“ISDEF's advantage is that it uses Israel's excellent reputation as a world leader in the fields of Defense and Homeland Security and collaborates with major decision makers. Being the only major international defense exhibition in Israel, ISDEF attracts top key players, political and government figures”, said Mr. Tomer Avnon, the President and CEO of TAR Ideal Concept, in an exclusive interview that he gave to Epicos.

On 18th of October Israel Defence Exhibition (ISDEF) will take place. Could you please describe us the concept of the aforementioned exhibition?

The ISDEF Exhibition is the leading defense event in the Israeli defense industry, serving military and police forces as well as the prisons authority.  The main concept is to rally together major players on the local and international scale in a unique forum where business opportunities can take place. ISDEF's advantage is that it uses Israel's excellent reputation as a world leader in the fields of Defense and Homeland Security and collaborates with major decision makers. Being the only major international defense exhibition in Israel, ISDEF attracts top key players, political and government figures.

ISDEF is an exhibition mainly for the defense industry. Would you recommend to a company that is activated in the broader domain of security to participate in it?
 
Absolutely. Companies involved in the broader domain of security are welcome to participate. While the exhibition is geared more towards the defense industry, there is a growing demand for companies dealing with security on a grand scale. Small scale security companies, such as those dealing with locks, security cameras and safes are less likely to reap the benefits of the exhibition. 

What are the main advantages that a company has when participating to ISDEF?

ISDEF offers networking potential that is unprecedented in this industry. You have top level procurement, research and development executives from Israel and abroad, manufacturers, distributors and clients all in one room, all with the same goal – to broaden the scope of their business and create new business relationships and channels. Now in its fourth year, the event has advanced to the next level, not only professionally, but also in extensive investment in exhibition hall facilities, booth design, networking areas and a demonstration stage. We've also incorporated a special networking evening where exhibitors are invited to mingle in a relaxed setting over cocktails. We continue to receive positive feedback from our exhibitors, who have experienced business deals and collaborations on behalf of ISDEF in previous years of the exhibition.

Is the exhibition supported by the Israeli governmental institutions?

Yes. ISDEF enjoys sponsorship and support by governmental institutions such as the Israel Manufacturers Association, the Industrial Cooperation Authority and the Israel Export Institute. This support encourages leading companies in the industry from Israel and from around the globe to participate.

Who are the visitors at ISDEF exhibitions?

ISDEF is an invitation-only event so that exhibitors can be sure that their visitors are relevant and professional. The Israeli visitors are mainly representatives sent from all corners of the Israeli defense industry. The exhibition will be open to representatives from the army, elite units, the police force, the prison's authority and other representatives from leading companies in the defense industry. With such a concentrated amount of relevant visitors, the exhibitors are able to gauge whether or not they have potential within the Israeli market in a very short amount of time. Furthermore, exhibitors have the opportunity to meet visitors from countries such as India, Australia, Nigeria, Romania, Slovakia and many more.

How many exhibitors are going to be present in ISDEF 2010?

We are very excited to announce that ISDEF 2010 will host approximately 120 leading exhibitors from Israel and abroad, roughly a 100% increase from ISDEF 2009.  These exhibitors are expected to attract 5,000 visitors worldwide.

ISDEF 2010 is the 4th ISDEF organized. Do you believe that the previous exhibitions were a success?

Based on the turnout this year, we are confident that previous exhibitions were a great success. The concept truly works as is clearly shown in the exponential growth of both exhibitors and visitors from one year to the next since its beginnings. We have come a long way from the 12 exhibitors and 200 visitors we had in 2007, merely four years ago. As I said before, we are expecting 5,000 visitors and 120 exhibitors at ISDEF 2010. As such, we expect to yield even higher success rates for our guests this year!