DETROIT — On May 11-14, Huntington Place hosted AUVSI’s™ XPONENTIAL, the world’s largest autonomy, drone and robotics trade show. XPONENTIAL united the defense community across more than 25,000 square feet of programming and exhibits, and showcased how uncrewed systems are bolstering national security and advancing mission-ready technology.
For the past few years, Visit Detroit President and CEO Claude Molinari has championed Detroit on the global stage, helping bring major events like XPONENTIAL to “The Motor City.”
Trade Show Executive (TSE) sat down with Molinari to discuss XPONENTIAL and Detroit’s broader momentum and bright future.
ANDREW: How did Detroit land this landmark event?
CLAUDE: Securing XPONENTIAL in our destination was the result of years of deliberate work communicating Detroit’s value to global decision-makers who choose host cities for these types of trade shows.
When you walk our streets, you’re surrounded by engineering culture, innovation and the industrial DNA that AUVSI’s community lives and breathes every day. We leveraged Detroit’s automotive and industrial legacy to make a compelling case that no city is better positioned to host the next chapter of mobility.
ANDREW: What does this signal for the city’s broader momentum?
CLAUDE: Hosting XPONENTIAL validates Detroit’s ability to attract and execute large-scale, world-class events. Huntington Place is already one of the largest convention centers in the country, and the upcoming JW Marriott Detroit Water Square hotel connection will only bolster our ability to attract major international events.
With more than 1,600 new hotel rooms coming online between 2027 and 2029, including another 600-room hotel directly adjacent to Huntington Place, Detroit is building the infrastructure to compete with the country’s top-tier convention markets, and we’re making sure the world knows it.
ANDREW: Could you walk through how the show is utilizing Detroit and how it has benefited from it?
CLAUDE: AUVSI positioned Detroit as the natural backdrop for XPONENTIAL, and that’s something we take pride in. This isn’t a case of a show coming to a region because it had available dates on the calendar.
XPONENTIAL unites leaders in uncrewed and robotic systems across air, land, sea and space — and that mission maps directly back to Detroit’s and the state of Michigan’s established strengths in mobility, manufacturing, defense, supply chain readiness and industrial innovation. The synergy is genuine and authentic.
From an impact standpoint, we hosted more than 550 exhibiting companies and 10,000 attendees at Huntington Place over four days, with 23% of those being international visitors.
The economic contribution is substantial and comparable to other top 250 U.S. trade shows. But the impact goes beyond the dollar figures.
Detroit gets to showcase itself to an influential global audience. Every delegate who leaves Detroit impressed potentially becomes a repeat visitor, a future meeting planner and a global ambassador. That compounding return is what makes international convention wins so strategically valuable.
Related. Meeting in the Motor City: A Spotlight on Huntington Place and Detroit
ANDREW: What other key events are headed to Detroit this year?
CLAUDE: Detroit’s event calendar is as strong as it’s ever been, and we’re consistently building on it.
On the mobility front, we have MOVE America in September, also at Huntington Place … Motor City Pride will take over our city in June, the African World Festival returns in July, the Woodward Dream Cruise will once again descend upon our city in August, and the Detroit Month of Design takes place in September.
Then it’s time for the Lions to begin their quest for a Super Bowl in the fall!
ANDREW: What makes Detroit unique for trade shows and events?
CLAUDE: Bleisure travel has taken off in recent years, with professionals wanting to pair their work trips with personal time, and Detroit is perfectly built for it.
Convention attendees can take full advantage of everything our walkable downtown has to offer during their event and then easily extend their trip into one of our unique, lively neighborhoods, like Corktown, Midtown, Eastern Market, Mexicantown, Greektown, Dearborn, Grosse Pointe, Ferndale, Royal Oak and beyond.
Visit Detroit is the only organization promoting Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties together regionally, nationally and internationally as a unified convention, business meeting and tourism destination.
That regional alignment is what separates our role from any individual venue or city department, and it’s why hosting large-scale international events has an impact both inside and outside downtown.
ANDREW: How has Detroit changed in the past few years — and what changes are on the horizon?
CLAUDE: Detroit’s recent success is defined by its ability to convert the momentum from major events.
The successful 2024 NFL Draft put all eyes on Detroit, and we’re excited about the 2027 Men’s Final Four returning to Detroit for the first time since 2009.
Looking ahead, the city is set to unveil major developments, including the spring opening of the Gordie Howe International Bridge, which will enhance cross-border connectivity.
Our culinary scene has earned widespread recognition, consistently producing James Beard nominees and securing a place in the upcoming MICHELIN American Great Lakes Guide.
With multiple new hotels opening over the next few years, every new room and new connection reinforces our ability to compete for the biggest events in the world.
ANDREW: What else would you like to share about the Motor City?
CLAUDE: I’d say this: Detroit has always been a city with grit and determination. We’ve spent years building the relationships, the infrastructure pitch and the destination credibility to compete at the highest level, and we’re doing it. XPONENTIAL was a success.
The 2027 Men’s Final Four is booked, and IPW 2028 is coming shortly after. Attracting 25 million visitors by 2030 is a goal we’ve set, and XPONENTIAL, along with all of the other amazing things on the horizon, directly support that goal.
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