VERTICON 2027 Foundations Program 

Anaheim, California, USA – March 15-18, 2027 

Vertical Aviation International (VAI), a not-for-profit 501(c)(6) trade association, invites all vertical aviation experts and educators to submit a proposal for a 60-minute education session as part of VERTICON 2027 in Anaheim, California, USA. These sessions will be offered as part of the VERTICON Foundations Program, formerly known as the Rotor Safety Challenge. 

Open to all VERTICON attendees, Foundations presentations feature free events and short sessions that provide a forum for vertical aviation professionals to: 

• Learn industry best practices and professional skills 

• Identify key safety issues and expand their knowledge of safety concepts 

• Network about small-business issues and solutions 

• Discover tools and techniques to improve performance 

• Engage in dialogue with different aviation professions 

• Earn professional education credit toward the FAA Wings and AMT programs. 

The Foundations Program is offered as part of VERTICON 2027, the world’s largest conference and trade show for the global vertical aviation industry. VERTICON 2027 will take place at Atlanta’s Anaheim Convention Center Mar. 15-18, with exhibits open Mar. 16–18. Foundation sessions will be scheduled for Mar. 15-18, 2027. 

VAI seeks proposals for sessions that address topics and challenges in a clear and thoughtful manner from all segments and professions of the vertical aviation industry. VAI is particularly interested in receiving proposals for sessions that are interactive, speak to timely industry issues or trends, and provide practical tools and techniques attendees can apply for improved performance at their job or business. 

I. Benefits of Presenting 

The VERTICON Foundations program offers session presenters a powerful platform to network with 15,000 vertical aviation professionals and share knowledge, lessons learned, and industry best practices. As a not-for-profit trade association, VAI will not provide training fees or travel reimbursement to Foundations presenters. Instead, we encourage industry experts and educators to share their expertise in the spirit of advancing the international vertical aviation industry. 

Presenters selected to participate in the VERTICON 2027 Foundations program will receive the following: 

• Complimentary three-day registration to VERTICON 2027 

• Valuable experience presenting at the world’s largest vertical aviation conference and trade show as a subject-matter expert on your topic 

• Networking opportunities with and visibility to 15,000 vertical aviation professionals 

• Feedback on your presentation through participant session surveys 

• The opportunity to be considered for the VAI Speakers Bureau. 

II. Submission Process and Requirements 

Individuals or companies who wish to propose a Foundations session to be considered for the VERTICON 2027 Foundations program must submit a proposal using the VERTICON 2027 Foundations Submission form no later than Friday, June 5, 2026. A link to that form and additional information about the submission and notification process are provided in Section IV of this document. 

A. Suggested Presentation Topics 

Foundations presentations are NOT limited to safety topics but include a variety of topics of interest to vertical aviation professionals including those related to running an aviation business. In addition to the topics listed below, presenters are encouraged to suggest additional topics for consideration for Foundations sessions. Approval of all topics is at VAI’s discretion. 

 

Safe Landings	Safety Culture / Just Culture	Human Factors
Crisis Management	Business Case for Safety	Decision Making
Weather Conditions and Performance	Accident Factors and Prevention	FDM/HUMS
Threat And Error Management	SMS Implementation and Tools	Aviation Security
International Safety Standards	Crew Resource Management	Safety Leadership
Nextgen / New Technology	Maintenance	Industry Safety Performance
Uncrewed Operations	Fatigue In Helicopter Professionals	Risk Management
Training And Pilot / Mechanic Shortage	Flight Data-Monitoring and Analysis	Hazard Identification and Management
Small Business Management	Small Business Operations	Helicopter Lease Vs Purchase
Small Business Communications	Small Business Tax Considerations	Small Business Loans/Funding

 

B. Resources Provided by VAI  

VAI will provide Foundations presenters with suitable classroom facilities in the VERTICON 2027 convention center. Each Foundations classroom will have the following: 

 

Theater-style seating for 50 or more attendees	Podium at front of room	Flip chart or white board with markers
Projector with screen	Microphone	Speaker system

 

C. Session Evaluation Survey 

At the end of each Foundations presentation, a session evaluation survey will be provided to participants. Attendees will be asked to rate their satisfaction with the presentation, and the results will be used during the development of future Foundations programs, including if a session will be offered again or if a presenter will be invited to submit a proposal for future years.  

