AUSA Annual Meeting 2026

AUSA's Annual Meeting is a three-day conference and exposition connecting military leaders, industry innovators, policymakers, and international delegations.

Walter E. Washington Convention Center, Washington, D.C.

Dates
12–14 October 2026
Venue
Walter E. Washington Convention Center, Washington, D.C.
Price
Free to register
Attendance
44,000+ attendees, 750+ exhibits

TL;DR

  • The AUSA Annual Meeting runs 12–14 October 2026 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C.
  • General registration is free, though every attendee must be badged and a lost or reprinted badge costs $25.
  • The exposition draws more than 44,000 attendees and 750+ exhibits, plus ticketed events like the Eisenhower Luncheon and the black-tie Marshall Dinner.
  • AUSA frames the meeting as a platform connecting military leaders, industry innovators, policymakers, and international delegations across the total Army community.

Source: meetings.ausa.org/annual/2026/2026NPKeyTicketInfo.cfm

About

The Annual Meeting is organized by AUSA, a non-profit educational organization that supports the total Army: active, Guard, Reserve, Army civilians, retirees, and families. AUSA positions the event as more than a trade show: a strategic platform linking military leaders, industry innovators, policymakers, and international delegations. The 2025 edition carried the theme Agile, Adaptive, Lethal: Winning at the Pace of Change.

Who you'll find in the room

Total Army community

Regular Army, Guard, Reserve, Army civilians, and family members.

Industry and exhibiting companies

Employees of exhibiting companies and of AUSA National or Community Partners.

Federal government

Civilian or contracted employees of the Federal Government.

International and public safety

Military forces of foreign nations, civilian embassy employees, military cadets, and law enforcement, firefighter, or EMS personnel.

Source: meetings.ausa.org/annual/2026/faqs.cfm

Featured speakers

4 listed

Secretary of the Army

Keynote address, Opening Ceremony

President and CEO, AUSA

Opening remarks, Opening Ceremony

Chief of Staff of the Army

State of the Army address, Eisenhower Luncheon

Frank Siller

2026 George C. Marshall Award recipient · Tunnel to Towers Foundation

Venue & travel

Venue

Walter E. Washington Convention Center, 801 Mt. Vernon Place NW, Washington, DC 20001

Getting there

The convention center is served directly by the Mt Vernon Square/7th Street Convention Center Metro station on the Yellow and Green lines.

Getting there

Exhibits are split across the center's halls: A, B, and C on the lower level, and D and E on the upper level.

Getting there

Exhibit halls are open 0900 to 1700 each day of the meeting.

Getting there

Coat and bag check is available at two locations for $5.50 per day.

Questions people ask

10 answered

The AUSA Annual Meeting 2026 runs 12–14 October 2026 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C.

More than 44,000 people attend the AUSA Annual Meeting, alongside 750+ exhibits on the show floor.

The AUSA Annual Meeting is held at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, 801 Mt. Vernon Place NW, Washington, DC 20001.

General registration for the AUSA Annual Meeting is free. A lost, forgotten, or incorrectly completed badge incurs a $25 reprint fee, and separately ticketed events such as the Eisenhower Luncheon and Marshall Dinner carry their own prices.

Attendees include the total Army (Regular Army, Guard, Reserve, and Army civilians), employees of exhibiting companies and AUSA partners, civilian or contracted federal government employees, and foreign military, embassy, cadet, and law enforcement or emergency services personnel.

Worth attending usually comes down to whether direct access to Army senior leaders, program offices, and the defense industrial base matters for your role. The organizer does not publish attendee satisfaction or return-on-investment figures, so weigh it against your own goals for the trip.

The AUSA Annual Meeting dress code is informal, except for the black-tie George Catlett Marshall Memorial Award Reception and Dinner on 14 October 2026.

AUSA promotes the Annual Meeting as the largest land power exposition and professional development forum in North America.

Separately ticketed events include the Dwight David Eisenhower Luncheon ($100 per person or $1,000 for a table of 10), the black-tie Marshall Memorial Award Reception and Dinner ($175 per person or $1,400 for a table of 8), and the Best Squad, NCO & Soldier of the Year Luncheon ($100 each). Social event ticket sales close online 16 September 2026, or when sold out, with no refunds after that date.

Employees of exhibiting companies and of AUSA National or Community Partners qualify to attend, within AUSA's broader description of the event as connecting industry innovators alongside military leaders and policymakers.

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