16 Jul 14. Clarion Events, the organisers of Defence & Security Equipment International (DSEI), is staging a one-day conference focused on the future of maritime, medical, rotary wing and unmanned systems technology. This topical addition, called DSEI Strategic Conferences, will take place on Monday 14 September 2015, the day before the exhibition opens its doors to a growing global audience of senior military and security professionals. The new event builds on the success of the unmanned systems conference held on the eve of the last DSEI in September 2013. DSEI’s Strategic Conferences will be open to the entire international defence and security community while, as is customary for Clarion Events, attendance will be complimentary for members of the military and accredited media.
DSEI Event Director, Duncan Reid said, “DSEI attracts a top quality audience of more than 30,000 visitors to ExCeL London. We are focused on growing this number for DSEI 2015 and are targeting 100 official delegations, reinforcing the event’s position as the global hub of defence and security expertise. The expanded scope of the pre-DSEI conference will provide a valuable additional opportunity for visitors to learn about and discuss developments within four crucial areas of technology”.
The conference takes place in ExCeL London. Registration will open in 2015 and places are limited.
15 Jul 14. Russian delegation reconsiders future at show. Russia is to reconsider its attitude to participating in international air shows, particularly Farnborough, and will assess the need for attending events depending on efficiency and justification for the cost of it, the head of the Russian delegation, Deputy Minister for Industry and Trade Yuri Slusar, told Russian journalists 15 July. Slusar claimed that almost half of the Russian delegation, including senior management officials, protocol staff, and even some journalists, were not granted entry visas to the United Kingdom. “We learned a lesson from what happened. Next time we will seek guarantees from the host company, and we will enlist the support through the Russian embassy or the Foreign Ministry,” Slusar was quoted by press agency RIA Novosti as saying. (Source: IHS Jane’s)
12 Jul 14. Lockheed, Others Turning Back to Air Shows. For the past five years, as defense spending peaked and then slowly began to march downward, major US defense contractors, including one of the most conspicuous cutters, Lockheed Martin, had been downsizing at air shows ? reducing the number of staff members, shrinking booths and chateaus, and keeping executives home. But with companies looking outward for potential growth while the US market remains stagnant, that trend seems to be reversing. Many organizations now look at air shows as an opportunity to gather disparate sets of customers for tightly packed meetings to promote sales. “We’re going to look at those airshows, the larger airshows, as major events that give us an opportunity, that brings together a lot of delegations from around the world,” said Marilyn Hewson, CEO of Lockheed Martin, at a recent company press day. “They’re absolutely a key part of our effort. We are growing our business internationally, and it’s a great place for us to come together with our customers and have a chance to talk about our products, our capabilities.” Hewson will be flying to the UK for the Farnborough International Airshow, where Lockheed will show off its F-35. That’s a notable departure from her predecessor, Bob Stevens, who skipped the major shows toward the end of his tenure, and also held back his No. 2, Chris Kubasik. “I travelled, but Bob and Chris Kubasik at the time did not,” said Pat Dewar, who heads Lockheed’s international efforts. “It was noticed.” Dewar said that Stevens was reacting to a change in customer attitudes as the exorbitantly expensive shows of the 1990s began to feel anachronistic in the face of increased focus on value and cost savings. And the pend