• Presenters are required to advise all participants to complete the survey. 

Upon request, VAI will provide a copy of completed session evaluation surveys to that session presenter. 

III. Proposal Requirements 

Proposal submissions must include the items listed below. Please note: partial or incomplete proposals may be rejected. 

A. Presenter Information 

Name	Job title and organization	Contact information
Education, experience, and qualifications, including any certifications	Presentation and teaching experience	Short bio (75-word limit)
Headshot (at least 300 dpi in .jpg or .png format; size: 2in x 2in)	Any limitations on date or time of presentation	VAI member status

 B. Session Information 

Suggested session title	Session description	Learning objectives
Target audience	Syllabus	Instruction / presentation method

 C. Program Track 

Indicate which tracks your session should be considered for: 

Aviation Business Operations	Aviation Business Tax Issues	Aviation Insurance
Decision-Making	Flight Operations	Human Factors
Maintenance and Technical Issues	Safety Culture and Leadership	Safety Management

 D. Sample Handout  

Provide a sample of at least one handout planned for distribution to session participants to highlight key concepts, tools and techniques, and examples of practical application.  

• Presenters should plan to distribute at least one handout to session participants. 

E. References 

Provide the following information for 3–5 individuals who have heard you present in the last 24 months: 

Reference name	Reference Email	Reference Phone
Reference organization	Topic presented	Presentation venue (e.g., EAA Air Venture 2025)

 F. Permission to Record and Publish 

VAI intends to make key presentations from the VERTICON 2027 Foundations program available to VAI members after the show concludes. To that end, we have recently begun to film presentations for later viewings on the VAI Online Academy, our learning management system. 

• Please advise if you are NOT willing to have your presentation recorded and published. 

Note: Unless you notify VAI in your proposal submission of your decision to opt out of having your presentation recorded and published as described above, all potential Foundations presenters, by responding to this Call for Presentations, grant VAI permission to record their presentations for publication on the VAI Online Academy. 

IV. Submission, Selection, and Notification Process 

A. Proposal Submittal 

Interested individuals shall submit proposals via the VERTICON 2027 Foundations Submission Form. Use of this submission form is required. 

Prospective presenters should prepare session proposals in compliance with all instructions outlined in this Call for Presentations. VAI reserves the right to reject unresponsive, partial, or incomplete proposals. 

Please note the following: 

• Please limit the number of proposed sessions by any one individual or company to two. If more than two sessions are submitted, the selection committee will arbitrarily choose two of the submitted sessions for consideration without looking at the others. 

• Proposals from VAI members will be given preference during the selection process. 

B. Evaluation Criteria 

VAI will review and evaluate the proposals. VAI anticipates making final selections based on the following criteria: 

Clarity of the proposal	Appeal and timeliness of topic	Alignment of session with Foundation’s purpose
Relevance to audience of vertical aviation professionals	Presenter’s education, experience, and qualifications	Benefits, tools, and practical application of session content
Session’s level of proposed interactivity with audience	Diversity reflected by presenters, participating organizations, relevant industry segments, and targeted vertical aviation professions	Evaluations of previously offered presentations

C. Selection and Notification Process 

VAI will respond to all those who submit a proposal with its decision about that proposal. 

D. Selection Process Schedule 

Call for presentations issued	Friday, May 8, 2026
Proposals due to VAI	Friday, June 12, 2026
Notification of decision to all those who submitted a proposal for a presentation	Friday, July 10, 2026

 E. VAI’s Right to Reject 

VAI reserves the right to reject any proposal, or portions of any proposal, at its sole discretion without cause. VAI reserves the right to edit submissions for length or grammar/sense. 

F. Further Information 

For more information, please contact: 

• Greg Brown
  VAI Director of Education and Training Services
  703-302-8479 | education@verticalavi.org