Day 1 recap of the 2nd annual Eastern Defense Summit showcases high-level military, defense collabor

CDCA in the News: Press Releases

Thursday, December 12, 2024 (0 Comments)
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Summit Registration

The sold-out summit has drawn more than 2,400 attendees to the Charleston area, breaking last year’s record attendance of just over 2,000.

***To view the Eastern Defense Summit’s day one recap video, click here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZllX0DTpl5c***

NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. – The first day of the Charleston Defense Contractor’s Association’s (CDCA) second annual Eastern Defense Summit (EDS) in North Charleston was a resounding success, connecting top-level military leaders, defense industry executives and academics to execute EDS’ mission of collaborating on actionable solutions for America’s pacing threats.

On Wednesday, EDS confirmed its status as one of the most rapidly growing military and defense industry conferences in the United States. Along with a record-breaking 150 exhibitors, EDS smashed previous attendance records by more than 20 percent, from about 2,000 last year to more than 2,400 this year. Registration remains open Thursday, and that number is expected to rise.

The day featured speakers and panel members from a diverse array of military branches, including:

● Rear Adm. Susan BryerJoyner, Director, Warfighting Integration Directorate, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations

● Rear Adm. Laura Dickey, Deputy for Operations Policy & Capabilities, U.S. Coast Guard

● Rear Adm. Rusty Dash, Commander, Assistant Commandant for Command, Control, Communication, Computers and Information Technology (C4IT), U.S. Coast Guard

● Rear. Adm. Amy Grable, Assistant Commandant for Command, Control, Communication, Computers and Information Technology (C4IT), U.S. Coast Guard

● Lt. Col. Daniel Finkenstadt, Ph.D., Staff Officer, Department of the Air Force

● Capt. Andrew Gibbons, U.S. Navy, Senior Military Acquisition Advisor

Decorated academics from The Citadel, including Col. Rick Orth, U.S. Army (Ret.), Adjunct Professor of Intelligence and Security Studies and Dr. Melissa Graves, Ph.D., J.D., Intelligence and Security Studies Department Chair and Associate Professor, also spoke Wednesday.

Several directors of Naval Information Warfare Center (NIWC) – Atlantic, home to the Department of Defense’s top scientists, engineers, and technicians in the information warfare battlespace, also spoke.

“We’re always excited for the Eastern Defense Summit, the first day of this year’s summit was electric,” said Gary Jaffe, CDCA’s President. “We could feel the energy in the building Wednesday among our participants, and we have already continued our years-long trend of breaking all of our attendance and exhibitor records. The sky is the limit for the Eastern Defense Summit, and while we’re always excited to keep growing this conference, our main goal of engagement and collaboration between the government and the defense industry is our top priority.”

About The CDCA:
The Charleston Defense Contractors Association (CDCA) supports the U.S. defense community and advocates defense issues within that community. It represents its members who support Naval Information Warfare Center (NIWC) – Atlantic, Marine Corps Systems Command, the Defense Health Agency, and many other governmental agencies across the country. The CDCA also provides input on issues and initiatives to the broader community in such areas as education, small business mentoring, and congressional affairs. To learn more about CDCA or to join, visit: https://www.charlestondca.org/join-us-overview.

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