In September 2018, the fourth annual Women in Drones Luncheon, an event that strives to highlight the accomplishments of women in the commercial drone space, will take place at InterDrone, the largest commercial drone conference event in North America.

InterDrone Networking Event: Women in Drones Luncheon

Suzanne Lemieux, UAS Lead and Manager, API (American Petroleum Institute), will host the 2018 event. Other esteemed participants so far include Lia Reich, VP Marketing-Communications at PrecisionHawk, Sharon Rossmark, CEO and Founder of Women and Drones, and Mariah Scott, President of Skyward, A Verizon Company.

An exciting development for the event this year is its partnership with Women and Drones, the largest online platform for women in the unmanned aerial systems (UAS) industry. During the luncheon, Women and Drones will announce the 2018 Women to Watch in UAS list of honorees. These women are have made exceptional contributions to the UAS industry and were selected from hundreds of nominations.

UAV Coach interviewed Sharon Rossmark, CEO and founder of Women and Drones, last year when the Women to Watch in UAS initiative first began. At that time, Rossmark shared that she envisioned the initiative as a way to identify women in the industry who are making an impact. The vision has remained clear this year as judges review hundreds of nominations from around the world and select the finalists to announce at InterDrone’s Women in Drones Luncheon.

InterDrone debuted the first Women in Drones Luncheon in 2015, and it has quickly grown into a model for networking in the commercial drone industry. The 2018 conference will feature more than 120 sessions, panel discussions, and keynotes conducted by renowned industry experts, covering numerous commercial drone applications. Opportunities for networking continue during the InterDrone After Hours sessions, open to all attendees with either a full conference or expo plus pass.

InterDrone will take place at the Rio Hotel in Las Vegas, September 5 – 7. The luncheon will be on Thursday, September 6, from 12:15 pm – 1:30 pm. UAV Coach readers can use the code UAVCOACH for $100 off any of the conference tickets.

Increasing Female Representation in the Drone Industry

The drone industry has created numerous jobs in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. Statistically, these job opportunities are more likely to filled by men than women. According to a 2017 report by the Office of the Chief Economist (OCE), “While women continue to make gains across the broader economy, they remain underrepresented in STEM jobs and among STEM degree holders.” In the report, it was found that nearly as many women have degrees as men, but that women make up only 30% of STEM degree holders. Furthermore, it was concluded that women are underrepresented in STEM jobs.

Women filled 47% of all U.S. jobs in 2015 but held only 24% of STEM jobs. Likewise, women constitute slightly more than half of college educated workers but make up only 25% of college educated STEM workers.

— Office of the Chief Economist, Women in STEM: 2017 Update

According to Suzanne Lemieux, UAS Lead and Manager, API (American Petroleum Institute) and luncheon moderator, the Women in Drones Luncheon will help to close the gender gap in STEM fields such as those concerning drone technology.

This is an incredible time for women to enter into this emerging field, to participate in these new developments, and to pave a pathway for more girls to enter into STEM careers. I look forward to moderating the luncheon panel to help build networking opportunities for more women and girls.

— Susan Lemieux, UAS Lead and Manager, API (American Petroleum Institute)

Register for InterDrone

InterDrone, The International Drone Conference and Exposition, is where the commercial UAV industry comes together. It is the most comprehensive conference program along with in-depth drone courses and special events, including the Enterprise After Hours and the Women in Drones Luncheon, as well as meetups designed for networking and keeping drone pilots up to date on the latest in drone news and the industry.

Attendee registration is now open. Pricing is available on their website. Our advice is to purchase your ticket as early as possible for the best deal. Also, remember to use the code UAVCOACH for $100 off your ticket.

UAV Coach has also partnered with InterDrone to arrange a sweepstakes and give away two free tickets to InterDrone. Visit our community forum for details on how to enter for a chance to win one of two free InterDrone tickets before the sweepstakes closes on August 7, 2018, 12AM.

Members of our own UAV Coach team will be at InterDrone 2018, observing how the industry has grown, gaining new knowledge on UAS technology advancements, and meeting other drone companies. We’re so excited to return to this year’s conference. Check out this video of highlights from last year:

And one last thing — let us know on Facebook if you plan to attend InterDrone 2018, and be sure to say hi if you see one of our team members at the conference!