Post Magazine

June 2016

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www.postmagazine.com 35 POST JUNE 2016 his month, we continue our drone coverage in Part 3 of a Special Report. In April, Post looked at affordable UAVs and the cameras being paired with them, giving filmmakers new ways to tell their stories. Last month, we looked at a number of films, commercials, TV shows and music videos that have deployed drones for both cost savings and creative measures. Here, we look at some of the opportunities to learn more about un- manned aerial vehicles in person, regard- less of where you may be located within the United States. The calendar year 2016 has no short- age of festivals and conventions targeting those looking to explore the technology for storytelling purposes. As this issue went to print, Drones Data X 2016 was taking place in San Francisco at the Palace of Fine Arts Theater: Innovation Hangar. A networking weekend was planned shortly thereafter in Santa Cruz. The Commercial UAV Expo will fly into Las Vegas on October 31st (through November 2nd), taking up space at the MGM Grand hotel. And in December, the 2016 National Drone Show will take place in Washington, DC, (December 7-8), right before the International Drone Expo (December 9-10) gathers in Los Angeles. And these are just a handful of the events going on around the country. In March, Post attended and reported on the NYC Drone Film Festival, where one panel looked at the ongoing evolution of FAA regulations and what they mean to commercial operators. We also checked out the Drone Pavilion at April's NAB show in Las Vegas, which featured many manufacturer exhibits, as well as a caged area with live demos. More recently, we had a chance to talk with the organizers of some of the events planned for 2016, beyond those already mentioned. Here's a sampling of what's in store for the rest of 2016 and where you can learn more about regulations, technology and filmmaking tips firsthand. XPONENTIAL 2016 CONVENES IN NEW ORLEANS, ANNOUNCES '17 DATE In early June, The Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI) hosted Xponential 2016 (www. xponential.org), a large trade show for the unmanned systems market. The show took place at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans, and was expected to draw as many as 8,000 attendees and more than 600 exhibitors. Tom McMahon is the VP of advo- cacy and public affairs for the AUVSI, the Washington, DC-based group that organized the event. The AUVSI is one of the world's largest nonprofit organiza- tions dedicated to the advancement of unmanned systems and robotics, and rep- resents more than 7,500 members from more than 60 countries. Its interests span the fields of government, industry and academia. In addition to a show floor with the latest drone technologies, Xponential 2016 also presented 200 educational ses- sions, providing information to attendees about the future of unmanned systems policy, regulations and technology. Xponential offered morning general sessions, providing attendees with a chance to hear from top speakers from throughout the unmanned systems industry. Technical poster presentations allowed for one-on-one dialogue with au- thors doing research on unmanned sys- tems and robotics. And "Ask The Expert" sessions provided access to industry gurus, who could advise attendees on airspace access, sensor advancements and more. In addition, a women-only forum provided opportunities to meet in small groups for moderated discus- sions on key areas of interest to women in the unmanned systems and robotics communities. John Chambers, executive chairman of the board and former president and CEO of Cisco Systems, addressed a general session. As Cisco's executive chairman of the board, Chambers holds key areas of responsibility that include focusing on building relationships with government and business leaders, shareholders and board members. He also advises the company on strategy, digital transformation, security, strategic partnerships and other areas. In March, Chambers joined the board of Airware, a complete enterprise drone solu- tions company in San Francisco. Gur Kimchi, co-founder and vice president of Amazon Prime Air; General David G. Perkins, commander of the United States Army Training and Doctrine Command; and Michael P. Huerta, administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration, also served as keynote speakers at Xponential this year. Another highlight of the show was the Startup Showdown, where finalists had six minutes to pitch their companies to judges, followed by six minutes of ques- tions. Cash prizes in the sum of $15,000 were presented, as well as mentorship opportunities. The AUVSI has already announced the date for Xponential 2017, which will be held from June 8 th through the 11 th of 2017 at the Kay Bailey Hutchinson Convention Center in Dallas. A LOOK AT 'UAV' EVENTS TAKING PLACE THROUGHOUT THE U.S. IN 2016 BY MARC LOFTUS T Xponential recently took place in New Orleans. The show heads to Dallas in 2017.

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