16 tracked editions: exhibitions, conferences, hackathons, demo days and programmes across Canada. Dates, venues, organisers and registration deadlines, curated.
DEFSEC Atlantic is the primary gateway to Canada's East Coast defence procurement ecosystem, offering direct access to Canadian Armed Forces, NATO DIANA representatives, and federal procurement officials at a single venue. The sold-out exhibition floor and a B2B meetings programme expanded by 40% for 2026 signal strong commercial momentum, making it a high-ROI event for SMEs and startups seeking to enter or grow within Canada's $30 billion+ ongoing defence procurement pipeline. Its focus on naval systems, cyber, AI, and aerospace aligns with Canada's commitment to reach 2% GDP defence spending.
This is the primary procurement-facing event for Quebec's naval supply chain, where federal ministers have used the platform to announce National Shipbuilding Strategy (NSS) contracts and submarine procurement updates — making it a critical intelligence touchpoint for any company seeking Davie, Royal Canadian Navy, or Canadian Coast Guard business. With ~750 participants and ~65 exhibitors, it is compact enough for SMEs and startups to gain direct access to prime contractors such as Chantier Davie and Thales Canada. Pre-scheduled B2B meetings with national and international outsourcers give exhibitors a structured path to new contracts.
Best Defence is the most accessible entry point into Ontario's defence-industrial ecosystem — Canada's largest — offering direct, affordable face-time with CAF procurement officers, federal/provincial decision-makers, and prime contractors at a fraction of the cost of CANSEC or major trade shows. For SMEs and startups, the Technology Showcase provides a curated on-stage pitch opportunity directly in front of CAF and government buyers. The ODA's official backing adds institutional credibility and a growing member network, making it a high-ROI event for companies seeking Canadian programmes of record or teaming partners.
Canada's February 2026 Defence Industrial Strategy commits ~CAD $82 billion to defence over five years under a 'Build–Partner–Buy' framework, triggering a wave of new ITB obligations for every prime contractor winning eligible contracts over $100 million — making this the single most relevant annual gathering for companies navigating those commitments. For SMEs and startups, the conference is a direct pipeline to obligors actively seeking Canadian partners and flow-down recipients to satisfy ITB credits. Attendance provides unmatched access to the government officials and policy architects at ISED and the Defence Investment Agency who administer and are actively reforming the ITB Policy.
DEFSEC West is the only dedicated defence, security, and aerospace trade show in Western Canada, filling a long-recognised gap for SMEs and primes seeking Canadian content supply chain partners in the region. The Government of Canada participates with a whole-of-government procurement presence, making it a direct access point for companies navigating Canadian defence contracting. With two-thirds of 2027 space already sold off the back of a strong inaugural edition, it is rapidly becoming a must-attend event for any company targeting the Canadian defence market.
CANSEC is the single most important gateway to Canadian defence procurement, with 74% of attendees involved in purchasing decisions and over CAD $1 billion in business opportunities generated annually. For SMEs and startups, the CANSEC Connect B2B/B2G programme provides structured access to Canadian Armed Forces procurement officers, DND officials, and allied-nation delegations that would otherwise be difficult to reach. The 2026 edition set attendance records and had 250 companies on a waitlist for 2027 floor space, signalling exceptional demand and commercial urgency.
HFX is widely regarded as the foremost security policy forum for democracies, giving defence industry partners direct access to cabinet-level officials, senior military officers, and NATO leadership in an intimate, off-the-record setting that rarely exists at larger trade shows. For SMEs and primes alike, the Club HFX partnership model offers branding and networking opportunities alongside heads of state and defence ministers, making it a high-leverage venue for shaping procurement narratives and policy. Announcements made at HFX — such as new missile defence research agreements — frequently translate into concrete procurement and alliance decisions in the months that follow.
As the inaugural edition of what DND has confirmed will be an annual event, this conference is the primary government-convened forum where Canadian defence AI policy, procurement direction, and industry partnerships are shaped at the senior level. For SMEs and startups, the invite-only format provides rare direct access to DND directors, Major-Generals, and CANSOFCOM AI leads who influence acquisition decisions. The breakout structure is explicitly designed to seed post-conference Defence–industry working groups, making participation a potential entry point into Canada's accelerating AI capability pipeline.
With ~2,000 registered guests including cabinet ministers, the Chief of the Defence Staff, all service commanders, and representatives from 20+ federal departments, this is the single highest-density government-military decision-maker gathering in the Canadian defence calendar — making it the most direct access point for suppliers seeking to shape procurement priorities and policy. The 2026 theme of a historic 5%-of-GDP spending commitment signals a multi-year surge in Canadian defence budgets, creating immediate pipeline opportunities across all capability domains. For SMEs and startups, the conference's exhibitor floor and sponsorship tiers offer rare direct visibility to senior DND officials and allied delegations in an intimate, dialogue-driven setting.
