Quantum Drone Systems Heads to SDEUC 2026

Why the Kansas City conference matters more this year than ever?

From January 25 to 29, 2026, the global spray-drone industry converges on the Kansas City Convention Center for the Spray Drone End User Conference (SDEUC). With more than 1,000 operators, dealers, regulators, and manufacturers expected, this is not another ag show, it’s where the future of drone application gets decided.

And Quantum Drone Systems will be there. If you run drones, build spray businesses, sell equipment, or support field operations, this is the one event that actually moves the needle.

Why SDEUC is not a normal trade show?

SDEUC was built by operators, not marketing teams. The planning committee is made up entirely of active drone applicators, which is why the content goes far beyond product demos and sales decks. The sessions focus on what actually determines success in the field, including compliance, application quality, uptime, logistics, and business fundamentals.

The numbers tell the story:

• 2023: 126 attendees
• 2024: 350
• 2025: 636
• 2026: Projected 1,000+

That is not hype, that’s a rapidly scaling industry finding its center of gravity. In 2024 alone, spray drones treated 10.3 million acres in the U.S., with another 50 to 100 percent increase projected for 2025. SDEUC sits directly in the middle of that expansion.

What makes this year different? Well, SDEUC 2026 is where three forces collide.

Regulation:

FAA Part 137, EPA labeling, pesticide compliance, and state enforcement are evolving quickly. You will hear directly from FAA specialists, Bayer, Corteva, CropLife America, and state chemist offices on what is changing and how to stay legal.

Technology:

This year includes major platform launches, including XAG’s P150 Max U.S. debut, plus deep dives into application physics, swath testing, variable rate, canopy interaction, and software stacks.

Operations

This is where most drone businesses either become real companies or stall. Sessions cover trailers, generators, pumps, crew workflows, dry material systems, insurance, bookkeeping, pricing, and how to scale without breaking. If you want a drone business that lasts more than two seasons, this is where you learn how.

Where Quantum Drone Systems fits?

Michael Vanderkolk will be a panellist for one of the most important sessions of the week is:

“Beyond the Drone – Building Success with the Right Equipment”

January 27, 10:30 AM to 12:00 PM

This session focuses on what actually determines field performance: trailers, pumps, generators, mixing systems, and logistics, not just the aircraft. That is exactly the problem Quantum Drone Systems was built to solve.

Most failures in drone spraying do not come from the drone, they come from slow mixing, bad plumbing, unsafe setups, overheating batteries, and crews losing time every time they move fields. SDEUC finally gives ground systems the attention they deserve.

As for the rest of the show, who you’ll be learning from is important because this is not a vendor-only lineup, you’re getting direct access to:

FAA and regulatory leadership

• Bayer
• Corteva,
• CropLife America

Top operators from:

• Ag-Bee
• Ceres Air
• Mountain Meadow Ag
• Airgro
• Rogers Ag Consulting

and more

The leaders behind Hylio, XAG, Raptor Dynamic, Pix4D, and Terraplex Ag will also be there! You’re not hearing theory, you’re hearing what works in real fields, with real liability, real weather, and real customers.

Five days of content that actually matters! Here’s a sample of what is covered:

• FAA Part 137 compliance and exemptions
• Pesticide application fundamentals and safety
• Dry material spreading for seasonal revenue
• Rangeland, pasture, orchards, vineyards, and specialty crops
• Software for logging, mapping, compliance, and analytics
• Insurance, bookkeeping, and pricing
• Advanced calibration and application physics
• Maintenance, repair, and downtime prevention
• Scaling to multiple crews and higher acreage

Every session is designed to make you better in the field, not just better informed.

Why QDS is showing up

Quantum Drone Systems does not build drones; we build the infrastructure that makes drones profitable. SDEUC is where serious operators finally realize that trailers, tenders, pumps, battery cooling, and workflow design matter as much as the aircraft itself.

If you are tired of:

• Waiting on mixing
• Losing time between fields
• Fighting plumbing leaks and unsafe rigs
• Burning batteries
• Struggling to scale beyond one crew

This is the conference where those problems get solved.

When and where?

Spray Drone End User Conference 2026

January 25 to 29, 2026

Kansas City Convention Center,

Kansas City, Missouri

Trade show opens Sunday afternoon and runs through Wednesday, with full technical sessions Monday through Thursday and research and workforce workshops on Friday.

Final thought

Every industry has a moment where it stops being experimental and starts becoming real. For spray drones, that moment is happening now. SDEUC is not about hype. It is about building durable businesses that survive regulation, competition, and scale.

Quantum Drone Systems will be there because that is where the operators who care about doing this right will be. If you are one of them, Kansas City is where you need to be.