GLOBAL DRONE® PROGRAM
Three Days.
Two Congress Rooms.
One Stadium Full of Possibility.
Global Drone® 2026 brings Congress, Expo and Drone Zone live demonstrations together at Cbus Super Stadium on the Gold Coast from Wednesday 11 to Friday 13 November.
The three-day Congress runs across two concurrent rooms and features six congress streams, global speakers, expert panels and daily premium Keynote Luncheons.
Throughout the event, the Expo connects visitors with over 200 global brands, while the Aviation Australia Drone Zone presents live demonstrations on the stadium field.
Friday features Future Careers Day presented by Griffith University, connecting students and educators with industries, technologies and career pathways already shaping the workforce.
Three Days of Congress, Innovation and Live Experience
Program at a Glance
WEDNESDAY11 NOVEMBER 2026
ROOM 1 - SESSION 1 | 9AM-10:30AM
Advanced Air Mobility Congress
FOCUS: eVTOLs, cargo drones, air taxis, zero-emission transport, vertiports and Queensland’s readiness for Brisbane 2032.
PANEL
Amelia Evans
CEO | Queensland Airports
PANEL
Liesl Haris
CEO | GAP Drone
PANEL
Sara Hales
GM Ops | Archerfield Airport
ROOM 1 - SESSION 2 | 11AM-12PM
Advanced Air Mobility Congress
PANEL
Aaron Shaw
Managing Director | Alt Air
PANEL
Dan Parsons
Aviation Operations & Safety | Wisk
PANEL
Keisuke Yasukochi
Global Intelligence Officer | Skydive
PANEL
Takumi Mori
BDM | Eve Air Mobility
ROOM 2 - SESSION 1 | 9AM-10:30AM
Agri-Business Congress
FOCUS: The importance of Agri drones and innovations across robotics and BVLOS, plus likely future trends focusing on crop monitoring, precision spraying, stock management and water management.
THURSDAY12 NOVEMBER 2026
ROOM 1 - SESSION 1 | 9AM-10:30AM
Defence Robotics & Counter-UAS Congress
FOCUS: Defence robotics, uncrewed systems, counter-UAS, critical infrastructure protection and national security.
KEYNOTE
Brigadier Grant Chambers
Director General Joint Warfare
ROOM 1 - SESSION 3 | 2:30PM-3:30PM
Defence Robotics & Counter-UAS Congress
PANEL
Bianca Park
Moderator
PANEL
Mark Girard
CEO | Invest Gold Coast
PANEL
Carolyne Huber
Trade Commissioner, Aerospace, Defence, Security | High Commission of Canada
PANEL
Vasyl Myroshnychenko
Ambassador for Ukraine to Australia & NZ
ROOM 1 - SESSION 4 | 4PM-5PM
Defence Robotics & Counter-UAS Congress
FOCUS: Protecting Australian infrastructure and what will it take to protect Australia’s critical infrastructure.
MODERATOR
Rob Sutton
Managing Director | Mirragin
PANEL
Des Lacy
Head of Security | Brisbane 2032 Olympic & Paralympic Games
PANEL
Superintendent Paul Hart
Commander, Program Manager | Brisbane 2032 Olympic & Paralympic Games, Queensland Police Service
PANEL
Kacey Lam-Evans
Government Affairs & Media Director | DroneShield
ROOM 2 - SESSION 1 | 9AM-10:30AM
Technology, Ecology, Conservation, & Natural Disaster Response
FOCUS: Drones and conservation.
OPENING KEYNOTE
David Guerin
Co-founder | Global Conservation Tech and Drone Forum
ROOM 2 - SESSION 2 | 11AM-12PM
Technology, Ecology, Conservation, & Natural Disaster Response
FOCUS: Real-time application of drones in conservation.
OPENING KEYNOTE
Jamie Holyoak
General Manager | AUAV
ROOM 2 - SESSION 3 | 2:30PM-3:30PM
Technology, Ecology, Conservation, & Natural Disaster Response
PANEL
Damien Boyer
Head of Uncrewed Aviation | Surf Lifesaving Queensland
PANEL
Andrew Davies
Founder & CEO | Taz Drone Solutions
FRIDAY13 NOVEMBER 2026
ROOM 1 - SESSION 1 | 10:30AM-11:45AM
Future Invest - Pitch Session 1
Presented by Beaten Zone Venture Partners
FOCUS: PitchFest – a ‘shark tank’ style funding platform where innovators of robotics and autonomous systems across defence, space and aerospace compete for corporate funding for their ideas.
