AFCEA International San Diego

What AFCEA International San Diego does

AFCEA International San Diego is a regional chapter of AFCEA International, a 501(c)(6) non-profit professional association founded in 1946 and dedicated to connecting government, industry, and academia in information technology, communications, and electronics for the defense, homeland security, and intelligence communities. The chapter, governed by a Board of Directors and Officers, operates a portfolio of consortiums and events including the annual C4ISR Symposium, Naval Applications of Machine Learning (NAML) conference, quarterly Tech Talks, Emerging Leaders program, InnovateGov small-business workshops, the Mission Systems Symposium, and the NAVWAR Contracting Industry Council (CIC) established in 2023. It also runs an Education and Students consortium that has awarded more than 3,500 scholarships to date, supported by the affiliated 501(c)(3) San Diego Futures Foundation.

The chapter does not develop proprietary technology. Its "products" are convening services — events, networking forums, and educational programs — delivered through AFCEA International's global infrastructure (over 33,000 members, 135 chapters in 30+ countries, 2,000+ corporate members) and through local event venues across San Diego County. Technology is limited to a WordPress-based website, email mailing lists, and standard event registration tooling.

Revenue mechanics span four streams: annual individual, corporate, and student membership dues (priced and managed at the AFCEA International level); event sponsorships and exhibit fees (C4ISR Symposium, NAML, Tech Talks, Mission Systems, and a golf tournament with hole sponsorships at $550, beverage cart at $1,000, foursomes at $550, individual golfers at $160); donations via a Clover-based portal; and proceeds reinvested into STEM scholarships, robotics grants, and science tool grants. The primary customers are defense/government IT professionals and defense industry contractors seeking government access, with NAVWAR serving as the anchor institutional partner through the CIC framework, alongside co-participation with NDIA San Diego, SDMAC, and Women In Defense San Diego.

Name

AFCEA International San Diego

Legal name

AFCEA International San Diego

Website

https://sandiego.afceachapters.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1946

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

AFCEA International San Diego is a non-profit professional association chapter that convenes defense, government, and industry communities in IT, communications, and electronics through membership, events, scholarships, and the NAVWAR Contracting Industry Council.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Defense Industry Professional Association

NAICS

Business Associations (813910), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Alumni Benefits, Membership & Affinity Programs (EDALAOAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Alumni Events, Reunions & Regional Chapters (EDALAOAG), Alumni Relations & Alumni Engagement Programs (EDALAOAA)

Keywords

• Defense industry networking
• Professional association services
• STEM education programs
• Government industry events
• Military community engagement

Headquarters

HQ city

Fairfax

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: AFCEA San Diego generates revenue through individual, corporate, and student membership fees. AFCEA International has over 2,000 corporate members. Benefits include SIGNAL Magazine, networking, events, and discounts.
2. Event Sponsorships and Exhibits: Revenue is generated from sponsorships at major events including C4ISR Symposium, NAML, Tech Talks, Mission Systems Symposium, and golf tournaments. Sponsorship tiers include hole sponsorships, beverage cart, trophy sponsor, and prize sponsor.
3. Donations and Fundraising: The chapter accepts donations through its website donation portal. Proceeds from events and donations support STEM scholarships, science tool grants, and robotics grants for San Diego County youth.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

AFCEA International San Diego is a local chapter of the AFCEA International professional association, offering individual, corporate, and student memberships along with signature events such as the annual C4ISR Symposium, Mission Systems Symposium, NAML conference, quarterly Tech Talks, Emerging Leaders program, InnovateGov workshops, and the NAVWAR Contracting Industry Council. The chapter also administers STEM scholarships, robotics grants, and science tool grants for San Diego County students through proceeds from events and donations.

Product overview

AFCEA International San Diego is a professional association chapter dedicated to increasing knowledge through exploration of issues relevant to information technology, communications, and electronics for defense, homeland security, and intelligence communities. The organization offers a portfolio of programs and services including the Education and Students Consortium for STEM outreach, annual symposiums (C4ISR, Mission Systems), Tech Talks (quarterly government-industry technical discussions), NAML (Naval Applications of Machine Learning conference), InnovateGov small business workshops, Emerging Leaders professional development, and the NAVWAR Contracting Industry Council (CIC) for acquisition dialogue. Supporting infrastructure includes the San Diego Futures Foundation for IT accessibility, science fair programs, and scholarship opportunities ($8,000 College Scholarships, leadership awards, robotics grants, and science tool grants). The chapter serves as an ethical bridge between government requirements and industry capabilities, representing government, industry, and military professionals.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Individual Membership

