PERRY - Some 1,000 Defense Department and defense industry representatives are expected to attend today's opening session of the Robins Air Force Base Requirements Symposium at the Georgia Agricenter in Perry.

During the two-day conference, Robins Air Force Base and Air Force Materiel Command officials will share their needs and contracting objectives over the next three to five years with private industry experts, focusing on the symposium's theme of "Collectively Solving Acquisition and Sustainment Challenges." The huge draw for private industry is the more than $5 billion Robins spends each year to manage and sustain Air Force weapon systems and components throughout the world.

Maj. Gen. Polly Peyer, commander of the Warner Robins Air Logistics Center at Robins, will kick off the open session this morning. Other speakers include Maj. Gen. Gary McCoy who commands the Air Force Global Logistics Support Center, the agency charged with supply chain management for the Air Force.

Attendees will have access to a number of breakout sessions Wednesday afternoon and Thursday on a variety of initiatives and issues hosted by Robin’s program managers, engineers and decision makers.

The event is sponsored by Warner Robins ALC and the Aerospace Industry Committee of the Warner Robins Area Chamber of Commerce. More than 800 attended the symposium last year. About 550 were from private industry, representing 300 companies from 32 states as well as Israel and Canada.

This year's session began Tuesday with a golf tournament and a social at the Museum of Aviation.