May 11 – 14, 2026 | Education May 12 – 14, 2026 | Exhibits Detroit, MI | Huntington Place
End-User Workshops
Practical Learning for Those Deploying Autonomy in the Real World
Make Autonomy Your Competitive Advantage
Register for your Free XPO Hall Pass
Overview
XPONENTIAL 2026 End-User Workshops are practical, industry-focused sessions for professionals wanting to learn more about using or scaling use of drones, robotics and autonomy in real-world operations.
These interactive, sector-focused sessions bring together operators, practitioners, and industry experts to share real deployment lessons, operational strategies, and adoption pathways — followed by direct access to the XPONENTIAL XPO Hall to explore the technologies supporting these missions.
Workshops are FREE for qualified end users and include a complimentary XPO Hall Pass.
Key Benefits
- Sector-specific learning built for operators
- Peer exchange and practical deployment insights
- Direct access to 550+ technology providers on the XPO Hall floor
Who These Workshops Are For
End-User Workshops are designed for professionals responsible for deploying, operating, purchasing, or evaluating drones, robotics and autonomy in real operations. If you are an operator, program owner, or technical lead in agriculture, construction, security/public safety, inspections/critical infrastructure, and surveying/mapping who is interested in adopting or scaling drones, robotics, and autonomy then XPONENTIAL is the place to gain your strategic edge.
Not sure if you qualify? If your role influences operational adoption, procurement, or scale, you are likely a fit.
Workshop Series*
Agriculture and Applied Autonomy - How dual-use UAS can improve American Agriculture and Defence
Date: Tuesday, May 12
Time: 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Location: Room 250A
Learn how farms and ag service providers are using drones and autonomy to improve precision, reduce risk, and make faster decisions in-season. Hear what’s working in the field, then join interactive discussions focused on adoption, scaling and ROI.
Who should attend: farmers, co-ops, ag service providers, extension and applied research leaders
Request a free XPO Hall Pass for this workshop
Agenda:
Opening & Context (10 minutes)
An overview of how autonomous technologies are being applied across modern agriculture and what it takes to scale in real-world environments.
Expert Panel: From Application to Autonomy (60–90 minutes)
Industry leaders share how drones and robotics are transforming farming operations, with lessons learned from deployment, integration, and scaling.
Interactive Breakout Exercise (15 minutes)
Participants work in small groups to explore region-specific farming scenarios and identify practical technology applications.
Breakout Discussion & Share-outs (20–30 minutes)
Groups present key insights and approaches, highlighting challenges, tradeoffs, and scalable solutions.
Dual-Use Insights (15 minutes)
Speakers explore how agriculture serves as a real-world proving ground for reliable, durable autonomous systems.
Audience Q&A (15 minutes)
Open discussion to address participant questions and explore next steps for adoption.
Scaling Autonomy in Construction: Making Drones and Robotics Standard Practice
Date: Thursday, May 14
Time: 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM
Location: Room 250A
See how leading contractors are moving from one-off flights to repeatable drone programs that improve safety, documentation, schedule certainty, and decision-making. Expect real lessons learned and practical guidance on governance, workflows and scaling across job sites.
Who should attend: general contractors, VDC teams, construction tech leaders, survey, project controls, and operations
Request a free XPO Hall Pass for this workshop
Agenda:
Opening & Workshop Objectives (10 minutes)
An introduction to how drones and robotics are moving from pilot use to standard practice across construction projects.
Practitioner Panel: Lessons from the Field (30–40 minutes)
Construction leaders share real-world experiences scaling autonomy, including what worked, what failed, and what they standardized.
Moderated Q&A: Safety, Data, and Scaling (15 minutes)
A focused discussion on operational challenges, including compliance, data workflows, and governance models.
Interactive Breakout Exercise (30–40 minutes)
Participants develop a practical 90-day plan to scale drones and robotics across multiple job sites.
Breakout Report-Outs (20 minutes)
Groups share key takeaways and priorities, with expert insights on common themes and best practices.
Show Floor Action Plan & Close (10–15 minutes)
Guidance on what to evaluate on the exhibit floor and how to apply workshop insights in real-world projects.
Building a Drone-Ready Community: The Operations Playbook Leaders Need Now
Date: Wednesday, May 13
Time: 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Location: Room 250B/C
Learn how communities, campuses and critical facilities are building practical drone oversight, awareness and response programs. We’ll cover what it takes to coordinate stakeholders, reduce risk and operationalize a scalable approach, not just purchase technology.
Who should attend: city and campus program owners (public safety, emergency management, CIO/IT, GIS, risk, procurement), venue and critical facility security leaders, and the integrators supporting drone awareness and operations
Request a free XPO Hall Pass for this workshop
Agenda:
Opening & Workshop Objectives (10 minutes)
An overview of how drone activity is reshaping security environments and what is required to build a coordinated program.
Industry Reality Check (15 minutes)
A look at evolving operational challenges, including DFR programs, event security, and shared airspace considerations.
Expert Panel: What Works and What Breaks (30–40 minutes)
Security leaders discuss governance, coordination, risk management, and implementation challenges across organizations.
Interactive Breakout Exercise (45 minutes)
Participants build a 90-day plan for implementing or scaling a drone-enabled security program using real-world scenarios.
Breakout Report-Outs (15 minutes)
Groups share key approaches and lessons learned, with expert perspectives on effective strategies.
