Feature

Conferences and Exhibitions

Defending the nation’s security

Taking place from 13-17 June in Paris, Eurosatory 2016, the leading international defence and security exhibition, will help visitors to keep a finger on the pulse of the ever-evolving defence industry, with cutting-edge technologies on display.

Eurosatory is currently the largest international land and air-land defence and security exhibition. Held once every two years, in 2014 the exhibition welcomed 55,770 professional visitors, from 172 delegations from 87 countries, who came to meet the 1,057 exhibitors from 59 countries, under the keen eye of 707 accredited journalists, from all five continents.

Initially dedicated solely to defence issues, Eurosatory has gradually opened up to the realm of security as most exhibitors produce systems for both sectors. While the contexts of use differ greatly between defence and security, there is real technological continuum between the products. This can clearly be seen from a review of the techniques used in the two fields: unmanned vehicles, surveillance cameras, all-terrain vehicles, communication means, flak jackets, emergency medicine in crisis situations.

The international scale of the event was underlined by the presence of six new countries as exhibitors at the 2014 show – Argentina, Colombia, Hong Kong, Iraq, Japan and Panama. Over the course of the 2014 show, the exhibition confirmed its well‑established pre‑eminence in the areas of homeland security, civil security and company safety, with the presence of many visitors and delegations involved in those sectors. Several interior ministry entities were also in attendance, as well as a high proportion of exhibitors (over 50 per cent) offering various security solutions.

Eurosatory invites high‑level experts, whose influence is a deciding factor in the process of procurement and for operations concerning their national armed forces and security forces: program executive officers, program managers, chiefs of ‘operations’ and ‘logistics’ divisions, key personnel from technical test centres, among others. In 2014, 176 Eurosatory Guests from 36 countries visited the exhibition with an average presence of two days at the Exhibition.

Meeting and making business
In order to maintain pace with the changing defence landscape, the show strongly considers the future of defence and security evolution. By encouraging international workshops and panel discussions on dedicated security and defence topics confronting doctrine, technology choices and lessons learnt from operations, Eurosatory plans to build a more secure world.

This is enhanced through conferences and workshops led by international think tanks and workshops on technology clusters by specialist exhibitors. To allow exhibitors and visitors to enhance their strategic vision, Eurosatory has a dedicated area for think tanks. They present their research, organise daily workshop‑debates and take part in different conference cycles during the Exhibition.

In 2014, the participation of research institutes and groups of experts gave the show a valuable and highly appreciated dimension in terms of geopolitical analysis and defence and security concepts.

The Eurosatory Conferences
Eurosatory 2016 offers a large panel of conferences focusing on visitors and exhibitors issues of interest. Less than two hours in length, they attract a high level panel of speakers which will include representatives from the operational side, industry, media and experts.

The cycles of conference include: international workshops and panel discussions on dedicated security and defence topics confronting doctrine, technology choices and lessons learned from operations; conferences and workshops on defence and security policies and strategy, held by international think tanks; and conferences on defence and security economic topics.

The organiser COGES also provides exhibitors with a complementary, high‑impact ‘tool’ to promote their company, their products or their technology, whether it be a product or system presentation, or the advance launch of a new product or system. These ‘Exhibitor Conferences’ (45 minutes followed by a 10-minute Q&A session) will take place in an open conference room inside one of the exhibition halls. These conferences are included in the general conference programme. In 2016, Eurosatory will continue to provide major prime contractors with a complementary, high-impact ‘tool’ to present their industrial strategy, purchasing policy and standards. An opportunity not to be missed, the ‘Do Business With’ conferences will be organised for subcontractors. Also lasting 45 minutes followed by a 10-minute Q&A session, these conferences are an opportunity to meet new potential suppliers.

They will be followed by Business Meetings with a selection of contractors, in order to expand networks.

Prepared in advance by mutual agreement between the participants, the Eurosatory defence and security Business Meetings are held during the exhibition. This exhibitor free and unique service in the Land Security & Defence world facilitates contact between buyers and suppliers in the defence area and between buyers and solution providers in the security area.

In 2014, with 3,068 requested meetings, the Business Meetings involved 349 companies from 34 countries to discuss with other companies and find new partners.

Technology clusters
Exhibitors positioned on particular technology niches can form clusters to improve their visibility and be more easily identified by visitors (highlighted signs).
A conference area will be set aside for them. Clusters planned for 2016 include: Training and Simulation; Homeland Security and Emergency Response; Protection of infrastructure and sensitive facilities; CBRNe; Embedded electronics; and Measurements and Testing Centres.

With a strong involvement in the simulation and training sector, Eurosatory has turned the spotlight on this sector of activity since 2008. The nature of conflicts and situations confronting the armed forces has changed. Simulation is an economical solution in line with budget reductions.

Today simulation technologies offer training conditions identical to reality, at lower cost. The integration of simulation directly into the core of a system from the design phase is now a basic feature of all weapon and command systems. Civil and military technologies are evolving in parallel to provide solutions that are increasingly realistic and adaptable to all situations.

Eurosatory provides a specific area dedicated to the promotion of simulation and training for the forces personnel. It brings together the simulation industry and training and simulation centres for the armed forces. A programme of conferences dedicated to this area of expertise is presented by high-level experts specialised in simulation. Participants are encouraged to come with turnkey solutions. The French Ministry of Defence presents the full range of its simulation capabilities and know how and official delegations are particularly attracted to this cluster which is very well located in the heart of the exhibition.

Visitors include: senior military commanders; defence and security advisors and consultants; defence and security simulation centres; international simulation and training defence departments; modelling and simulation companies; companies specialised in training and on site operations preparation programs; and combat developers.

Infrastructure Protection
Facing increasing risks on people and assets, industry and critical facilities are strongly demanding for suitable products and innovative solutions, which are already budgeted. This cluster covers security for infrastructure and critical facilities, whether or not they are open to the public, such as military bases and facilities, airports, stations, museums, prisons, embassies, stadiums, holiday clubs, factories, industrial facilities (refineries, oil platforms, mineral extraction plants, nuclear power plants, production facilities), major public events (Olympic Games, sports events, large public and religious gatherings), etc.

Security managers require technologies that enable them to anticipate, protect, analyse and respond to any type of threat (industrial, natural, terrorist). Technologies related to this cluster include all products and services necessary for detection, protection, communication, identification and action in the event of a threat.

In the face of an increasingly broad spectrum of threats, providers of partial or integrated solutions are gathered in a single location, to present specific or global response to facility designers and security managers.

Equipment on show includes: fence, barbed wire, perimeter and area protection; intrusion detection systems and sensors; systems for geo-location and tracking security guards; video surveillance systems; vehicle inspection, licence plates identification; access control; identification systems; control access centre, command post; warning systems; and emergency evacuation.

Further Information
www.eurosatory.com

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