DJI AirWorks conference goes virtual, and cheap, in August

DJI is by far the leading drone brand in the world. As such, its annual DJI AirWorks conference draws a large crowd from the professional drone industry — from construction inspection firms to law enforcement who use drones in first responder work. It’s normally an opportunity for drone fans and experts to see new technology up close and rub elbows at industry events. Alas, that won’t be happening this year, given coronavirus social distancing.

But the show will go on virtually, and at a substantial discount. When it was still envisioned as an in-person event, tickets for the August 25-28 Los Angeles event cost $749. Now you can get early bird tickets for just $49 if you buy between June 9 and July 8. (Afterward the price jumps up to $100.) There’s also a flash sale on June 8, with $35 for the first 500 people who purchase tickets.

This year’s show will be broken into four tracks focusing on four industries or use cases: construction, energy, public safety, and agriculture.

DJI is promising to make this DJI AirWorks as lively as possible. It will still have keynotes, breakout sessions, panels as usual. And the conference may actually feature more speakers, since it’s much easier for someone to attend virtually than in person. DJI plans to offer Q&A sessions after panels so that the audience can still participate. The company also says there will be networking opportunities, although it’s not yet clear how that will work virtually.