IAIF is the primary deal-making and partnership forum for the Québec and Canadian aerospace ecosystem, drawing primes such as Airbus, Bombardier, CAE, Pratt & Whitney Canada, and Siemens alongside a dense SME and startup community. The 2026 edition explicitly addressed defence sovereignty, agile supply chains, and dual-use technology adoption — directly relevant to suppliers seeking Canadian and transatlantic defence contracts. With 2,500 scheduled B2B meetings and delegations from 11 countries, it offers concentrated access to procurement and investment decision-makers in a single venue.
The symposium surfaced concrete procurement and infrastructure themes — dual-use roads, runways, and ports — directly relevant to defence suppliers and SMEs active in Arctic and northern markets. With all Arctic NATO allies now aligned post-Sweden/Finland accession, the event reflects accelerating Canadian defence investment and Nordic partnership opportunities that SMEs and primes should track. The high-level diplomatic and parliamentary attendance signals government intent and potential procurement signals for Arctic domain awareness, logistics, and sovereignty capabilities.
Mari-Tech is the single most important annual gathering for Canada's marine engineering and shipbuilding supply chain, making it a critical venue for defence-adjacent maritime suppliers targeting Royal Canadian Navy and Coast Guard procurement pipelines. The dedicated PSPC procurement outlook session gives SMEs and primes direct visibility into upcoming federal vessel contracts and industrial policy. With 85 confirmed exhibitors and 500–600 targeted attendees drawn from shipyards, regulators, and DND-adjacent operators, it is the highest-density Canadian maritime business-development event of the year.
JOS is the principal CAF/DND platform for shaping Canada's operational approach to defence, bringing together GOFOs, intelligence community heads (CSE, CSIS), Five Eyes defence attachés, and select industry and academic representatives from bodies such as CADSI. For defence suppliers and SMEs, it is a rare window into the CAF's near-term operational priorities and procurement signals, particularly around Arctic/continental defence and all-domain readiness. The 2026 all-domain theme directly foreshadows capability gaps and investment areas that will drive future DND procurement decisions.
MASS is the dominant English-language conference focused specifically on Arctic sovereignty and maritime security in North America, giving defence SMEs and startups direct access to Canadian Armed Forces, Coast Guard, and government procurement stakeholders in a single venue. The facilitated B2B and B2G meeting programme makes it one of the most commercially actionable events in the Canadian defence calendar for companies seeking DND and allied contracts. Its consistent growth — reaching a record 600 delegates in 2026 — signals increasing government and industry investment in northern and maritime capabilities, making it a critical intelligence-gathering and business-development opportunity.
ADSE is the single most important annual touchpoint for defence and aerospace suppliers seeking access to Canadian Armed Forces leadership, DND procurement officials and major prime contractors such as Lockheed Martin Canada and Boeing Canada. For SMEs and startups, the structured B2B programme and co-location with the Abbotsford Airshow provide rare direct access to RCAF and NORAD decision-makers at a regional scale. With Canada's defence spending ramping up under NATO commitments and the F-35 and NORAD modernisation programmes accelerating, ADSE is a critical venue for positioning in the Canadian defence industrial base.
Abbotsford is the highest-profile public showcase for Canadian and allied military aviation capability in Western Canada, drawing ~80,000–125,000 spectators and generating over CAD $6 million in regional economic activity annually. For defence SMEs and aerospace suppliers, the event offers direct access to RCAF demonstration teams, military procurement audiences, and a large cross-border (Canada/US Pacific Northwest) defence-aware public. The STEM zone and Aviation Workshop for Women also signal a pipeline-development angle relevant to workforce-focused defence primes and institutions.
Canada hosts 13 tracked defence and dual-use events in 2026 across 8 cities. Every entry carries dates, venue, organiser, who actually attends, expected scale, exhibitor cost band and the registration deadline. Anchor editions include DEFSEC Atlantic, Annual Meeting of the Supply Chain and Best Defence Conference 2026. Coverage is refreshed as organisers publish dates, so a Canada edition that moves is corrected here rather than left stale.
Frequently asked
How many defence events in Canada are there in 2026?
MIKES tracks 13 defence events in Canada in 2026, including DEFSEC Atlantic, Annual Meeting of the Supply Chain and Best Defence Conference 2026.
Which defence event in Canada is next?
DEFSEC Atlantic is next, opening 6 October 2026 in Halifax, Canada.
When do registrations close for defence events in Canada?
Deadlines are tracked per edition: 1 of the 13 listed for 2026 still have an open registration deadline, the soonest being Best Defence Conference 2026 on 8 September 2026.
How much do defence events in Canada cost to attend?
Cost is recorded per edition rather than estimated. All 13 listed carry a published cost or exhibitor price band, from free entry to paid delegate and stand packages.
Missing a Canada event we should track?
The catalog is curated, which means it is only as complete as the people using it. Paste the event URL and we do the rest: dates, venue, taxonomy and the decision note. Listed contributors are credited on the event page.
