Guide: Defence Exhibitions and Conferences in 2022
12.01.22
12.01.22
In this blog, we look at some of the main defence exhibitions and conferences taking place globally in 2022.
Exhibitions and conferences form a key part of most companies’ sales and marketing strategies, and that’s no different for the defence sector. Events provide many benefits for companies, including all-important networking with customers and prospects, as well as scoping out what’s new in terms of technology, industry partnerships and market developments.
In-person events are also a good way to build awareness and reputation for brands and their solutions, whether that’s through an exhibition stand or using the occasion to launch new products and services, along with a tailored PR campaign that engages specialist and mainstream press.
Whatever your objectives, here’s a list of defence events that are occurring in 2022. If you’re looking for defence marketing, communications and PR services, please contact us.
📆6-9 March
📍Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
🧑🏻🤝🧑🏽 30,000 attendees
The inaugral World Defense Show is being held in Saudi Arabia this year, and is being touted as a key event to access the lucrative Saudi defence market. Expect to see companies from across the globe exhibit here, including major defence primes that already supply equipment to the oil-rich country. Saudi Arabia has also stated its intention to become a leading defence exporter, so there’s also likely to be major announcements of partnerships for indigenous manufacturing and technology transfers.
📆28-31 March
📍Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
🧑🏻🤝🧑🏽 50,000 attendees
DSA boasts of being one of the biggest defence and homeland security shows in Asia and is run every two years, with 1,500 exhibitors. DSA returns in 2022 after a prolonged hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The show is an opportunity for companies to showcase their product and services in the Asia-Pacific region, and importantly network and build relationships with government and military officials, as well as local suppliers and distributors.
📆18-22 June
📍Paris, France
🧑🏻🤝🧑🏽 100,000+ attendees
Eurosatory is biennial and is a premier event on the defence exhibition calendar, comparable in size and importance to the DSEI exhibition that occurs in London (on the “odd” year numbers). The show has a predominant focus on the land domain, but the increasing joint nature of military operations means that there are a range of companies exhibiting with focus on other domains, including cyber and space. Many companies use Eurosatory to announce major news, such as contract wins or product launches, which we can expect again for the 2022 edition.
📆18-22 July
📍Farnborough, UK
🧑🏻🤝🧑🏽 80,000 attendees (2018 edition)
Farnborough airshow consists of a multi-day exhibition as well as a conference that focuses on the aerospace, aviation and defence sectors. The 2022 edition is the first time that the show has been held for four years, owing to its cancellation in 2020 due to the COVID pandemic. It remains of the biggest events in the exhibition calendar, although the actual airshow element of the event has been scaled back quite significantly. Nevertheless, the show attracts 1,500 exhibitors and there will likely be a range of innovative technologies on display.
📆6-9 October
📍Kielce, Poland
🧑🏻🤝🧑🏽 11,000 attendees
MSPO occurs between 6-9 October and is a smaller regional defence exhibition but Poland’s increasing defence budget – and modernisation across Eastern Europe – makes it an important event in the calendar. Many companies have entered into partnerships with Polish companies to locally manufacture equipment, including helicopters, air defence systems and armoured vehicles. With Poland’s increasing defence expenditure, it is likely that MSPO will continue to be a key event for any business looking to expand into Eastern Europe. MSPO also takes place annually and the next event will be in September 2023.
📆10-12 October
📍Washington D.C., United States
🧑🏻🤝🧑🏽 33,000 attendees
AUSA Annual Meeting is a yearly event that takes place in Washington D.C. and is seen as a key event for businesses to understand the US Army’s requirements and hear from senior decision-makers in the service. With a gargantuan budget and a whole host of requirements, the US Army is clearly a key target for many business development managers – although there are a number of challenges here also, including strict requirements for domestic manufacturing and the sheer manufacturing scale that may be required. Expect to see all the industry’s big players to turn out for this event and display products on the large exhibition floors, as well as release big news during the three-day show.
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