In the fiercely competitive and crowded defence sector, a wealth of conferences and exhibitions vie for the attentions of manufacturers, defence planners, strategists and end users. But in an arena where there are almost as many players as there are products, one event has in a short space of time established itself as a key date on the calendar: IDEX.
IDEX '97, the International Defence Exhibition and Conference opens in Abu Dhabi, capital of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in March 1997. And though only the third in a series of biannual exhibitions, IDEX'97 is set firmly to establish itself as the world's largest defence show.
It is also the premier defence showcase for the Middle East and Asia, a region that accounts for 60 per cent of the world's defence spending. Its rapid establishment as a world leader is no accident: the UAE has committed massive resources to developing the perfect site, and the UAE has a traditional role as a key link between the markets and manufacturers of the west and the countries of the Gulf and beyond.
The status of the event can be gauged from bare statistics: with an anticipated attendance by 600 exhibitors from more than 40 countries, IDEX '97 is set to be larger still, with visitors expected to exceed the 40,000 mark achieved by IDEX '95.
| IDEX '95 was visited by over 60 official delegations, including 28 defence ministers |
IDEX '95 was also visited by over 60 official delegations, including 28 defence ministers, and contracts worth over US$500 million were concluded with the UAE alone. Currently the members of the Gulf Co-operation Council alone (Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE) are expected to commit between US$60 and US$80 billion to defence spending.
But what statistics can't convey is the sheer scope and diversity of IDEX, an event that sets the standards for defence exhibitions.
The brainchild of the UAE Defence Forces, the exhibition is organised by the UAE's Military Committee for International Defence Exhibitions (CODEX), a professional, dedicated team headed by Chairman Brigadier Staff Sultan O. B. Al Suwaidi. The CODEX team has already been active in promoting IDEX at the recent Eurosatory and Farnborough shows, and the interest generated has been enormous.
| IDEX '97 will offer more than 16,000m2 of outdoor exhibit space |
"The mix of countries and companies who have signed up for IDEX '97 is excellent," says Brigadier Al Suwaidi. "They range from major international organisations selling ships, missiles and tanks through to smaller independent companies selling such items as combat gear or camouflage paint."
It is not only the lure of finding customers that attracts exhibitors to IDEX: it is also the pains that have been taken to provide them with the perfect display environment. The organisers have made a point of speaking regularly with exhibitors about their needs and wishes, implementing suggestions wherever possible.
The result is an impressive array of facilities unrivalled anywhere in the world; more than 45,000m2 of indoor and 16,000m2 of outdoor exhibit space, plus chalets. All are complemented by an impressive selection of exclusive services, from the custom-built conference hall with 800 seats and top multi-media and communications equipment, to the array of innovative computerised marketing tools and interactive touch-screen systems designed to facilitate exhibitor and visitor business opportunities and meetings.
IDEX '97 is unique in combining several elements in one event, each enough in its own right to be the main attraction of a lesser production, all designed to display fully the potential of any given product. Apart from the static displays common to all defence shows, the 500,000m2 exhibition site will include a 100,000m2 purpose-built area for the demonstration of tracked and wheeled vehicles, and a marina for smaller naval craft.
| Exhibitors will be able to show the mobility of their vehicles in a purpose-built demonstration area |
In addition, live firing, day and night, will take place at the nearby Maqatra Range, capable of allowing weapons with ranges up to 45km, including artillery and missiles, to be put through their paces. The live-firing timetable has been flexibly designed to allow exhibitors to show the mobility of their vehicles on the purpose-built demonstration area within the show site, then take them to the nearby Maqatra range, the ideal way to assess vehicles abilities in their twin roles of troop carrier and combat vehicle.
As ever, naval events and products have a high profile at IDEX '97, that will see one of the largest assemblies of naval craft in the area since the Gulf War. Marine demonstrations will take place daily in the specially deepened channel adjacent to the show site, whole larger ships and submaries will be berthed in Abu Dhabi's customised Mina Zayed harbour. Numerous navies will be presented, and the UK has already committed its HMS Illlustrious to attend.
But IDEX'97 is much more than the world's largest defence supermarket. The event will also incorporate MILCON, a new session of the International Defence Conference, that is regarded in international academic and military circles as a top forum on defence strategies and technologies.
The perfect complement to the forthcoming IDEX, MILCON '97 will be held under the theme Defence Planning for the Millennium, and will coincide with the third and fourth days of the exhibition. Running from March 18-19, the conference will combine scientific theory with hard field experience.
Today's top defence manufacturers and respected military operators will be addressing an influential audience from over 50 countries, with a wealth of topics ranging from C4I, electronic warfare, missile defence and mine countermeasures and submarines to virtual battlefield training and simulation, littoral warfare and tactics/strategy. Papers from numerous countries will be presented. Distinguished speakers include Lt. General Hayman-Joyce OBE, CBE, Master General of the Ordnance, British Army; Ambassador Henry Cooper, former Director of Strategic Initiative and Chief US Negotiator to the Geneva Defence and Space Talks; and Rear Admiral Aldemar Feldes, Director, Naval Equipment and Technology, Federal Ministry of Defence, Germany. Keynote addresses also will be given by prominent personalities from within the local economic sector.
Facilitating liaison between exhibitors and visitors, IDEX '97 promises even more unique features; among them is an International Business Village, that will offer exhibitors and visitors the chance to discuss offset projects and international investment opportunities with representatives of local and international banks, investment fund managers, local sponsors and consultants.
| Naval events and products will have a high profile at IDEX '97 |
Additionally, the 1,000m2 purpose-built village will provide a showcase for companies wishing to present new technology investment opportunities to the UAE market. With full support from the UAE Ministry of Defence, the Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce and the UAE Offset Group among others, the village will focus on bringing a wider audience to IDEX and beyond.
"It will not be solely restricted to defence-related technology", says Brigadier Al Suwaidi. "It will include a variety of projects looking for investment outside defence, financial packages for the funding of such projects, and opportunities for new business in the UAE, including the free zones. The Business Village is an ideal opportunity to bring together major decision makers in one area during IDEX."
| Larger ships and submarines will be berthed in Abu Dhabi's Mina Zayed harbour |
To sum up IDEX, its essence lies in putting the decision makers into direct contact with the solution providers giving the former every conceivable means to make accurate assessments, and the latter every opportunity to display their wares.
