In just over a month, the commercial drone industry is going to come together for Commercial UAV Expo 2026. The event, taking place September 1-3 at Caesars Forum in Las Vegas, Nevada, will once again feature an exhibit hall with many of the leading companies across the sector, as well as a robust conference program covering everything from technical case studies to soft skill-focused business acumen, and everything in between. There is a lot to be excited about for this year’s show, but today we want to focus on our two keynote sessions, which will kick off the first and third days of the event.

The first keynote, "The View From the Field: What Operators, Pilots, and Fleet Managers Are Saying About the Commercial Drone Industry," kicks off the show on Tuesday, September 1. Earlier this year, Commercial UAV News partnered with Pilot Institute to survey the pilots, fleet managers, and operators who run commercial drone programs day to day. The goal wasto find out what the people doing the actual work think about where the industry stands right now.

During this keynote, Commercial UAV News Content Manager Matt Collins will walk through highlights from that research, covering the trends, frustrations, and opportunities that came directly from survey respondents. The survey touched on a wide range of topics relevant to today's operators, from regulatory developments to equipment decisions to workforce challenges. Collins will then be joined by Greg Reverdiau, co-founder of Pilot Institute, for a conversation about what the results mean for the industry going forward.

This session is meant to put operator voices front and center. Instead of relying on assumptions about where the industry is headed, this keynote offers a direct look at what's happening on the ground and what the people closest to the work believe needs to happen next. Attendees will leave with a clearer sense of how their own experiences compare to the broader industry and what areas may need more attention moving into 2027.

Then, after the conversation between Collins and Reverdiau, DRONERESPONDERS will take the stage to hand out their annual Eric Talley Award. This award is named in honor of Officer Eric Talley, who lost his life in the line of duty, and it honors outstanding achievement in the integration and advancement of UAS in public safety operations.

The second keynote, "Two Skies, One Conversation: Comparing FAA and EASA Approaches to BVLOS Drone Operations," opens the last day of the event on Thursday, September 3. This session addresses one of the most pressing questions facing the global drone industry: how consistent are the rules across different regions, and how fast are they evolving.

This moderated panel will bring together leaders from the FAA and EASA for a direct comparison of how the United States and Europe are approaching regulation, with a particular focus on BVLOS operations. The conversation will look at how each authority handles waivers and exemptions, where risk-based frameworks align between the two regions, and where real differences still exist.

For an industry that increasingly operates across borders, having regulators from both sides of the Atlantic in the same room is a rare opportunity. Attendees will come away with a better understanding of where global rulemaking is headed and how the FAA and EASA are learning from each other as BVLOS operations continue to scale. Speakers for this panel will be announced soon, but the format alone signals how central regulatory alignment has become to the industry's next phase of growth.

Both keynotes reflect where the commercial drone industry finds itself in 2026: growing more capable while still working through the practical and regulatory questions that will determine what comes next. Registration for Commercial UAV Expo 2026 is open now, and more details on both sessions will be shared in the coming weeks.

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