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Interview with Thomas Gaunt, DIMDEX 2014 Exhibition Director.

27 Feb, 2014 9:41 | 2014

DIMDEX 2014 Show Daily - Interview with Thomas Gaunt

Interview with Thomas Gaunt, DIMDEX 2014 Exhibition Director

With one month to go before the start of DIMDEX 2014, the Doha International Maritime Defence Exhibition & Conference Navy Recognition interviews Thomas Gaunt, Exhibition Director of the event which will be held from 25 to 27 March 2014 at the Qatar National Convention Centre in Doha.

Thomas Gaunt

Navy Recognition (NR) - With one month to go until the start of DIMDEX 2014, how is the preparation going ?
Thomas Gaunt (TG) - With the show more than doubled in size it is certainly a very busy time for the team. However with this being the 4th edition, the Qatar Armed Forces have great experience in delivering a successful show and with Clarion Event’s support DIMDEX 2014 is sure to be the best edition yet. At the last count there were over 60 VIP delegations confirmed and we still expect more between now and the show.
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NR - Looking at the exhibitor list, it looks like this year's event will be the largest DIMDEX ever. Can you confirm ?
TG- Yes this is indeed the biggest DIMDEX yet. More exhibitors, more countries, more halls at QNCC. With about 8,000 sqm of net space taken DIMDEX is now not only the biggest Naval Defence event in the region but one of the biggest in the world.

NR - Can you give us the list of warships that will be visiting DIMDEX 2014 ?
TG - An official announcement will be made regarding the specific warships that will be on display at this week’s Diplomat Briefing however I can tell you that there will be 21 Warships and participating countries include Australia, France, Greece, Pakistan, Italy, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Turkey Oman, UK and US. Receptions will be held on board for the visiting delegations and the crew’s will also be invited to attend the exhibition when their schedule permits. There is even a sports tournament on the final day for all the crews.

NR -The static display area is a new addition. What will this area be about ?
TG - In past editions the static displays have always been a big attraction but always dotted around the venue. This year we decided to make it a feature of the show. We already have confirmation of Helicopters, Boats and UAVs from both the Qatar Armed Forces and Industry alike. I think this also highlights the greater scope for this year’s show.

NR -What can you tell us about the Middle East Naval Commanders’ Conference (MENC)?
TG - We have a fantastic line up for the 2014 Conference with some other prominent commanders awaiting finalisation. Already confirmed are Admiral Giuseppe De Giorgi, Commander, Italian Navy
Rear Admiral Antoine Beaussant, Commander of French Forces in the Indian Ocean, French Navy
Rear Admiral Frank Trojahn, Commander, Royal Danish Navy
Rear Admiral Mark Campbell, Head of Navy Capability, Royal Australian Navy
Rear Admiral Athar Mukhtar, Director General, Pakistan Maritime Security Agency
Commodore Keith Blount, Combined Maritime Forces, Royal Navy
With the region of key strategic importance MENC is the perfect platform for senior decision makers to not only share knowledge but also to engage in bilateral discussions.

Make sure to visit Navy Recognition during DIMDEX from March 25th to 27th. Our team will bring you all the news and pictures from the event with our Online Show Daily.

Navy Recognition has been appointed as DIMDEX 2014 official Online Show Daily

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Interview with Thomas Gaunt, DIMDEX 2014 Exhibition Director.