Aerospace & Defense Meetings Central Europe is a focused B2B matchmaking convention for the aerospace and defence supply chain, held biennially in Rzeszow, Poland, home of the Aviation Valley cluster. The 5th edition takes place 12-13 May 2027 and connects OEMs, Tier 1 suppliers, and Central European contract manufacturers through pre-scheduled one-to-one meetings, conferences, and workshops.
Aerospace & Defense Meetings Central Europe - Rzeszow is a biennial international B2B business convention dedicated to the aerospace and defence supply chain, organised by advanced business events (abe) and BCI Aerospace. It takes place in Rzeszow, in the Podkarpackie Region of southeastern Poland, capitalising on the region's concentration of aerospace and defence manufacturing through the Aviation Valley cluster. The 5th edition is scheduled for 12-13 May 2027. The format centres on pre-scheduled one-to-one business meetings between supply-chain companies and OEMs or Tier 1 contractors, complemented by conferences and thematic workshops. The event website is poland.bciaerospace.com.
The event was conceived to unlock business opportunities in the Polish and Central European aerospace supply chain, anchored by the Podkarpackie Region's Aviation Valley cluster. Aviation Valley counts over 194 aviation-related companies with 35,000 employees and more than 190 members, exporting over 90% of their production to the USA, Italy, France, the UK, and Canada. Key international OEM customers of the cluster include Pratt & Whitney, Sikorsky, Goodrich, Airbus Group, Dassault Aviation, Agusta Westland, Safran, and Thomson. By siting the convention in Rzeszow, abe/BCI Aerospace puts supply-chain buyers directly adjacent to the industrial ecosystem they seek.
The 5th edition of A&DM Central Europe runs 12-13 May 2027 in Rzeszow. The programme follows the established BCI Aerospace formula: a structured matchmaking platform through which participants request meetings in advance, two days of back-to-back one-to-one sessions, parallel conference sessions, and thematic workshops. The 2025 (4th) edition recorded 250 companies, 650 participants, 3,500 B2B meetings, and 24 countries, establishing a baseline for the 2027 edition. Registration for suppliers, contractors, and B2B meeting participants is managed via the poland.bciaerospace.com portal.
A&DM Central Europe is the only internationally organised aerospace and defence B2B matchmaking convention focused on the Polish supply chain. It occupies the spring slot in the BCI Aerospace calendar for Central Europe, before the summer airshow season. Poland's rising profile as a NATO defence procurement hub -- with major programmes in fighter aircraft, artillery, air defence, and armoured vehicles -- has increased international interest in the event's supplier base. It is part of a family of BCI Aerospace events that includes Aeromart Toulouse, A&DM Torino, A&DM Sevilla, and events in Montreal and Nagoya.
Supplier-side participants (exhibitors/companies) are contract manufacturers, technology providers, and SMEs in the aerospace and defence supply chain seeking to present their capabilities to OEM buyers. Visitor-side participants (contractors) are procurement, purchasing, supply chain, engineering, and business development professionals from OEMs and their Tier 1 suppliers. The event is explicitly supply-chain focused; it is not a public trade show. At the 2025 edition, 24 countries were represented, reflecting both the international reach of the Aviation Valley cluster and growing interest from Western European and NATO-aligned procurement organisations.
The convention is built around three programme elements: (1) pre-scheduled B2B meetings, where participants use the online matchmaking platform to identify and request one-to-one sessions before the event; (2) high-level conference sessions covering innovation, HR strategy, aerospace industry trends, and sector-specific topics; (3) thematic workshops, which are presentations by a limited number of suppliers to an audience of industry professionals, providing a platform for showcasing technologies or products to a qualified group.
Primary sectors and themes: aerospace manufacturing and MRO; defence procurement and supply chain; composite materials and advanced manufacturing; precision engineering and machining; avionics and electronics; R&D and engineering services; digital transformation in aerospace; civil and defence dual-use capabilities; space and emerging mobility.
| Participants | 650 |
| Companies | 250 |
| B2B meetings | 3,500 |
| Countries | 24 |
| Duration | 2 days |
No. While the event leverages the Polish/Central European supply chain, it is international in scope. Companies from across Europe and beyond participate as both suppliers and buyers. The 2025 edition drew participants from 24 countries.
Yes. The visitor (contractor) track is for procurement and supply chain professionals from OEMs and Tier 1 companies who wish to conduct B2B meetings with suppliers. They do not need a stand; they register through the contractor channel on the event website.
The matchmaking platform is operated by BCI Aerospace, the event's co-organiser. Participants log in, build profiles, and submit meeting requests through the portal at meetings.poland.bciaerospace.com. Meeting allocations are confirmed before the event.
The specific venue for the 2027 edition was not disclosed on the official website as of June 2026. Previous editions have used conference and exhibition facilities in central Rzeszow. Rzeszow is the capital of the Podkarpackie Region in southeastern Poland, approximately 160 km east of Krakow. Rzeszow-Jasionka Airport (RZE) operates scheduled connections to Warsaw and selected European destinations. Krakow John Paul II International Airport (KRK), approximately 160 km to the west, offers broader international connectivity. The event co-organiser is the Podkarpackie Regional Government.
advanced business events (abe) is a French B2B event organiser headquartered at 10 rue de la Rochefoucauld, CS 50300, 92513 Boulogne-Billancourt Cedex, France. Tel: +33 1 41 86 49 00. BCI Aerospace is its sister brand managing the matchmaking platform. Together they operate a global portfolio of aerospace and defence B2B conventions. The A&DM Central Europe event contact is Stephanie Foyart, reachable via the advbe.com contact page. The event is co-organised with the Podkarpackie Region and supported by the Aviation Valley cluster as official industry partner.
A&DM Central Europe Rzeszow is the most direct access point to Poland's Aviation Valley supply chain, and as Poland accelerates NATO-driven rearmament programmes, the 2027 edition is positioned to attract a notably stronger OEM buyer contingent than previous editions.
Suppliers (companies seeking to exhibit and meet buyers) and contractors (OEM/Tier 1 procurement professionals) register separately via the registration portal at poland.bciaerospace.com. Visitor (general professional) passes are available through Eventbrite. Pricing is not disclosed publicly on the website; suppliers should contact abe directly for stand and participation package rates. The BCI Aerospace matchmaking portal provides tools for pre-selecting desired meeting counterparts once registration is confirmed.
Rzeszow-Jasionka Airport (RZE) has connections to Warsaw and European cities. For broader international flight options, Krakow Airport (KRK) is approximately 2 hours by road or train. Rzeszow is accessible from Warsaw by train (approximately 4.5 hours) or by car via the A4 motorway. The event organiser lists hotel information on the Useful Information section of the website.
Yes. The event is specifically designed to introduce international suppliers to Polish and Central European buyers, and vice versa. The matchmaking format ensures that even first-time participants can secure targeted meetings in advance, avoiding the uncertainty of an open-floor trade show.
The convention operates in English and French. Polish is used in some local sessions. The BCI Aerospace matchmaking platform is available in both English and French.
| Official website | https://www.poland.bciaerospace.com/ |
| https://www.linkedin.com/company/aerospace-defense-meetings-central-europe/ | |
| X | https://twitter.com/abeevents |
| Register | https://www.poland.bciaerospace.com/registration |
| Programme | https://www.poland.bciaerospace.com/conferences-workshops/conference-program |