Vertical Aviation International (VAI) welcomed the global vertical aviation community to VERTICON 2026 at the Georgia World Congress Center, where the event delivered 280,000 sq. ft. of exhibit space, 684 exhibitors, and 64 aircraft on display.
VERTICON 2026 drew 12,850 attendees and featured a show floor built for hands-on engagement, including a dedicated drone cage for indoor demonstrations. Exhibitors reported brisk traffic.
“VERTICON is where the vertical aviation community meets to do business, sharpen skills, and advance safety,” says François Lassale, president and CEO of VAI. “This year’s turnout, aircraft presence, and depth of education reinforced the strength of our industry and our shared focus on professional excellence.”
The event welcomed senior leaders and high-profile speakers, including FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford and EASA Executive Director Florian Guillermet. Their Tuesday, Mar. 10, fireside chat with Lassale focused on balancing innovation with safety and public trust, improving international alignment, strengthening industry collaboration, managing the rapidly growing low-altitude airspace, using data to spot emerging risks, and defining long-term success through harmonized, measurable safety outcomes.
In his remarks to the assembled membership as the first international leader of VAI, Lassale stressed that the industry must grow and adapt to an increasingly complex and busy airspace.
“We will define this critical point in vertical aviation by uniting the industry and using shared data and disciplined strategy to guide decisions and policy engagement,” Lassale said. “The result will be stronger safety performance, a sustainable workforce, measurable industry growth, and a more credible voice for aviation.”
VERTICON also hosted industry and leadership voices, including Mike Allen, cofounder of Axios, who spoke on the importance of clear communication when conveying complex concepts, and US Air Force Col. (ret.) Merryl Tengesdal, whose rotary-wing operational experience, high-risk aviation decision-making skills, and senior safety leadership provided relevant insights for the audience.
Education and Technical Programming
VERTICON 2026 delivered learning opportunities across multiple formats:
Workforce and Career Development
Workforce development remained a core focus at VERTICON:
VERTICON 2027 will take place in Anaheim, California, Mar. 15–18, 2027 (exhibits open Mar. 16–18).