AUSA Annual Meeting & Exposition
Washington, D.C. / United States
The anchor event for anyone selling to the US Army. Program offices and primes are present in force; ideal for SMEs seeking subcontracting and teaming opportunities.
paidSee details
North AmericaConferences & summits
20–21 Oct 2026
Best Defence Conference 2026
RBC Place London, 300 York Street, London, Ontario N6B 1P8 · London, Canada
- Dates
- Tue, 20 October 2026 – Wed, 21 October 2026
- Venue
- RBC Place London, 300 York Street, London, Ontario N6B 1P8
- Location
- London, Canada
- Organizer
- Pilot Hill Ltd. / Ontario Defence Association
- Cost
- paid
- Scale
- intimate
- Recurrence
- annual
- Reg. deadline
- 8 Sept 2026
- Format
- On-site
Market intel
Cheap pricingmedium confidence
Best Defence is a focused, intimate Canadian defence conference self-described as one of Canada's top-three defence events, averaging around 500 attendees drawn from industry, CAF, and government procurement.
- The 2026 edition is the first under the official ODA banner, with a marquee speaker lineup including senior CAF generals, federal ministers, and defence-industry executives.
- Exhibitor and sponsorship numbers are not publicly disclosed; the event positions itself on quality of access over scale.
Notable exhibitors
General Dynamics Land Systems–CanadaBDC (Business Development Bank of Canada)Roshel Inc.ANVIL IntelligencePalitronicaDeloitte LLPBell CanadaDominion Dynamics
AI-researched Tue, 25 August 2026. Estimates from public sources. Verify with the organizer.
Why it matters
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.
About
Best Defence Conference is Canada's annual defence-industrial conference held in London, Ontario — the heart of Canada's largest provincial defence-industrial base.
- Now the official conference of the Ontario Defence Association, the two-day event brings together Canadian Armed Forces commanders, federal and provincial procurement decision-makers, prime contractors, SMEs, and technology innovators for keynotes, roundtables, a Technology Showcase, and curated B2B/B2G matchmaking.
- The program covers Canadian defence procurement pipelines, supply-chain development across air, land, naval, and C4ISR domains, and emerging capabilities in AI, cyber, quantum, and autonomy.
Topics
ProcurementC2 / Battle ManagementISR & SensorsAIDual-use
Who it's for
PrimesSMEsStartupsInstitutions
Funding behind this kind of event
Instruments with a call window open right now, tracked with their deadlines.
- CASSINI — CASSINI Space Entrepreneurship InitiativeEuropean Commission (DG DEFIS), with EUSPA and the EIF
- DEF — Defence Equity FacilityEuropean Investment Fund with the European Commission, under InvestEU
- EIB — EIB Group Security and Defence FinancingEuropean Investment Bank Group
Related events
Compare these
Annual Meeting of the Supply Chain
Lévis / Canada
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.
paidSee details
Total Security – Kongres Bezpieczeństwo Polski
Warsaw / Poland
The congress convenes senior Polish government, military and state-owned-enterprise decision-makers alongside technology suppliers, making it a venue for suppliers and SMEs to reach public-sector buyers and prime contractors. Sessions on technological sovereignty, public-private partnership, procurement (PZP) and defence funding map directly to commercial opportunities for domestic vendors. For startups and SMEs it offers direct visibility with ministries and critical-infrastructure operators who set requirements and budgets.
Closes in 7d · 21 Oct
paidSee details