Now that the dust has settled on another DSEI, I have some musings on the show itself

1. The show felt much busier than I'd anticipated. With Brexit inevitably casting a shadow over every aspect of public life, and with MOD still wrestling with an equipment budget deficit, it felt like DSEI might reflect this in 2019. Thankfully not! When chatting to companies both on our stand and on the show, the feedback was universally positive about traffic and of quality of leads.  This shows that despite some naysaying, the UK and global defence industries are still important as ever,

2. The international market is key for companies looking to thrive. Whilst there were notable announcements at the show, such as the much anticipated Type 31 programme, companies are looking beyond our shores for opportunities. As an SME focused organisation, NDI were proud to welcome over representatives from over a dozen nationalities to our stand interested in UK innovation. 

3. Clarion can really put on a show. Part of DSEI's appeal is its sheer spectacle, with the latest and greatest technology on show. But any event like this relies on the details to succeed. Whether it was the friendly conciege service, the mobile app allowing you to book and track appointments or the speedy delivery of beverages. All of these elements made for a fairly seamless experience impressive when accounting for hundreds of thousands of attendees from around the world.  The Make UK Supply Chain Hub was a welcome addition to the show floor too and enabled some great meetings too between primes and SMEs.

4.  Bring on 2021!  DSEI as a show is hard work and I think I probably need to buy a new pair of shoes after all the walking I did. But in terms of networking opportunities in the defence and security sector, DSEI is unparalleled for the opportunities it brings