Meadowlark at XPONENTIAL 2025: Five Days of Connection, Collaboration, and a Whole Lot of Rustic

The Meadowlark team headed south last month for our very first XPONENTIAL—and Houston did not disappoint. Hosted by AUVSI, XPONENTIAL 2025 brought together thousands of leaders, innovators, and changemakers in the uncrewed systems industry, and we were thrilled to be part of it all.

Our five-day experience kicked off with a Sunday night social hosted by Dawn Zoldi. The room was buzzing with energy, introductions, and industry conversations—a perfect way to launch what became a packed and inspiring week. 

On Monday, we hit the ground running with booth setup in the morning, followed by an evening full of events. JC (our Chief Compliance Officer) and Cassidy (our marketing guru) stopped by the XPO Rodeo at The Rustic—an outdoor networking night that was equal parts fun and productive. Meanwhile, our CTO, Ned Tabat, attended the exclusive ND–ROK Collaboration Event, which brought together leaders from North Dakota’s UAS ecosystem and top officials from South Korea’s aerospace community. The evening focused on global UAS cooperation, joint research, and building a resilient supply chain—an important step forward for the industry, and a powerful moment for us as a North Dakota-based manufacturer. 

The conference officially kicked off Tuesday morning with keynote sessions, and from there, the show floor came alive. Stationed at booth #1601, we spent the next three days sharing Meadowlark’s mission, meeting new faces, and having truly meaningful conversations. 

We also became unexpectedly famous for something other than our U.S.-based manufacturing: our shot glasses. We had no idea how many passionate shot glass collectors there were in the UAS community—but we’re here for it. Going forward, we’ll be debuting a new collectible shot glass at every major show. Come say hi and collect the full set! 

Another standout moment of the week: Ned joined The Full Crew Podcast with Dawn Zoldi on Tuesday afternoon. It’s always a pleasure to collaborate with Dawn, and the conversation was a great chance to share what Meadowlark has been up to. Watch the full episode here—Ned joins at 45:45.  

Evenings throughout the week were packed with great receptions and even better conversations. From Delta Black’s event at The Rustic, to Unmanned Systems Technology’s gathering at Chapman & Kirby, to Cube Pilot’s Wednesday night meetup (yes, back at The Rustic again, it became our second office for the week)—it was a whirlwind of connection, insight, and community. 

By Thursday afternoon, we wrapped up our final hours on the show floor, packed up booth 1601, and headed home full of new connections, ideas, and momentum. 

As we reflect on the week, the most rewarding part of XPONENTIAL 2025 was the conversations—meeting our component partners in person, connecting with future collaborators, and feeling the energy from so many people excited about the future of unmanned systems. We left Houston even more inspired by what we’re building at Meadowlark. 

UP NEXT: Commercial UAV Expo in Las Vegas this September—and yes, there will be a new shot glass. If we didn’t get the chance to connect with you at XPONENTIAL, we’d still love to hear from you. Visit our website to learn more about Meadowlark Aircraft Company and our vision for the future of unmanned aerial systems.