AI+ Expo 2027
by Special Competitive Studies Project (SCSP)
America's largest AI and national-competitiveness expo, bringing together government, industry and academia
About This Event
AI+ Expo 2027 is a two-day AI and emerging-technology expo held on 24-25 May 2027 in Washington, D.C., organised by the Special Competitive Studies Project (SCSP), a private foundation based in Arlington, Virginia. It brings together government, industry and academia around AI and national competitiveness. Programming spans AI workforce development, national-security technology, autonomous systems, cybersecurity, quantum computing, microelectronics, energy infrastructure and robotics. SCSP reports 18,000+ registered attendees, 600+ speakers, 200+ exhibitors and 50+ workshops and special events. The event has grown quickly: independent coverage put it at about 10,000 attendees in 2024 and 15,000 in 2025, with about 20,000 expected in 2026. The 2026 edition at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center featured the US Energy Secretary, the SEC Chairman and NVIDIA's Ian Buck, along with the Exchange defence-innovation forum, a Drone Arena, a Robot Arena and a hackathon.
Key Dates & Deadlines
- Exhibitor early-bird booth pricing ends
At a Glance
- Date
- May 24–25, 2027
- Location
- Washington, District of Columbia
- Format
- In-Person
- Event Type
- Expo
- Status
- Upcoming
- Expected Attendance
- 18,000+
- Pricing
- Mixed (Free tier available)
- Organizer
- Special Competitive Studies Project (SCSP)
- Added
- Sep 28, 2026
- Updated
- Sep 28, 2026
Topics & Focus Areas
Who Should Attend
- ✓Federal CIOs, CTOs and chief AI officers
- ✓Defense and national-security technology leaders
- ✓Enterprise AI executives selling to government
- ✓Policymakers and regulators
- ✓Investors in defense and dual-use tech
- ✓Academic AI researchers
Why Attend
For a CTO or chief AI officer whose company sells to, is regulated by or competes with the US government, AI+ Expo shows where federal AI policy, defence procurement and national-security priorities are heading. The same room holds the officials who set them and the agencies and primes that buy. Attendance is free, so the cost is two days in Washington. Leaders leave with a read on export-control, energy and compute policy, plus contacts in agencies and defence programmes that commercial AI conferences rarely reach.
Event Features
- ✓The Exchange defence-innovation forum
- ✓Drone Arena (human-vs-AI-piloted drone races)
- ✓Robot Arena featuring humanoid robots
- ✓Hackathon
- ✓AI+ Careers Stage
- ✓50+ workshops and special events
- ✓Exhibition with 200+ exhibitors
What Makes This Unique
- ★Policy-led rather than vendor-led: it is organised by a non-profit foundation and frames AI through national competitiveness and security
- ★Free attendee registration, according to the organiser
- ★It puts federal officials, military leadership, academia and industry in the same hall; 2026 speakers included the US Energy Secretary, the SEC Chairman and an NVIDIA VP
- ★Hands-on programme beyond talks: the Exchange defence-innovation forum, human-vs-AI Drone Arena, Robot Arena and a hackathon
- ★Heavy on geopolitics and defence, so it is less useful for purely commercial enterprise AI buyers
Industries Represented
Event Scale
Pricing Details
Attendee registration is free (organiser). Exhibitor booths at the early-bird rate (before 1 October 2026): 5x10 start-up booth $2,200; 10x10 $4,000 ($40/sq ft); 20x20 $16,000; 30x30 $36,000. From 1 October 2026 the rate rises to $55/sq ft. Government entities get complimentary booth space, and limited complimentary options exist for academic and non-profit organisations.
Organizer
Special Competitive Studies Project (SCSP)
scsp.ai/Frequently Asked
- When is AI+ Expo 2027?
- AI+ Expo 2027 takes place May 24–25, 2027 in Washington, District of Columbia.
- Where is AI+ Expo 2027 held?
- AI+ Expo 2027 is held in Washington, District of Columbia. The event format is in-person.
- What is the AI+ Expo 2027 submission deadline?
- The next AI+ Expo 2027 deadline is exhibitor early-bird booth pricing ends on Oct 1, 2026.
- How much does AI+ Expo 2027 cost?
- AI+ Expo 2027 is mixed, with a free tier available. Attendee registration is free (organiser). Exhibitor booths at the early-bird rate (before 1 October 2026): 5x10 start-up booth $2,200; 10x10 $4,000 ($40/sq ft); 20x20 $16,000; 30x30 $36,000. From 1 October 2026 the rate rises to $55/sq ft. Government entities get complimentary booth space, and limited complimentary options exist for academic and non-profit organisations.
- Who should attend AI+ Expo 2027?
- AI+ Expo 2027 is aimed at Federal CIOs, CTOs and chief AI officers, Defense and national-security technology leaders, Enterprise AI executives selling to government, Policymakers and regulators, Investors in defense and dual-use tech, Academic AI researchers.
- What topics does AI+ Expo 2027 cover?
- AI+ Expo 2027 covers AI and machine learning, AI policy and national competitiveness, National security and defense technology, Autonomous systems and robotics, Cybersecurity, Quantum computing, Microelectronics and semiconductors, Energy infrastructure for AI, AI workforce development.
Sources
This page was written from 3 sources, 1 on domains other than expo.scsp.ai.
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