May 11 – 14, 2026   |   Education May 12 – 14, 2026   |   Exhibits Detroit, MI   |   Huntington Place

Early Bird pricing closes March 27. Secure your discounted pass before it's too late.

Keynotes

Sponsored by: 

New for 2026, XPONENTIAL introduces a single Monday evening keynight! Kick off the week with a focused session that sets the tone for the days ahead, followed by a reception open to all attendees.

All times in Eastern Daylight Time

Schedule-at-a-Glance

Date Time Description
Monday, May 11, 2026 4:00–5:00 PM Built on Grit. Driven by Innovation.
  5:00–6:00 PM Evening Keynote Reception
Open to all attendees
Tuesday, May 12, 2026 9:00–10:15 AM Built to Lead. Driving Towards Impact.
Wednesday, May 13, 2026 9:00–10:15 AM Engineering a Resilient Future.
Thursday, May 14, 2026 9:15–10:00 AM Building for Integration.

NEW! Keynight - Monday, May 11, 2026

Forged in Detroit: Industry, Innovations, and Resilience

Fireside Chat

This discussion traces the historical arc from Detroit’s industrial revolution and World War II mobilization to today’s autonomy movement highlighting how supply chains, manufacturing capacity, and industrial policy remain foundational to resilience, innovation, and national competitiveness.

Arthur Herman

New York Times Bestselling Author & Historian

The Honorable Michael Cadenazzi

Assistant Secretary of War for Industrial Base Policy | Office of the Secretary of War

5:00 PM -  Monday Evening Keynote Networking Reception (open to all attendees)

Tuesday, May 12, 2026

Federal Regulatory Voice on Autonomy

Senior leaders will offer perspectives on the evolving regulatory environment for drones and advanced air mobility, with a focus on safety, integration, and enabling innovation at scale.

Speakers to be announced

Industrial Base Leadership

Building on the historical context introduced in Monday’s opening fireside, Assistant Secretary Cadenazzi will deliver remarks on the state of the U.S. industrial base, examining supply chain resilience, production readiness, and the policies required to support autonomy, defense, and national competitiveness in an increasingly contested global environment.

The Honorable Michael Cadenazzi

Assistant Secretary of War for Industrial Base Policy | Office of the Secretary of War

Wednesday, May 13, 2026

COMING SOON

Thursday, May 14, 2026

Automation with Intent

As robotics and automation move from pilots to large-scale deployment, the question is no longer whether we can automate, but what we should automate, and why. Drawing on real-world research and factory deployments, this keynote explores how intentional design choices shape the impact of robotics on workers, productivity, and long-term competitiveness.

Focusing on labor, manufacturing, and human–machine collaboration, this conversation examines which jobs are societally desirable to automate, where robotics can meaningfully augment human work, and how industry partnerships are generating practical insights from the factory floor. For a city built on manufacturing, this session offers a clear-eyed look at how automation can strengthen, not hollow out, the future of work.

Dr. Kate Darling

Leading Expert in Social Robotics & Author

Monday, May 11, 2026

Detroit Welcome

Michael Robbins

President & CEO | AUVSI

Closing Remarks & Reception Kickoff

Michael Robbins

President & CEO | AUVSI

John “J.C.” Coffey

Executive Director, Uncrewed Systems (UXS) | Cherokee Nation Federal

Tuesday, May 12, 2026

Community Address

The Community Address grounds the audience in AUVSI’s mission, outlines what matters most in the year ahead, and issues clear calls to action for industry, government, and partners as autonomy scales globally.

Michael Robbins

President & CEO | AUVSI


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