MC
Peta Ellis
General Manager | Beaten Zone Venture Partners
JUDGE
Steve Baxter
Founder & Lead Investor | Beaten Zone Venture Partners
JUDGE
Shawn Tansley
Director | BIA5
JUDGE
Christine Head
System Safety Engineer | Insitu Pacific
JUDGE
Wing Commander Keirin Joyce
Deputy Director Disruptive Experimentation | RAAF
JUDGE
Kristian Cruickshank
Red Fleet Senior Engineer | Chaos1
ROOM 1 - SESSION 2 | 2:30PM-4:45PM
Future Invest - Pitch Session 2
Presented by Beaten Zone Venture Partners
FOCUS: PitchFest – a ‘shark tank’ style funding platform where innovators of robotics and autonomous systems across defence, space and aerospace compete for corporate funding for their ideas.
MC
Peta Ellis
General Manager | Beaten Zone Venture Partners
JUDGE
Steve Baxter
Founder/Lead Investor | Beaten Zone Venture Partners
JUDGE
Shawn Tansley
Director | BIA5
JUDGE
Christine Head
System Safety Engineer | Insitu Pacific
JUDGE
Wing Commander Keirin Joyce
Deputy Director Disruptive Experimentation | RAAF
JUDGE
Kristian Cruickshank
Red Fleet Senior Engineer | Chaos1
ROOM 2 - SESSION 2 | 9AM-10:30AM
Entertainment
FOCUS: A new point of view: Drone and the Reinvention of Firm and Entertainment
MODERATOR
Schuyler Weiss
Managing Director | Bazmark Productions
PANEL
Dan Walkington
Head of Originals | Butter Media
PANEL
Duncan Jones
Founder & CEO | Myriad Studios
PANEL
Aaron Corera
Production Manager | Xm2 AU
ROOM 2 - SESSION 2 | 11AM-12PM
Entertainment & Sport
PANEL
Nathan Prendergast
Head of Broadcast | Supercars
PANEL
Chris Greaves
Director | Aura Drone Shows
ROOM 2 - SESSION 3 | 2:30PM-3:30PM
Mining, Construction & Asset Management
PANEL
Andrew Davies
Founder & CEO | Prismo
PANEL
James Rennie
Managing Director | AUAV
ROOM 2 - SESSION 3 | 4PM-5PM
Mining, Construction & Asset Management
PANEL
Mahmood Hussein
Founder & CEO | Global Drone Services
FUTURE INVEST
FRI – 13 NOV
Apply to Pitch at Future Invest
In partnership with Beaten Zone Venture Partners
A dedicated pitch day for Australian founders building the technology that will define Australia’s sovereign defence and drone capability. Future Invest brings together early-stage innovators, growth-stage companies, investors, system integrators and defence industry leaders for one focused day of pitching, connection and capital. Presented by Beaten Zone Venture Partners.
Important
Ticket Information
- Congress sessions require a valid Congress Pass.
- The Expo and Drone Zone can be accessed with an eligible ticket.
- Keynote Luncheons are a premium experience and require a seperate ticket.
- Program sessions, speakers and demonstration times remain subject to change.
BEYOND THE CONGRESS
What Else Is Happening Each Day
Alongside the Congress program, delegates and visitors can explore the Expo, watch live Drone Zone demonstrations, attend Keynote Luncheons and take part in day-specific networking and Future Careers activities.
Wednesday 11 November
- Expo
- Aviation Australia Drone Zone live demonstrations
- Congress streams
- Keynote Luncheon
- Networking / stakeholder activity
Thursday 12 November
- Expo
- Aviation Australia Drone Zone live demonstrations
- Congress streams
- Keynote Luncheon
- Networking / stakeholder activity
Friday 13 November
- Expo
- Aviation Australia Drone Zone live demonstrations
- Congress streams
- Keynote Luncheon
- Future Careers Day presented by Griffith University
Be Part of Global Drone® 2026
Choose your pathway and be part of Global Drone®, the world-first event platform bringing drones, robotics, AI, Advanced Air Mobility, defence, agritech, investment, education and live demonstrations together on the Gold Coast, Australia.
Global Drone® is an 18+ event, with all attendees subject to security screening.
Students under 18 may attend Future Careers Day on Friday 13 November as part of a registered school group, or accompanied by a parent or guardian.