Ahead of Commercial UAV Expo 2026, we have been running a series of articles showcasing different themes of content to expect at the event. Last week, we switched up this format and hosted a webinar featuring a conversation with Commercial UAV Expo Advisory Board members who shared their best tips and tricks on how to get the most out of your time at the show.

In the webinar entitled The Insider's Guide to Commercial UAV Expo 2026: A Conversation with the Advisory Board, Ashley Hanson from John Deere Aviation, Ben Stocker from Skender, and Jared Janacek from Texas Drone Company sat down to discuss what industry trends they expected to dominate the show, and how they use their time onsite to bring home actionable insights they can use immediately.

One of the panel's top recommendations was to make full use of the education sessions on the agenda, particularly those built around real-world case studies. As Hanson explained, hearing directly from practitioners about what has and hasn't worked for them can save attendees from repeating the same mistakes.

"One of the best things to do is to go to different sessions that have case studies or workflows from experts in the field," Hanson said. "It's always helpful to learn what hardware, software, and processes they use in the field. One of the biggest things I like to learn is what doesn't work well."

Janacek echoed the value of structured learning opportunities, pointing specifically to the workshops offered at the show as a way to build relationships that are harder to come by out on the show floor.

"Utilizing the workshops that are offered really helps you connect with people who are doing exactly what you're doing, which you might not get on the show floor," Janacek said. "You can see how other people are doing things and get to have that back and forth with others."

For Stocker, preparation ahead of the show is just as important as what happens once you're there. He shared how he used AI tools to make the most of his time walking the exhibit hall.

"I took the whole exhibitor list and put that into Claude and had it organize it based on exhibitors that are applicable to me and the workflows I've been working on, and it was able to break it into tiers to tell me which booths I should prioritize," Stocker said.

Beyond the sessions and the show floor, the panel agreed that some of the most valuable conversations happen in the roundtable discussions, where attendees can dig into the bigger-picture questions facing the industry.

"A lot of the roundtable discussions are great because we are starting to dive deeper into conversations on what it's actually going to take to run our industry and what it's going to take to keep it going," Janacek said. "As you progress in your level of comfort in the industry, we want to have that higher-level conversation with our peers, and actually trying to connect with other people is a great tool."

Finally, Hanson noted that some of the best networking happens in the moments between sessions, when the conversations are more informal.

"One of my favorite ways to meet new people at the show is to just sit down with strangers at lunch or strike up a conversation during a coffee break, which is how I had the opportunity to talk directly with members of the FAA last year," Hanson said.

If you didn’t get a chance to watch the live webinar, there is still time to watch on demand and get ready for Commercial UAV Expo 2026.