Audience Q&A (20 minutes)
Open discussion addressing program ownership, policy development, and operational coordination.
Show Floor Action Plan & Close (5–10 minutes)
Practical guidance on evaluating solutions and aligning technology with governance and operational needs.
Date: Wednesday, May 13
Time: 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Location: Room 250A
Modernize inspections with drones and robotics and turn findings into action. Learn how operators are building repeatable programs that improve safety, speed decision-making, and connect inspection data to maintenance planning and work execution.
Who should attend: utilities, renewables, asset integrity, reliability and O&M leaders, infrastructure service providers
Request a free XPO Hall Pass for this workshop
Agenda:
Opening & Workshop Objectives (10 minutes)
An introduction to building scalable inspection programs that move from data collection to actionable outcomes.
Industry Reality Check (10 minutes)
A focused discussion on why inspection programs stall, including data quality, integration, and workflow challenges.
Practitioner Insights: What Works in the Field (30 minutes)
Operators share how inspection programs have evolved to deliver measurable improvements in safety, uptime, and cost.
Moderated Discussion: From Data to Decisions (20 minutes)
A targeted conversation on program design, QA/QC standards, and turning findings into operational actions.
Interactive Breakout Exercise (35 minutes)
Participants map a “findings-to-action” workflow, defining data validation, severity thresholds, and response pathways.
Breakout Report-Outs (10–15 minutes)
Groups share key decisions and highlight gaps in workflows and integration.
Show Floor Action Plan & Close (10–15 minutes)
Guidance on evaluating inspection solutions, integration capabilities, and scalability across operations.
From Data Capture to Deliverables: Scaling UAS in Surveying and Mapping
Date: Tuesday, May 12
Time: 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Location: Room 250B/C
For teams ready to move beyond pilots. Learn how experienced operators are scaling data capture and integrating autonomy into QA/QC, standards, and production workflows across survey, GIS, and engineering environments.
Who should attend: Surveyors, GIS managers, geospatial teams, AEC mapping leads, public-sector planning offices
Request a free XPO Hall Pass for this workshop
Agenda:
Opening & Workshop Framing (10 minutes)
An overview of how geospatial workflows are evolving from data capture to delivering reliable, survey-grade results.
Lightning Lessons: Where Projects Go Sideways (20 minutes)
Experts share common failure points in geospatial projects and how to address them.
Expert Panel: From Capture to Deliverables (50–60 minutes)
A structured discussion on the full geospatial workflow, including sensors, positioning, processing, and QA/QC practices.
Interactive Breakout Exercise (40 minutes)
Participants develop a workflow and QA/QC blueprint for real-world mapping scenarios.
Breakout Report-Outs (20 minutes)
Groups present key decisions and insights, with expert synthesis of best practices.
Audience Q&A (20 minutes)
Open discussion on scaling operations, improving accuracy, and managing data workflows.
Show Floor Action Plan & Close (15 minutes)
A practical guide to evaluating the full geospatial technology stack and making informed decisions.
*Subject to change
Complimentary Access to XPONENTIAL
Qualified workshop participants receive a complimentary XPO Hall Pass, providing access to:
- 550+ technology providers
- Live demonstrations and product showcases
- Platforms, sensors, software, integration partners, and services supporting real world operations
- Keynote sessions
- Other unique programming on Innovation theater and Defense Stage
XPONENTIAL compresses months of research, vendor meetings, and technology evaluation into one focused experience — allowing attendees to immediately apply what they learn during the workshop.
Eligibility & Registration
End-User Workshops are free for qualified end users. Registration requires verification to ensure sessions remain focused on operational users and buyers.
Important: Registration indicates interest and eligibility review is required. Complimentary passes are reserved for qualified end users. XPONENTIAL reserves the right to cancel registrations that do not meet eligibility requirements.
Why Attend
- Practical deployment insights from experienced operators and integrators
- Clear evaluation criteria for technologies on the show floor
- Actionable next steps and connections to help you adopt or scale with confidence.
Frequently Asked Questions
An end user is someone using or responsible for deploying drones, robotics, or autonomy in real operations (for example: operators, program managers, safety/compliance leads, inspection and O&M teams, VDC/GIS leads, and public safety or security leaders). These workshops are designed for practitioners and operational decision-makers, not product marketing.
Vendors and exhibitors are welcome at XPONENTIAL, but the complimentary End-User Workshop Hall Pass is intended for qualified end users. Vendors can attend by using their Exhibitor XPO Hall pass.
Registrations using workshop codes may be reviewed to keep sessions focused on qualified end users. You’ll receive a standard registration confirmation at checkout, and we will contact you only if any follow-up is needed.
Yes, if space allows. Workshops are scheduled in specific time blocks, so you can attend additional sessions that do not overlap.
The Hall Pass provides access to the End-User Workshop and the XPONENTIAL exhibit hall, including demos and the technology show floor. It does not include paid conference programming outside these workshops.
Yes. If you decide you want access to the full conference program, you can upgrade your registration through the XPONENTIAL registration portal.
This code is intended for end-user teams who do not typically attend XPONENTIAL. Please share only with colleagues who are implementers or operational users who could benefit from these workshops. Please do not post publicly or distribute to vendors.
Thank You to Our 2026 Sponsors + Partners
