The biennial Defence and Security Equipment International (DSEI) event will proceed as planned in London in September 2021, organisers Clarion Events have confirmed.
The exhibition is scheduled to run 14-17 September at ExCeL London. Organisers said the decision to proceed follows close consultation and discussion with the UK Government and industry stakeholders.
A statement by Clarion read: “After a lengthy global shutdown of the exhibition sector during the Covid-19 pandemic, feedback from across the defence and security industry has shown a strong appetite to come back together in person at DSEI – an event that provides a critical and unmissable forum for many thousands of companies.
“A range of new online opportunities to complement the live event will be introduced. ‘DSEI Connect’ is a digital platform that will bring participants from around the world together with those attending the event in London to create a flexible and accessible 'hybrid' format.”
DSEI Connect will feature a series of live and on-demand presentations from international guests, including keynote speeches from military figureheads outlining pressing equipment requirements and opportunities, in addition to podcasts and exclusive interviews with senior government officials discussing key policies and strategies.
DSEI event director, Grant Burgham said: “The DSEI team has been in constant communication with our customers throughout the Covid-19 pandemic and the decision to run a live event reflects their feedback. We’ve taken into account the increasing confidence in the improving public health situation and we’ll continue to work closely with our partners to ensure we deliver a safe and valuable event for our customers.”
He added: “DSEI has been shown to accelerate the trajectory of businesses that attend. The last year has encouraged us to think more imaginatively about our long-term offering to the defence and security sector and analyse what makes DSEI so important for the industry. As such DSEI will now provide a wider range of opportunities for those who don’t normally - or this time cannot - attend in-person, and we are pleased to take this opportunity to introduce DSEI Connect to the market”.
More details about DSEI Connect will follow throughout the weeks leading up to the event. DSEI visitor registration will open on 7 June.
