Make the Case to Attend
Need approval to attend the 2027 AFCEA North Carolina Innovation Summit? We’ve made it easy! Download our Brief Your Boss template - a ready-to-use justification you can customize and send to your supervisor or leadership. It highlights the Summit’s mission relevance, professional development and networking opportunities, exposure to emerging technologies, and the value you’ll bring back to your organization.
Civilian Brief Your Boss: 2027 AFCEA North Carolina Innovation Summit
Subject: Request to Attend – 2027 AFCEA North Carolina Innovation Summit
Overview
The AFCEA North Carolina Innovation Summit brings together military, government, industry, and academic leaders to collaborate on the technologies, capabilities, and operational challenges shaping the future of national security.
The 2027 Summit theme, Decision Advantage at the Edge, will focus on how people, technology, data, and partnerships can enable better and faster decisions in increasingly complex and contested operating environments.
Event Details
Dates: February 17–18, 2027
Location: Crown Complex | Fayetteville, North Carolina
Hosted by: AFCEA North Carolina Chapter
Key Areas of Focus
- Decision Advantage at the Edge – Connecting warfighter requirements with emerging technologies and capabilities.
- Multi-Domain Operations – Exploring challenges and opportunities across the air, land, maritime, space, and cyber domains.
- Emerging Technology – Artificial intelligence, autonomy, data, C5ISR, resilient communications, command and control, human-machine teaming, and other capabilities affecting the future force.
- Operational Perspectives – Hearing directly from military, government, industry, and academic leaders about current challenges and priorities.
- Technology Demonstrations – Opportunities to engage with solution providers and explore emerging capabilities.
- Professional Networking – Building relationships across the national security ecosystem and identifying opportunities for future collaboration.
Why It Matters to Our Organization
Attendance provides an opportunity to:
- Gain insight into emerging national security priorities and operational requirements.
- Identify technologies and approaches relevant to our organization and mission.
- Learn from military, government, industry, and academic leaders.
- Build relationships with mission partners, technology providers, and other national security professionals.
- Bring actionable information, contacts, and lessons learned back to our organization.
Community Impact
Participation also supports a broader mission. Proceeds from the Innovation Summit help fund AFCEA North Carolina STEM scholarships and K–12 teacher grants, investing in the students and educators developing North Carolina's next generation of technology and national security leaders.
Recommendation
I request approval to attend the 2027 AFCEA North Carolina Innovation Summit on February 17–18, 2027. Following the Summit, I will share relevant takeaways, resources, and contacts with our team to extend the value of my participation beyond the event itself.
Learn more and register here.
For Military: Brief Your Leadership: 2027 AFCEA North Carolina Innovation Summit
Subject: Request to Attend – 2027 AFCEA North Carolina Innovation Summit
Mission Relevance
The 2027 AFCEA North Carolina Innovation Summit, February 17–18 at the Crown Complex in Fayetteville, brings together warfighters, senior leaders, government, industry, and academia to address emerging operational challenges and the technologies being developed to solve them.
This year's theme, Decision Advantage at the Edge, focuses on enabling Soldiers and leaders to make faster, better-informed decisions in complex and contested environments.
What I Will Gain
Attendance will provide direct exposure to discussions and emerging capabilities related to:
- Command and control and C5ISR
- Artificial intelligence and autonomy
- Data and decision advantage
- Resilient and adaptive communications
- Human-machine teaming
- Multi-domain operations
- Force modernization and emerging technology
- Warfighter-driven innovation
The Summit also provides opportunities to hear directly from operational leaders, engage with technology developers, see emerging capabilities demonstrated, and exchange lessons learned with professionals addressing similar mission challenges.
Value to the Unit
Participation can help me:
- Identify technologies and concepts relevant to our mission and current capability gaps.
- Better understand emerging capabilities and modernization priorities.
- Exchange lessons learned and best practices with other operational professionals.
- Connect with organizations working on solutions to real-world warfighter requirements.
- Bring relevant information, resources, and contacts back to the unit.
Bottom Line
The Innovation Summit provides an opportunity to connect operational experience with emerging technology and ensure innovation remains grounded in the needs of the warfighter.
I request approval to attend the 2027 AFCEA North Carolina Innovation Summit, February 17–18, 2027, in Fayetteville, NC. Following the event, I will provide relevant takeaways and resources to the unit to extend the value of attendance.
Decision Advantage at the Edge starts with the warfighter.
Hosted by AFCEA North Carolina Chapter
