AIAA DEFENSE Forum 2027 in Laurel, MD — Where to Stay

The AIAA DEFENSE Forum is the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics' Secret/NoFORN meeting for the U.S. aerospace and defense community. Across four days at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, it convenes senior leaders from government, the military, industry, and academia to work through the strategic, programmatic, and technical questions shaping the future operating environment. The agenda pairs a rigorous technical track — 97 briefings across 17 disciplines in the 2025 edition — with high-level plenary sessions on the most pressing national security issues of the day. Roughly 450 attendees from 127 organizations and 29 government agencies take part each year, making it one of the most concentrated defense-aerospace gatherings in the country. Attendance requires a final U.S. SECRET clearance or higher, and the forum is closed to the media. Sessions and exhibits are strictly off the record; photography, audio, and video recording are not permitted. Given the secure venue and the limited lodging inventory around Laurel, MD, hotel bookings should be made well in advance. Registration, sponsorship packages, and the Call for Technical Briefings are all managed through AIAA. Future forum dates and archives of past programs are available on the official site.