2018 AIAA Science and Technology Forum and Exposition to be Held in Kissimmee, Florida, January 8-12 Written 11 December 2017

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: John Blacksten
703.264.7532
johnb@aiaa.org

Forum Will Address the Next Digital Transformation and Its Impacts on the Global Aerospace Community

December 11, 2017 – Reston, Va. –The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) will hold its 2018 Science and Technology Forum and Exposition (AIAA SciTech Forum), January 8–12, at the Gaylord Palms, in Kissimmee, Florida. This is the fifth annual AIAA SciTech Forum, which is the world’s largest event for aerospace research, development, and technology. If registration numbers continue to be as strong as they have been, the Institute anticipates record attendance at the 2018 AIAA SciTech Forum.

The 2018 AIAA SciTech Forum brings together 11 aerospace science and technology conferences drawing an international audience estimated to be more than 4,000. The attendees will have the opportunity to learn from—and interact with—industry leaders representing a broad range of the aerospace community. The forum will feature over 2,700 paper presentations covering ground-breaking aerospace technical and scientific research, and an exposition that will highlight the very latest in aerospace technology from over 50 companies, government agencies, and research organizations.

“With its theme ‘Seizing the Next Digital Transformation,’ the 2018 SciTech Forum will focus on how disruptions in traditional business markets, created by a combination of the dawn of digital engineering, an ongoing data explosion, human–machine teaming, and the latest innovative technology, are constantly challenging the status quo and driving the rapid evolution of aerospace,” said AIAA President Jim Maser. “Only through the kind of one-on-one discussions and team collaboration afforded by attending this year’s AIAA SciTech Forum can our community best adapt and respond to the rapidly changing landscape of the aerospace industry.”

The forum’s plenary and Forum 360 program are certain to engage and challenge attendees to think outside of their usual technical specialty areas and to consider how disruptors – whether people, events, or technologies – may be impacting the aerospace industry. The diverse set of thought-provoking and compelling speakers include: Naguib Attia, vice president of Global University Programs, IBM; LaNetra Tate, program executive, Game Changing Development Program, Space Technology Mission Directorate, NASA; Brendan Iribe, co-founder, Occulus; Jenn Gustetic, program executive, Small Business Innovation Research, NASA; Mark Moore, director of Engineering, Uber Elevate; Mark Cousin, senior vice president, Flight Demonstrators, Airbus; Elizabeth Baron, Virtual Reality & Advanced Visualization Technology specialist, Ford Motor Company; David Bowles, director, NASA Langley Research Center; Bill Casebeer, Research Area manager, Human Systems Optimization, Lockheed Martin; and Victoria Coleman, chief technology officer, Wikimedia Foundation, among many others.

The Exposition Hall is getting an exciting addition at the 2018 AIAA SciTech Forum: the HUB. This multi-use area at the center of the exposition will include many must-attend events, such as a meet and greet with incoming AIAA Executive Director Dan Dumbacher, as well as with the 2017 SciTech Forum Best Paper authors, a book signing with author Dan Raymer, and a presentation by Stephen Jurczyk, NASA associate administrator for the Space Technology Mission Directorate, on NASA’s strategic vision for future space technology investments. The HUB will also include the AIAA Publications Pavilion, design challenges, and much more.

The Signature Sponsor of the 2018 AIAA SciTech Forum is the Lockheed Martin Corporation. The forum’s other sponsors include: The Boeing Company; United Launch Alliance; Northrop Grumman Corporation; Aurora Flight Sciences, a Boeing Company; Airbus; Honda Aircraft; Trek; Dunmore Aerospace; Bastion Technologies; and PCB PIEZOTRONICS. Aerospace America is the event’s media sponsor.

For more information on the AIAA SciTech Forum, please contact John Blacksten at johnb@aiaa.org or 703.264.7532. Registration is complimentary for credentialed members of the press.

About AIAA
The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) is nearly 30,000 engineers and scientists, and 95 corporate members, from 85 countries who are dedicated to advancing the global aerospace profession. The world’s largest aerospace technical society, the Institute convenes five yearly forums; publishes books, technical journals, and Aerospace America; hosts a collection of 160,000 technical papers; develops and maintains standards; honors and celebrates achievement; and advocates on policy issues. AIAA serves aerospace professionals around the world—who are shaping the future of aerospace—by providing the tools, insights, and collaborative exchanges to advance the state of the art in engineering and science for aviation, space, and defense. For more information, visit www.aiaa.org, or follow us on Twitter @AIAA.