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 3,500 scholarships awarded to San Diego County students
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Naval Information Warfare Center Pacific (NIWC Pacific)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024NIWC Pacific co-hosts the annual NAML (Naval Applications of Machine Learning) workshop with AFCEA San Diego. This is a premier annual event showcasing current machine learning research relevant to Naval applications, with participation from the defense community, industry, and academia. The event includes a classified portion held at NIWC Pacific.
• NAVWAR (Naval Information Warfare Systems) / Contracting Industry Council (CIC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2023Established in October 2023, the CIC is a partnership between NAVWAR and Industry enabling consistent and open discussion of common challenges and opportunities at scale with acquisition priorities, processes, and timelines. The CIC meets quarterly to discuss collective industry inputs submitted by industry members from AFCEA San Diego, NDIA San Diego, SDMAC, and WID San Diego.
• Pennant Alliance (Computer Sciences Corporation, Science Applications International Corporation, SBC, and Avaya Inc.)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1999The Pennant Alliance, a consortium of high technology companies, formed the San Diego Futures Foundation (SDFF) in late 1999 as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit to establish accessibility to information technology resources, increase computer literacy, and provide job training and education to San Diego County residents. The foundation supports AFCEA's educational programs.
• San Diego Futures Foundation (SDFF)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerA 501(c)(3) nonprofit created by the Pennant Alliance in late 1999 to establish accessibility to information technology resources, increase computer literacy, and provide job training and education to children, youth, and families of San Diego County. Accomplishes goals through delivery of computer hardware, software, communications, and training.
• NDIA San DiegocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational Defense Industrial Association San Diego chapter. CIC members are nominated by AFCEA San Diego, NDIA San Diego, SDMAC, and Women In Defense San Diego. Both organizations co-host the annual golf tournament and partner on C4ISR Symposia. Both are nonprofit organizations whose proceeds go back into the San Diego community in form of educational scholarships and grants.
• Women In Defense San Diego (WID San Diego)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWomen In Defense San Diego chapter participates in the NAVWAR Contracting Industry Council (CIC). CIC members are nominated by AFCEA San Diego, NDIA San Diego, SDMAC, and WID San Diego (one small and one large business each).
• SDMAC (San Diego Military Advisory Council)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCIC members are nominated by AFCEA San Diego, NDIA San Diego, SDMAC, and Women In Defense San Diego (one small and one large business each). SDMAC members participate in industry question submissions for the CIC.
• AVID CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to closing the achievement gap by preparing students for college. AFCEA San Diego partners with AVID Center to offer $2,000 scholarships to AVID program participants who are high school seniors in San Diego County majoring in STEM fields.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• NDIA San Diego: Local chapter of the National Defense Industrial Association serving San Diego defense industry, government, and academia. Shares NAVWAR CIC co-governance with AFCEA San Diego, co-hosts the annual golf tournament, and runs overlapping technical programming for the same member base.
• San Diego Military Advisory Council (SDMAC): Regional defense industry council connecting military, industry, academia, and community leaders around San Diego's military installations. Co-governs the NAVWAR CIC with AFCEA San Diego and competes for the same corporate sponsorship and membership dollars from defense contractors.
• AFCEA Washington DC Chapter (Signal Foundation / SIGNAL Magazine): Largest AFCEA chapter, headquartered in the DC metro area near major DoD buyers. Closest analog to AFCEA San Diego's local-chapter model, running similar symposiums, networking events, and STEM programming against a different geography.
• Women In Defense San Diego: San Diego chapter of Women In Defense, a national security-focused professional association. Holds a seat alongside AFCEA San Diego on the NAVWAR CIC and serves overlapping defense industry/government professional members with similar programming and scholarship offerings.

Broad incumbents

• AFCEA International: Parent 501(c)(6) organization of the San Diego chapter, operating 135+ chapters across 30+ countries with 33,000+ members. Operates the same membership, scholarship, and SIGNAL Magazine model at national scale and provides the platform on which AFCEA San Diego's chapter-level revenue ultimately depends.
• Information Technology Industry Council (ITI): DC-based trade association representing major information technology companies, including those serving defense and intelligence customers. Operates a similar advocacy, networking, and event model that overlaps with AFCEA San Diego's IT and communications member base.
• National Defense Industrial Association (NDIA HQ): Parent organization of NDIA San Diego. Provides the national membership, policy, and conference infrastructure that the local NDIA chapter delivers to San Diego, directly comparable in model to the AFCEA International/AFCEA San Diego relationship.
• Association of the United States Army (AUSA): National nonprofit professional association for the U.S. Army with a similar membership, chapter, scholarship, and annual symposium model. Competes for defense industry sponsors and government engagement, particularly where Army/Navy priorities overlap in San Diego-based commands.
• Aerospace Industries Association (AIA): National trade association representing aerospace and defense manufacturers. Operates a similar advocacy, networking, and event-driven model relevant to AFCEA San Diego's defense contractor members, though at national rather than chapter scope.

Regional players

• San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce: Regional business association serving San Diego County. Competes for local corporate memberships and sponsorships from the same defense-adjacent businesses and large primes that AFCEA San Diego cultivates, though with a broader industry remit.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/AFCEA
• Facebookfacebook.com/AFCEA.International
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/afcea-san-diego

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about AFCEA International San Diego