SOF Week, a national convention dedicated to Special Operations Forces (SOF), is underway at the Tampa Convention Center in downtown Tampa. The event started May 8 and runs through May 11, 2023.
This convention is expected to bring more than 16,000 industry and military members to the city of Tampa over four days. United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) hosts the event and has held its annual conference in Tampa, Florida for more than a decade.
This is the first year for the new and improved SOF Week event, which was previously known as SOFIC. USSOCOM expanded the event to a broader convention to include the entire SOF community.
USSOCOM also increased the size of the event’s exhibit hall at the Tampa Convention Center in 2023. Event organizers plan to expand even more when SOF Week returns to the Tampa Convention Center in 2024, following the center’s expansion, which is set to be completed in June 2023.
Organizers estimate more than 600 exhibitors are taking part in SOF Week, including 29 government booths and 32 non-profit tables. Approximately 35 percent of exhibitors are made up of small businesses.
The SOF Week agenda includes a focus on health for military members, resources for helping active service members transition to civilian life, and global strategy.
The event also features a SOF Week campus in downtown Tampa.
This is a significant and longstanding event for the city of Tampa, with MacDill Air Force Base located just seven miles from the Tampa Convention Center.
This event is best known for its special forces public demonstration. However, this demonstration occurs every other year, and 2023 is not a demonstration year. Organizers look forward to bringing the demonstration back next year.
You can learn more about SOF Week here: https://www.sofweek.org/welcome