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The defence industry is a huge business and trade shows are a great way to expand your business. Trade shows are an excellent way of showing off your products, demonstrating the latest technologies and meeting new customers.
In fact, trade shows are so important that the majority of defence companies rely on them as their main source of new business.
It is estimated that around 70% of all defence contracts are won through trade shows. So it is vital that you make sure that you get involved with all the major events in your sector and attend them as often as possible.
There are many defence trade shows that take place globally such as Eurosatory (France), DSEI (UK) and AUSA (US). These exhibitions have huge participation from governments as well as private sector companies who use it as an opportunity to showcase their latest products and services.
The following are some reasons why trade shows are so important:
Developing relationships. The defence industry is a relationship-driven business. You can’t sell to an FMS client if you haven’t developed a good working relationship with them. Trade shows give you the opportunity to meet potential clients face-to-face, develop those relationships and find out what they need from your company.
Gaining knowledge. Trade shows provide an excellent opportunity for networking and sharing information about new products in development or forthcoming changes in government regulations or policies. They also provide a forum where companies can showcase their latest products and services to potential buyers.
Identifying trends. Trade shows help identify trends within the defence industry and how they may affect your company’s business plan. For example, if there has been an increase in demand for armoured vehicles over the last few years, then you may want to look into developing an armoured vehicle product line for export sales purposes.
Trade shows help you connect with key decision-makers who can help build long-term relationships with you and your brand. Through these exhibitions, you will be able to reach out to decision-makers within various sectors including military officials, government officials, defence industry professionals and more.
Trade shows help you to target customers directly. When you attend a trade show, it gives you direct access to hundreds or even thousands of potential customers at once. You can talk to them face-to-face about your products and services without having to go through an intermediary such as a salesperson or telemarketer. This enables you to build relationships directly with potential buyers which can lead to future sales opportunities.
Showing Off Your Products. One way that trade shows can help you develop a stronger defence business is by allowing you to show off your products and services to potential clients or investors. If you’re just starting out, this may be all that you need to get started on building your own military business. You can gain experience showing off what you have available and get feedback from attendees on how they think it could be improved or changed for the better. This will help you build upon what works well and improve upon what doesn’t work so well so that when you do have something that’s ready for sale, potential buyers will be excited about what they see.
A defence trade show is an excellent opportunity for a business to develop its brand. It also provides a chance to meet with potential customers and grow your business.
If you are planning on attending a defence trade show, there are a few things you should prepare in advance.
1. You will want to ensure that you have the appropriate equipment and supplies for the show. This includes everything from promotional materials to clothing. You may also need to reserve space at the event, which can be done through the organizers.
2. It is important to know what products or services you will be offering at the event. Make sure that you have samples available so that attendees can easily see them up close and personal. You might even consider bringing along some of your employees who can talk about how your product works or provide demonstrations of how it works in practice.
3. When preparing for a defence trade show, it is important to think about what audience you are trying to reach and how best to reach them. If you are selling products that require high levels of training or maintenance by their owners, then having someone on staff who can explain how easy they are to use could be very beneficial for your sales pitch at this type of event.
Here is a list of the biggest defence trade shows in Europe. If you are new to the field, you may find it useful to attend one or more of these events. They all have different focuses and offer a wide range of products, services and opportunities for networking.
1. Eurosatory
The world's largest international exhibition for land, air and naval defence and security, Eurosatory is an important event for the global defence industry. It is held in Paris, France every two years.
2. Farnborough International Airshow
Farnborough International Airshow is an aviation event that takes place every two years at Farnborough Airport in Hampshire, England. It is one of the largest air shows in the world and attracts thousands of exhibitors, including major manufacturers and military organisations from all over the world.
3. Maritime Security & Counter-Piracy (MSC) Exhibition & Conference
The MSC Exhibition & Conference is a leading maritime security event which takes place annually in London, UK. The event hosts a range of exhibitors who showcase their products and services across multiple sectors including maritime security, counter-piracy strategies and maritime law enforcement agencies among others.
4. DSEI - Defence & Security Equipment International Exhibition
DSEI - Defence & Security Equipment International Exhibition is Europe's largest arms fair which takes place every two years at ExCeL London in London Docklands, UK. The event attracts around 30 000 visitors from over 100 countries each year including government bodies as well as private companies.