DSET 2021 – Hybrid, Inclusive, Diverse

DSET 2021 was a success, reports MS&T Special Correspondent Andy Fawkes, and had a greater feeling than before of a more inclusive and diverse international participation with a significant buzz in the live exhibition space.

The sixth DSET (Defence Simulation, Education and Training) Conference and Workshop was held in late May, both online and live in Ashton Gate Bristol, UK.

But the event did not end then. The organisers are now staging a series of monthly virtual events together with a “DSET Roadshow” to replicate the main event at various locations to support military S&T education and knowledge sharing ( dset.co.uk).

The organisers of DSET faced exceptional challenges in 2021. Running, for the first time for the military simulation and training community, a full hybrid event with a live exhibition and a global virtual and live audience, and with the high risk that at any time the live event might be curtailed or cancelled due to changing pandemic restrictions.

What had not changed from previous years was the agenda, which was very much focused on serving its military audience who made up some 70% of attendees. Although interaction was both live and virtual, it encouraged open discussion and debate and it reached out to new areas of participation to encourage innovation. Industry represented around 20% of attendees. The virtual platform enabled good academic participation with 10% of attendees, including students who might previously have been unable to attend due to financial and time constraints.

New Platform

DSET’s virtual platform supported the four-day event throughout and will also be the platform for further DSET activities through 2021. The event commenced with a workshop held virtually on 24 May, then followed by two days of virtual and live conference and exhibition on 25-26 May, with a virtual-only networking and industry showcase on 27 May. The workshop is a very welcome part of the event, providing both a good entry point for newcomers and an educational refresh for more experienced military simulation and training practitioners. The showcase was new to DSET and despite a few technical issues it provided an opportunity for exhibitors to provide more information than could be easily gained from the live exhibition and also built on many of the themes of the preceding conference.

The first-day keynotes had a transatlantic dimension. Group Captain Paul Cole OBE spoke about how the RAF is exploring the use of data to enhance training and how the organisational stresses of the last year were driving innovation. Karen D. H. Saunders, the US Army Program Executive Officer for Simulation, Training and Instrumentation (PEO STRI), gave her keynote from the early hours of Orlando about the top priority for her organisation, namely the Synthetic Training Environment (STE), and the drive towards “one digital environment” for training.

The following seven sessions were diverse and informative. A technical and inspiring highlight was the presentation by Lieutenant Commander Grace Fanning, Officer Commanding L.É. RÓISÍN of the Irish Defence Forces, who spoke directly from her warship. Lt Cdr Gordon James, RN, provided an excellent brief on how the military are turning to eSports to augment their more traditional sports activities to boost wellbeing and inclusiveness and how these bottom-up initiatives are now gaining senior support and encouragement.

Due to Covid restrictions, the live exhibition of some 20+ companies and organisations was held in three large spaces of the Ashton Gate Stadium. Although the enforced separation did somewhat reduce the ease of mixing, there was adequate time in the programme to visit all the stands and the familiar sounds of simulated gunfire filling the exhibition space. The ability to easily meet and chat with attendees in a live exhibition was a welcome return and one can perhaps expect conference organisers in future to look to ways to maximise such mixing to make live events even more attractive.

This year’s event was probably unique in the challenges it faced and how it had to be organised, but it provided a vision of how such events can be run in future and how they can retain and build on the strengths of live events whilst embracing the changes forced by the pandemic to also reach a more diverse audience and enhance participation.

Tess Butler, CEO of event organiser Ruddy Nice, said, “The support for DSET 2021 has been overwhelming. We heavily invested into producing a hybrid event this year, building on last year’s success of virtual participation from speakers. We fully intend to remain a hybrid event in the future. It has enabled participants from around the world to access the brilliant content of our speaker programme and has engaged more organisations than ever before, who have stated their intention to participate in person in DSET 2022.”

Attendance of 500 was up 43% on 2020 with participants from 21 countries and 160+ organisations.

Butler said 10 universities from the UK and USA are now involved in their Intern DSET Programme.

The next DSET is scheduled for March 2022. Butler noted: “We welcome everyone’s input into shaping the conference programme” via the Military Advisory Panel and Industry Steering Group on the DSET website.