BZ Media LLC announced today the addition of the Women in Drones Lunch and Panel, a special networking event, to the International Drone Conference and Exposition being held September 9-10-11 at The Rio in Las Vegas. The event will be led by Lisa Ellman, co-chair, UAS Practice Group, McKenna Long & Aldridge LLP. She will be joined by Sally French, journalist at the Wall Street Journal, blogger behind TheDroneGirl.com, and social media editor for MarketWatch; Dyan Gibbens, leader of Trumbull Unmanned and Unmanned Cowboys, and Gretchen West, DroneDeploy’s vice president of Business Development and Regulatory Affairs.
The lunch and panel will take place on Thursday, Sept. 10, from 12:30 pm – 1:30 pm. “There is so much opportunity for women in the drone industry and I am delighted to be a part of an event that both celebrates the accomplishments of women in unmanned systems and provides a platform for the next generation to get involved,” Ellman said.
“Having been in the unmanned systems and drone industry for over a decade, I’m always excited to see more people become interested in technology, engineering and aviation and I’m pleased to see the trend of more women joining this fast-paced environment. Events like the Women in Drones Luncheon are a great way to raise awareness to a new market segment and to encourage more participation in this industry from women,” West added.
“Though women are underrepresented in this field, we benefit from the many women that overcame obstacles before us. Because of their efforts, we have a level playing field and I am excited to see young girls and boys pursuing careers in unmanned systems,” Gibbens said.
Lastly, French added: “I’ve met female drone enthusiasts on the internet through forums and Facebook groups, but it’s incredible to finally have a place where we can all come together and meet up. It’s easy to feel like the odd one out in a male-dominated industry like drones. The industry is prone to frequent marketing techniques that target men while objectifying women. Even if you haven’t experienced blatant sexism, there is peer pressure to have certain gear, fly a particular way or conform to group ideas.
Luckily, drones are a burgeoning industry and women don’t have to be the odd ones out. Now is the time to promote gender equality and respect among all pilots. This luncheon will be a refreshing time to build relationships with other women so we can work to build a stronger, more effective community of diverse drone operators.”
In addition to this event, InterDrone will feature more than 100 classes, panels and keynotes in all. The program will have a two-day technical conference, DroneTechCon, for drone-building engineers and software developers, and an overlapping two-day conference, Drone Flyer, for the buyers and flyers of commercial drones. There is also Drone Business for finding out the best market opportunities and a special Precision Agriculture track. This will be combined with an exposition showcasing 80+ exhibitors expected to display their latest products and technology.
“InterDrone™ will be the largest commercial drone conference and expo in North America this year, reaching every constituency in this red-hot market,” said Ted Bahr, Chairman of InterDrone. “More than 115 media and association partners on five continents are helping to drive awareness of InterDrone and building it into the premier ‘Big Tent’ commercial drone event in this country.”
Chris Anderson, New York Times best-selling author, CEO of 3D Robotics, and founder of DIY Drones will deliver the Grand Keynote address at InterDrone, and more than 3,000 drone builders, flyers and buyers are expected to attend the event.
BZ Media has also partnered with the CTIA–The Wireless Association® to allow attendees going to CTIA Super Mobility 2015 to also attend InterDrone. CTIA Super Mobility 2015 badge holders gain free “expo badge” attendance for InterDrone, while InterDrone badge holders gain free “expo badge” access to CTIA Super Mobility 2015, with express shuttle bus service between the event sites running during show hours.
Both companies will also implement a whole range of coordinated sessions, displays and crossover attendance options for exhibitors and attendees from each event.
Registration for InterDrone—strictly for trade and commercial drone builders, buyers and flyers and business owners—is now open at www.InterDrone.com. The Call for Speakers will close on May 22. For information on speaking at InterDrone, contact Katie Serignese at kserignese@bzmedia.com. For information on exhibiting or event sponsorships, please contact Ted Bahr at ted@bzmedia.com or +1 631-421-4158 x101.