AUSA 2026 Dates — Oct 12-14 Washington DC | US Army Exhibition Stand Builder

AUSA Annual Meeting 2026 takes place 12-14 October 2026 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, Washington DC, USA. Organised by the Association of the United States Army (AUSA), the AUSA Annual Meeting is the largest US Army-focused defence exhibition globally — the 2024 edition registered 700+ exhibitors and 30,000+ trade visitors from 80+ countries, including senior US Army leadership and visiting allied delegations.

## Why Exhibit at AUSA 2026?

The US Army budget for FY 2025 is approximately USD 185 billion within the total US Department of Defense FY25 budget of USD 850 billion. The US Army is mid-execution on its largest equipment modernisation cycle since the post-Cold War period, with current priority programmes including:

• •Next-Generation Combat Vehicle (NGCV) — Bradley M2A4 + future OMFV
• •Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA) — Bell V-280 Valor selected
• •Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft (FARA) — cancelled but replacement requirements active
• •M10 Booker mobile protected firepower system (deliveries underway)
• •Long-Range Hypersonic Weapon (LRHW) — fielding phase
• •Integrated Battle Command System (IBCS) — Lower Tier Air & Missile Defense
• •Joint Counter-small UAS Office (JCO) — counter-drone systems
• •US Army Network Modernization — Capability Set 25 / 27 fielding

AUSA provides direct access to:

• •US Army senior leadership: Secretary of the Army, Chief of Staff, Vice Chief, Army Materiel Command (AMC), Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC)
• •Army Futures Command (AFC) — Cross-Functional Team leaders for each priority area
• •Program Executive Offices (PEO Ground Combat Systems, PEO Soldier, PEO Aviation, PEO C3T)
• •US Army Contracting Command (ACC) leadership
• •Visiting NATO army chiefs and allied delegations
• •US Marine Corps, US Special Operations Command (SOCOM) representatives
• •Foreign primes with US presence: BAE Systems Land & Armaments, Rheinmetall, KMW, Saab North America
• •US primes deeply engaged: General Dynamics Land Systems, Oshkosh Defense, AM General, Textron, Boeing Defense, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Raytheon, Leonardo DRS

The three-day format includes a Contemporary Military Forum series + Warriors Corner zone for senior US Army leadership Q&A — direct procurement-officer engagement opportunities not available at most defence shows.

## Exhibition Stand Solutions for AUSA 2026

Evreka Stand provides turnkey exhibition stand solutions for AUSA exhibitors. Three typical engagement formats:

• •Prime / National Champion custom stand — 200-600 m², integrated full-platform mock-ups (vehicles, drones, missile systems), Army leadership hosting zone, separate PEO-facing meeting cabins. Typical budget €130,000-€320,000.
• •Tier-1 / Tier-2 supplier custom-modular stand — 60-200 m², modular skeleton with custom finish + 2-4 meeting cabins. Typical budget €40,000-€110,000.
• •National pavilion / trade-promotion body — 200-1,000 m² coordinated multi-company pavilion. Turkish (SSB), Korean (DAPA), Israeli, Polish (PGZ) pavilions are AUSA Annual Meeting regulars.

## International Exhibitor Logistics — Istanbul to Washington DC

Sealed-container sea freight Istanbul → Baltimore Port (15-20 days) + truck to Washington DC (1-hour drive) is the standard path; sealed-container air freight via Dulles International (IAD) or Reagan National (DCA) is the fallback (5-7 days). US Customs and Border Protection accepts ATA Carnet for temporary import; certain controlled categories (ITAR-listed items) require additional pre-approval from US State Department Directorate of Defense Trade Controls. Visa: Turkish business passport holders require B-1 business visitor visa from US Embassy — typical processing 6-10 weeks, expedited Interview Waiver renewal possible if previous visa held.

Walter E. Washington Convention Center is in downtown DC — Dulles (IAD) 45 km / Reagan (DCA) 5 km / Baltimore (BWI) 50 km. The venue offers 65,000 m² of contiguous indoor exhibition space across multiple halls.

## Floor Plan at Walter E. Washington Convention Center

AUSA uses the full convention center footprint: - Halls A-B — Vehicles, weapons, ground C4ISR, large-platform OEMs - Halls C-D — Soldier systems, individual equipment, training, simulation - Halls E-F — Aviation, electronic warfare, cyber, networking - Country pavilion zones — Allied nation pavilions concentrated in one wing - Warriors Corner + Contemporary Military Forum theaters — Senior leadership Q&A

Booth allocation typically closes 4-5 months before the show — by May-June 2026 for the October 2026 edition.

## Past Editions — Reference Data

• •AUSA 2024 (14-16 October 2024) — 700+ exhibitors, 30,000+ visitors from 80+ countries
• •AUSA 2023 (9-11 October 2023) — 680+ exhibitors, 28,000+ visitors
• •AUSA 2022 (10-12 October 2022) — 660+ exhibitors (post-COVID recovery)

## Booking Timeline

For a turnkey custom stand to open Day 1 of AUSA 2026 (12 October 2026):

• •May-June 2026 — Booth allocation confirmed with AUSA, B-1 visa applications submitted (6-10 week processing)
• •June-July 2026 — Design brief + 3D concept + revisions (4-5 weeks)
• •July-August 2026 — Production at Istanbul facility (5-6 weeks)
• •Late August 2026 — Sea freight to Baltimore (15-20 days) + ITAR pre-approval for controlled items
• •Late September 2026 — On-site assembly + US Army security clearance for any controlled platforms
• •12 October 2026 — Show opens

## Frequently Asked Questions

When and where is AUSA 2026? 12-14 October 2026 at Walter E. Washington Convention Center, Washington DC. Three-day format.

How large is AUSA? 2024 edition: 700+ exhibitors and 30,000+ trade visitors from 80+ countries. Largest US Army-focused defence exhibition globally.

What ITAR considerations apply to AUSA exhibitors? US ITAR (International Traffic in Arms Regulations) covers defence articles and technical data. Most exhibit components are unrestricted, but specific items (export-controlled weapons systems, certain electronics, cryptographic materials) require pre-approval from the US State Department Directorate of Defense Trade Controls. Lead time 4-8 weeks. Evreka Stand coordinates with exhibitor compliance teams, but exporter retains responsibility for ITAR classification.

What is the typical AUSA booth size and cost? Tier-2 modular 60-150 m² (€30-75K). Tier-1 custom-modular 100-200 m² (€55-110K). OEM flagship 200-600 m² (€130-320K). National pavilion 200-1,000 m².

Can Evreka Stand build a stand for AUSA 2026? Yes — turnkey design, build and on-site Washington DC installation. US logistics chain via Baltimore Port or IAD/DCA air freight. Contact Evreka Stand for a written budget within 24 hours and a 3D concept within a week.