--- title: "Budget Concerns Cut Into Military Conference Attendance" id: "15573" type: "post" slug: "budget-concerns-cut-into-military-conference-attendance" published_at: "2013-01-30T21:04:51+00:00" modified_at: "2026-03-15T19:32:51+00:00" url: "https://associationsnow.com/2013/01/30/budget-concerns-cut-into-military-conference-attendance/" markdown_url: "https://associationsnow.com/2013/01/30/budget-concerns-cut-into-military-conference-attendance.md" excerpt: "Several military conferences are expecting fewer attendees, or are being cancelled outright, due to sequestration worries." taxonomy_category: - "Meetings / Events" taxonomy_post_tag: - "AssociationsNow" - "attendance" - "conferences" - "industry partners" - "Meetings" - "military" taxonomy_content_format: - "Article" taxonomy_role: - "Association CEO / Executive Director" - "C-Level" - "Executive Team" - "For-Profit CEO / President / Owner / Partner" taxonomy_persona: - "Industry Professionals" --- [Home](https://associationsnow.com/) » [Articles](https://associationsnow.com/format/article/) » Budget Concerns Cut Into Military Conference Attendance Although the Association of the United States Army intends to hold its annual winter tradeshow in February, [uniformed presence at the meeting is expected to be much lower than in previous years (opens in a new tab)](http://www.defensenews.com/article/20130124/DEFREG02/301240019/AUSA-Trade-Show-Still-59-Army-Likely-Halves-its-Attendance?odyssey=tab%7Ctopnews%7Ctext%7CFRONTPAGE) . *Defense News*reported that the Army will likely receive 100 travel waivers for uniformed personnel to attend the AUSA Institute of Land Warfare Winter Symposium and Exposition—half of what it originally requested—because of budget pressures. This news follows reports of reduced attendance at AUSA’s annual conference last October after the [Army cut 88 percent of its conference budget](http://associationsnow.com/2012/10/defense-department-faces-more-conference-scrutiny/) . The service sent 5,000 fewer attendees to the meeting and reduced its exhibit booths from 75 to one. AUSA is not the only military association to see a reduction in show attendance, or in some cases, to cancel an event. The Association of Old Crows (AOC)—an electronic warfare and information operations trade group—cancelled its 43rd Annual Collaborative Electronic Warfare (EW) Symposium, scheduled for this week. Explaining the cancellation, AOC cited a recent [Department of Defense memo (opens in a new tab)](http://www.defense.gov/News/NewsArticle.aspx?ID=118970) telling armed services and defense agencies to reduce travel, training, and conference spending due to the possibility of sequestration, [National Defense Magazine reported. (opens in a new tab)](http://www.nationaldefensemagazine.org/blog/Lists/Posts/Post.aspx?ID=1037) “Given the recent direction from the deputy secretary of defense dated 10 January 2013, it is not feasible to conduct an AOC-DoD conference at this time,” [AOC President Robert Elder said in a statement. (opens in a new tab)](https://www.crows.org/images/2013%20Pt%20Mugu%20Conference%20Cancellation.pdf) “The topic of EW collaboration is still of great importance, and we are exploring avenues to bring together our communities in a way that is not hindered by budgetary restraints which require extensive travel.” Meeting cancellations and reduced attendance affect the ability of military associations to foster conversations between the government and industry professionals and find “the best ways to support our war fighters,” Lawrence P. Farrell Jr., president and CEO of the National Defense Industries Association, told *National Defense Magazine*, published by NDIA. “If you can’t have events, then you can’t have that conversation,” Farrell said. These organizations are “trying to adjust to this as a new reality, but we are hopeful that we will get back to a normal kind of conference schedule at some point in the future.” (iStockphoto/Thinkstock) [Katie Bascuas](https://associationsnow.com/author/katie-bascuas/) Katie Bascuas is a former associate editor at Associations Now in Washington, DC. [More articles by this author](https://associationsnow.com/author/katie-bascuas/) Tags: [#attendance](https://associationsnow.com/tag/attendance/) [#conferences](https://associationsnow.com/tag/conferences/) [#industry partners](https://associationsnow.com/tag/industry-partners/) [#Meetings](https://associationsnow.com/tag/meetings/) [#military](https://associationsnow.com/tag/military/) **Stay Informed** [Subscribe to our free newsletter](https://associationsnow.com/newsletter/) , *Associations Now Daily News*, to find out what’s happening in the association world every business day. ## You Might Like - [VideoMessage from Gordon Taylor III, Chief Sales Officer for Destination ClevelandMay 17, 2024](https://associationsnow.com/2024/05/17/message-from-gordon-taylor-iii-chief-sales-officer-for-destination-cleveland/) - [PodcastAssociations NOW Presents: All for the Love of Chicago: Rethinking the Destination ExperienceSeptember 10, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/09/10/associations-now-presents-all-for-the-love-of-chicago-rethinking-the-destination-experience/) - [PodcastAssociations NOW Presents: Milwaukee’s Rise as a Meetings DestinationJune 11, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/06/11/associations-now-presents-milwaukees-rise-as-a-meetings-destination/) - [VideoExploring New Frontiers: Leadership, Resilience and the Future of SpaceflightAugust 27, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/08/27/exploring-new-frontiers-leadership-resilience-and-the-future-of-spaceflight/) ## Comments **Comments are for ASAE members.** [Learn more about comments on this site.](https://associationsnow.com/comments/) [Log in](https://associationsnow.com/login?redirect_to=https%3A%2F%2Fassociationsnow.com%2F2013%2F01%2F30%2Fbudget-concerns-cut-into-military-conference-attendance%2F%23comments) to your member account or [join ASAE](https://my.asaecenter.org/select-a-membership-type/) !