Northern Michigan Defense Conference March 5–6 to convene at Hagerty Center

The Northern Michigan Defense Conference convened March 5–6 in Traverse City, with official event listings placing programming at the Hagerty Center at Northwestern Michigan College, 715 E Front St., while a WPBN television report said some activity took place at the Delamar Hotel. Organizers and regional partners described the two-day event as an effort to connect manufacturers, small businesses, and federal contracting stakeholders to defense procurement and supply-chain opportunities.

Event listings from Namconsortium, Traverse Connect, and the Traverse City Chamber listed the conference title as Northern Michigan Defense Conference 2026 and set a March 5 start time of 8:00 a.m. EST, targeting "Industry, Academia, and Government." The conference description stated its aim in explicit terms: "Designed to strengthen collaboration across Michigan's growing defense and aerospace ecosystem, this event connects organizations looking to engage with federal programs, expand partnerships, and better understand the evolving needs of the defense community."

Programming fragments posted by organizers showed a mix of technical panels and practical sessions: a Color Guard Presentation presented by Kinglsey JROTC, an Air Force Research Lab (AFRL) Panel, a 2:00 p.m. APEX Accelerators session, a 2:45 p.m. networking break, and a 3:00 p.m. session titled "Advancing Defense Manufacturing Across Michigan - Michigan Manufacturing Technology Center," concluding at 4:00 p.m. The presence of AFRL and the Michigan Manufacturing Technology Center as listed participants signals federal and statewide engagement with regional industrial capacity.

Local economic-development leaders framed the conference as an access point for small firms. Warren Call, Traverse Connect CEO, told WPBN that "local manufacturers and our small businesses have an opportunity to work with the US government and the US military to supply those needs and build supply chain opportunities for our small businesses." Jim Mcmanus, identified in reporting as ND Defense Business Development Manager, told WPBN the program offered "a lot of how-to’s and who-to’s. Who to go to for information so that they can figure out how to advance their product or service in the defense community."

Registration details published on event pages underscored organizers' efforts to invite government participation: Full Registration was listed at $175 while Federal Government registration was $25, with a note that active-duty military and government employees must present valid government ID at check-in. The refund policy stated refunds cannot be issued within one week of the event. Organizers also promoted a discounted room block for attendees and listed a central contact email for questions at [email protected].

Sponsor and partner names appearing across listings included the Air Force Research Lab, Michigan Manufacturing Technology Center, Alro Steel Corporation, Jetco Solutions, and Enhance C-Suite, though organizers have yet to provide a verified, complete sponsor list. WPBN described the conference as presented by the Michigan Chapter of The National Defense Industrial Association; official calendar pages also showed Namconsortium, Traverse Connect, and the Traverse City Chamber as hosts or promoters, a mix that organizers may clarify.

By bringing AFRL panels and accelerator sessions to Traverse City and advertising subsidized federal registration, the conference aimed to lower practical barriers for government-industry engagement and to channel federal contracting opportunities into northern Michigan's manufacturing base. Organizers listed [email protected] as the contact for more information and for clarification of agenda, venue, and sponsorship details.