Forum 83 2027

How it compares

VERTICON is the broader commercial gathering. Its 684 exhibitors in 2026 show the scale of its supplier marketplace, and its education program reaches pilots, maintenance professionals and aviation businesses. It is a stronger fit for an operator comparing aircraft, support services, training and equipment across the vertical aviation industry. The VFS Forum puts more weight on the research and engineering behind the aircraft, making it especially useful for component developers, simulation specialists and teams working toward a new design or capability.

For European operations and regulation, EUROPEAN ROTORS offers a different center of gravity. Its EASA Rotorcraft and VTOL Safety Symposium brings regulators, operators and safety specialists together, alongside an exhibition covering maintenance, training, aircraft and emerging mobility. Suppliers building European operator relationships can combine those discussions with a broad operational audience. VFS is more closely aligned with technical research and US military development programs.

The choice turns on which conversation matters most. Fleet operations and a large commercial marketplace favor VERTICON; European safety and operating relationships favor EUROPEAN ROTORS. Aircraft design, experimental results and specialized vertical-flight technology give the VFS Forum its own place in the calendar.

The VFS Forum is the right trip for teams whose next customer conversation depends on aircraft engineering, research or a military development program.

Who exhibits

GE Aerospace and Safran Helicopter Engines sit alongside specialist businesses such as Advanced Rotorcraft Technology, Continuum Dynamics and Systems Technology. Georgia Institute of Technology and HALO Wind Tunnel add a research presence to the display. The mix points toward propulsion, modeling, simulation and testing, with components and support systems also represented. Visitors can move between major aerospace suppliers and the smaller technical organizations involved in developing and validating vertical-flight aircraft.

This year's list is on its way. A HallBrief brief ranks every exhibitor against your goals and finds who to meet at each. Get a brief

Forum 83 2027

Forum 83 returns to Phoenix in 2027, placing the meeting in an aerospace and defense region with a developing advanced air mobility agenda. The technical scope covers electric VTOL, autonomy and established rotorcraft disciplines together. National Research Council Canada's Marc Alexander chairs the technical program, with Systems Technology's Mike Jones as deputy. The technology display pairs engine manufacturers with modeling, testing and component specialists, while military program manager briefings connect those capabilities with development priorities.

• For defense work, give the US Army and US Navy/Marine Corps program manager briefings priority alongside the technical papers; they connect research topics with program needs.
• Use the unopposed exhibit viewing periods and exhibit-hall lunches to follow up on technical-session discussions with the propulsion, simulation and testing suppliers.
• Treat the technology display reception as part of the engineering visit: it brings the same specialist exhibitors and technical community together outside the paper sessions.

Exhibiting

Space is sold in 10 by 10 foot units, with corporate-member, general, university and government categories. The package combines booth infrastructure with conference and exhibit badges. Payment or a purchase order accompanies the application, and exhibitors must provide liability coverage documentation. The strongest fit is a supplier whose products need an engineering discussion with researchers, aircraft developers or military program teams.