 
At AUVSI we strive to be welcoming and inclusive. Did you feel welcome when you arrived today? We strive to make this a welcoming environment in everything we do, and we’re trying to be more inclusive in a specific way. Our Board of Directors and vote of our membership supported our move from ‘unmanned’ to ‘uncrewed’ in AUVSI’s name so we can be more gender inclusive.
 
It is impossible to overestimate just how important this is and will be in the future. FAA’s AAAC looked into how we can attract people to this industry, and found that we need a massive amount of workforce to meet this need. Being inclusive will help us get there, and we are being more intentional about that.
 
The biggest challenge to widespread adoption of our technology is public acceptance. We are asking the public to be welcoming of our technology, so we have to walk that walk. Mignonne Hollis has been doing great work on DE&I as chair of AUVSI’s DE&I Advisory Group, and we welcome everyone to participate in that meeting this week.
 
This is the 49^th time that XPONENTIAL has been run, and it has gone by different names over the years. One of the first things I did in my tenure where I started in 2015, was that I joined a branding discussion about this event. I felt like XPONENTIAL was perfect because it supports the concept that our technology is growing at an exponential pace.
 
Brands are promises, and I promised to bring more value to you each year. And in 2022, we’re taking a quantum leap forward.
 
We went through an extensive process to find a strategic partner. You may have seen the announcement of our new partnership with Messe Düsseldorf North America, which is a great international organization. They won our partnership and hearts by demonstrating that they are enthusiastic about growing the show, our AUVSI community, and how our industry is advancing and changing all the time. They bring the scope, scale, and leverage that will allow us to focus on the things we do uniquely 365 days of the year outside of XPONENTIAL.
 
It is my great pleasure to introduce Tom Mitchell, President and CEO of MDNA. Tom, this is your first XPONENTIAL, right? Tell us about why you’re excited to work with this community.
 
Mitchell: That’s right, I’m happy we will be able to work together. As a global trade show organizer, Messe Düsseldorf finds new, exciting markets to expand into – and XPONENTIAL is exactly that.
 
Wynne: I’m struck by the importance of relationships, particularly in associations; what I love about being here is seeing friends and meeting new people. You’re clearly in the relationship business as well – I felt really welcomed when I met your colleagues in Germany.
 
Mitchell: Messe Düsseldorf understands what it means to be a good partner – you have to have that basis of human contact, and I know attendees are probably excited to get back into a face-to-face event here.
 
Wynne: I was struck recently by the help your organization is providing to Ukrainian refugees, can you tell us a bit about that?
 
Mitchell: We wanted to do our part to help. We have a large facility in Düsseldorf and we have used the space to help people. We turned one of our halls into a welcome center, where displaced people are welcome to stay as long as needed to find accommodations.
 
Wynne: That inspired us to launch our own partnership with Project Hope. Thanks for that inspiration, and I really look forward to everything we’re going to do together going forward.
 
We’re off to a great start for the week, and really looking forward to the great work we are going to do together. Thanks for being here, everyone!