WEST 2022 Sponsorship and Branding Opportunities

AFCEA and the U.S. Naval Institute have developed an enhanced sponsorship program for WEST 2022 that will offer maximum visibility to those who participate! What better way to make sure you stand out and increase your exposure than at this foremost event in which industry leaders can learn about military requirements and connect with decision makers and operators, where senior military and government officials can gain feedback from sea service warfighters, and where industry thought leaders will discuss and demonstrate sea service solutions? Sponsorship opportunities are offered at a several investment levels, ensuring your ability to participate.

Browse available options below, or jump to specific categories: Patron Packages, Individual Sponsorships and Advertising Opportunities. Branding Opportunities will be available soon.

The deadline to be included in sponsor signage is Friday, January 21st.

Awards at WEST 2022

Copernicus Award

About the Award:

The Copernicus award was established in 1997 as a result of a discussion among Lieutenant General C. Norman Wood, USAF (Ret.), then President and CEO of AFCEA International, Captain James A. Barber, USN (Ret.), then Publisher and CEO of the U.S. Naval Institute, and the late Vice Admiral Art Cebrowski, USN, who was the Navy N6 at that time. The name for the award came from the Copernicus Architecture used as the blueprint for the future C4I structure of the Navy. Recipients are selected based on their sustained superior performance in a C4I/IT-related job. The board of judges make selections each year after reviewing active-duty and civilian applicants from the Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard. AFCEA International and the U.S. Naval Institute present the awards at their annual Western Conference held in San Diego each winter. Click Here to read more.

Emerging Leaders Awards

About the Awards:

Individual Award: Distinguished Young Professional

The Distinguished Young Professional Award recognizes and rewards exceptional performance in four areas: leadership and guidance for the Emerging Leader program; superior technical achievement in the professional arena; a record of going "above and beyond" at the local AFCEA chapter or region level; and mentoring provided for other Emerging Leaders. Nominees for this award are evaluated through September of the current year. Click Here to read more.

Individual Award: Emerging Leadership

The Emerging Leadership Award is given for exceptional service to AFCEA at the local and/or International level. This award is presented to individuals who have demonstrated continuous leadership in Emerging Leader activities since winning the Distinguished Young AFCEAN or Distinguished Young Professional award. Nominees for this award are evaluated through September of the current year. Click Here to read more.

Emerging Leader Chapter of the Year Award

The Emerging Leader Chapter of the Year Award is given to the one chapter which has most significantly contributed to the professional development of Emerging Leaders by providing a forum of programs and initiatives geared to their unique needs. Chapters of similar size compete with each other for this award and there are five different size categories. Click Here to read more.

Model Emerging Leader Program

The purpose of the Model Emerging Leader Program recognition is to strengthen the program of activities for Emerging Leaders at chapters, and to encourage chapters to create Emerging Leader programs if they do not already have one. The program will measure the strength, growth and activities of a chapter’s Emerging Leader program over the period of a full fiscal year. Click Here to read more.

U.S. Naval Institute Essay Contest Awards

About the Award:

The U.S. Naval Institute provides an independent forum for those who dare to read, think, speak, and write to advance the professional, literary, and scientific understanding of sea power and other issues critical to global security. Each year, the Institute sponsors several essay contests. The winners of four of these contests will be recognized at WEST 2022.

Essay contests have been central to the work of the Naval Institute for more than 130 years. They directly fulfill the Institute’s educational mission by encouraging writing on issues of concern to the Sea Services. They provide thought-provoking articles that spur ongoing discussion of these same issues, not only in Naval Institute media, print and digital, but also in other leading defense and national security forums.

2021 Essay Contest Winners

  2021 Emerging and Disruptive Technologies Essay Contest

Sponsored by Mitre

The Department of Defense is seeking to leverage emerging technology, focusing heavily on autonomy, man-machine teaming, and machine learning and innovative ways to harness new technologies with tactics, techniques, and strategies to maintain a pacing edge over adversaries. The Emerging and Disruptive Technologies Essay Contest challenged authors to predict the next emerging and disruptive technologies, describe how they will be used by or against the U.S. military, and discuss practical approaches for fielding and wielding them rapidly.

First Prize:
Michael Knutzen
“Synthetic Bioweapons Are Coming”

Second Prize:
Captain Sean Harper, USMC
“The Tower and the Hive: Man-Machine Teaming in 2030”

Third Prizes:
Captain Walker Mills, USMC and Erik Limpaecher
“The Promise of Hydrogen for the Marine Corps”

  2021 Enlisted Prize Essay Contest

Sponsored by the U.S. Naval Institute

The Enlisted Prize Essay Contest dared enlisted personnel in the Sea Services to write on a topic that makes the naval profession stronger. No subject was too large or too small.

First Prize:
Chief Petty Officer Nicholas Clark, USN
“Overhaul Enlisted Warfare Programs”

Second Prize:
Gunnery Sergeant Andrew Guthart, USMC
“Every Marine a Lifesaver”

Third Prize:
SCPO Hendrick Simoes, USN
“The Rhetoric War”

  2021 Marine Corps Essay Contest

Sponsored by BAE Systems

The Marine Corps Essay Contest challenged authors to advance new thinking about how the U.S. Marine Corps will tackle the diverse and difficult security challenges of the 21st century. Authors were encouraged to write about the toughest and most difficult issues; the topics everyone knows need addressing but some are hesitant to even acknowledge.

First Prize:
LTJG Jeong Soo “Gary” Kim, USN
“Design the Littoral Combat Team Around Its Core Mission”

Second Prize:
Major Brian Kerg, USMC
“Cooperate for Sea Control”

Third Prize:
First Lieutenant Karl Flynn, USMC
“Revitalize Marine Air Defense”

  2021 Information Warfare Essay Contest

Sponsored by Booz Allen Hamilton

The nation’s adversaries are proving to be formidable in the digital arena—using online platforms, social media, malicious code, disinformation, and cyber attacks to steal intellectual property, spy, sow discord, and weaken alliances. The Information Warfare Essay Contest asked authors to consider how to defend the U.S. information space. This includes discussing technologies the United States should be exploring; what education and training U.S. information warriors will need to prevail; or recent case studies that provide lessons to guide strategy, operations, tactics, and acquisitions in the near future.

First Prize:
CDR Edgar Jatho III, USN and Joshua Kroll, Ph.D.
“AI: Too fragile to fight?”

Second Prize:
LCDR Dusty McKinney, USN
“Navy Cyber Needs a Refit”

Third Prize:
LT Rachel Ault, USCG
“The Coast Guard Needs Better Tools to Prevent Maritime Cyber-Attacks”

Women's Appreciation Award

About the Award:

This award recognizes and honors AFCEA members of any gender who have gone above and beyond to further the careers of women. AFCEA contributions will be more heavily weighted than professional performance in the decision process. Winners are selected by members of the Women Awards Committee. The award will be presented at the annual Women's Appreciation Event held at WEST each year. Click Here to read more.

Enlisted Superior Performer Awards

About the Award:

The Enlisted Superior Performer (ESP) Award presented by the U.S. Naval Institute and AFCEA International recognizes the service of those military members who have been selected by their commands for particularly superior service in the past year.  Recipients are awarded one-year memberships in both AFCEA International and the U.S. Naval Institute.  This year’s ESPs will be recognized at the WEST 2022 Conference, February 16-18, 2022, at the San Diego Convention Center.  This award presentation has been a feature of this conference for several years.