Space startups aren't just competing for customers and capital. They're competing for engineering talent and it's one of the biggest challenges we're seeing in the space industry right now. And the brand story that attracts great engineers may be the same one that wins over investors and customers.

Whenever I go to a tradeshow, I try to look for patterns. Sometimes they’re industry trends. Sometimes they’re marketing trends. Sometimes it’s something as simple as what everyone suddenly seems to be putting on their booth walls. At SmallSat this year, there wasn’t one huge thing that immediately jumped out at me. But after a few days of walking the floor and talking to companies, I realized I kept having the same conversation. I’d ask someone a pretty straightforward quest

What makes good tradeshow swag? From space stickers to high-value giveaways, learn what’s worth the investment and what’s just a waste of budget.

At Space Symposium, I was sitting at the Golden Bee, and someone told me they knew who had the best marketing at Space Symposium: The Defense Unicorns. And he pulled out a sticker and showed me the cutest little unicorn. "The best marketing at the show" is definitely a statement given how much marketing is at Symposium. Massive booths, elaborate displays, parties, sponsorships, and plenty of swag (mostly in the form of stickers – more on that later). Companies spend serious

This curated list of the top aerospace and space events is to help keep you on track, and help you plan your time, budget, and energy based on your goals.

When Craig Baerwaldt, founder of Space Happy Hour, came to me in December with an idea about Denver Space Week in February, I thought he was brilliant, but I also thought he had lost his mind. Most events have months, sometimes years, to come together. We had seven weeks from kickoff (which was early January). No confirmed venue. No full speaker lineup. A loose concept that needed to become a real, sellable experience and it needed to happen fast. And not just built. Filled.

One of the most common questions I get from CEOs is “How do you prove tradeshow ROI?”. I’ve been in B2B marketing for over a decade and have worked dozens of tradeshows. I’ve built booths, planned press events, hosted dinners, and spent plenty of time walking floors as both a marketer and a buyer. Coming off Space Symposium, Tectonic, SATShow, the Denver Space Summit, and as we prep for late Summer and Fall Shows, I keep coming back to the same thing: aerospace tradeshows pla

You don't need 50 different messages. You need the same message fifty times. I work with a lot of companies that think they need a new idea every week. They exhaust themselves chasing novelty while their audience barely registers what they said the first time. The companies that are actually making an impact found one message that works and they say it everywhere, all the time, without apology.

2026 marks the fifth anniversary of Celebrating Women in Satellite, recognizing more than 175 women across the global space industry. This year honors 50 leaders spanning engineering, policy, data, and marketing, reflecting how collaborative and multidisciplinary space has become. Among them, Kim Ruvolo, founder of The Space Marketers, helps companies turn complex ideas into clear, compelling narratives that drive growth and adoption.

Tradeshows are often the biggest marketing investment aerospace companies make and the hardest to justify. This guide breaks down how to plan, execute, and measure event marketing so every show builds real momentum, not just presence.

This curated list of 2026 aerospace and space events is to help keep your calendar on track, along with how to invest your time, budget, and energy based on your goals.

October 1 is the starting line for the new year’s defense funding cycle. Fresh budgets, refreshed priorities, and the beginning of requirement-setting all open up opportunities for companies that know how to market strategically. So what should you be thinking about as FY26 kicks off?

As an aerospace and aviation marketer and leader, it’s essential to keep “recognition” holidays on your content calendar. These dates aren’t just fun — they’re moments that connect to industry history, science, or culture and an opportunity to reinforce your brand and products, drive emotional connection, and add to your content calendar.

Aerospace marketing isn’t just tech marketing with a twist—it’s a discipline all its own. Long sales cycles, complex products, and niche audiences make it uniquely challenging. From translating "engineer speak" to navigating B2B and B2G, marketers need tailored strategies to stand out. At The Space Marketers, we’re here to demystify the process and help brands bring clarity, momentum, and standout storytelling to the final frontier.