DSEi Day 3

After an eventful day of meetings and media interviews, the Night Vision DSEi team was yet again on the show floor prepared to meet with existing and potential customers. The show was still busy as many tried to schedule last minute meetings with customers before heading back home to their respective homes.

There were no signs of protesters at the show today and the line to the entrance was shrinking. Many people who managed to squeeze their meetings into the first two days had already started to make their journey home, but we still had business to conduct on the show floor. London traffic was light this morning so we made it to the ExCel Center in plenty of time to enjoy a cup of tea or coffee before the busy day began.

Mike LoDebole met with the Spanish delegation, existing and potential customers to discuss night vision requirements. In an effort to continue to build our relationship with the media, Mike also met with Grace Jean, the senior editor of National Defense to discuss night vision technology. Ron Davis and Frank Loftus kept busy as well meeting with potential customers and discussing their night vision needs.

With all the hustle of a trade show, you sometimes miss out on the other activities of the show. Yesterday I was able to escape to the outside and get some fresh air, and I’m glad I did. Docked outside the ExCel Center are three naval vessels on display. I was able to take a tour of the HSM Mersey ship, which is used for fishery protection duties. It is a commercial ship; however, it is manned with members of the Royal Navy. I had never been on a ship before, so I was curious to see the interior. Walking through the ship, I almost felt like I was walking through a New York City apartment. Very small, tight quarters! The hallways were narrow, and I had to watch your step so that I would not trip over the raised step. I did make a personal note to myself not to wear high heels on a naval ship in the future, not only are they loud, but they are not the safest footwear for a Naval ship. Also outside, DSEI held waterborne demonstrations. During the 11:00 AM and 3:00 PM, you could watch an offshore raiding craft, which main use is for support missions along the coastline and rivers; perform at high speeds down the Thames River.

The level of technology that is at trade shows is really amazing and it is designed with one key goal – to keep our soldiers safe. Day three of DSEi has ended and the international team has completed their work for the week and we look forward to seeing everyone at DSEi 2011.

Mary Dudley

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