DSET 2024 Event Preview – Lowering Barriers

Now in its ninth year, the Defence Simulation, Education, and Training (DSET) event will be held 10-13 June in Bristol, UK and online. MS&T Special Correspondent Andy Fawkes caught up with the DSET team at their pre-show media event.

With 150+ speakers and 70+ exhibitors DSET continues to grow and expand as a conference and exhibition and includes various complementary sessions and activities to encourage more diversity of people in the S&T domain. Running since 2016, this year’s agenda includes a mix of virtual and in-person sessions, ensuring accessibility for its global audience.

For Tess Butler, CEO of DSET’s organisers Ruddy Nice, the event is all about growing and supporting the S&T community through its “people, collaboration and action” and where military, academia and industry can be together in a neutral place that encourages networking. “We're trying to remove as many barriers as possible” she told us.

Lowering Barriers

One barrier to entry to the S&T community is access to education and addressing this challenge DSET will host the very first Defence Analysis Modelling & Simulation Course.  The course, a DSET collaboration with Oxford Brookes University, will be a 5-day intensive in person and online hybrid professional development course which can be extended to a 12-week accredited short course.

Another barrier is the opportunity to show case S&T talent and building on last year DSET will host the Serious Games Showcase and Challenge Europe (SGSCE). Affiliated with the existing SGS&C at I/ITSEC it invites entries from government, industry, and academia, and seeks to expand the general training industry’s exposure to and understanding of game-based training solutions. It targets personal computer, mobile platforms, XR, and web hosted games-based training solutions with categories including both government and business audiences, a best student-developed game, an innovation award, and for the most enjoyable gameplay.  Alongside the SGSCE will be a DSET Careers Fair to be held on the June 13.

Wargaming

DSET itself will host interactive game play at the Wargaming Festival June 11 and speaker panels at its Wargaming Conference June 12. Butler clearly has a real passion for wargaming but told us beyond the current level of enthusiasm it was not only about military planning and training, “it's all about learning how to think differently” she told us. It was also about choosing the right war game for the situation “so long as you're answering the customer need with the correct game design and the mechanics" Butler explained.

Beyond the DSET Event

Supporting the S&T community all year round is another ambition for Butler and her Ruddy Nice team. They have recently set up their Serious Games, Simulation, and Wargaming Centre in Salisbury, UK. The 2,000-sqft facility includes training rooms, meeting spaces, and an unclassified game design area. Partnering with institutions such as Oxford Brookes University and Kings College London and hosting as number of organisations including SGSCE, Fight Club International and ETSA, the centre aims to foster collaboration, education, and professional advancement we were told.

Hybrid

DSET will run as an online only event on Monday June 10 and be in person also from June 11-13 inclusive at the Ashton Gate Stadium, Bristol. In person ticket holders will have access to online content after the event. More details here

Lead Media Partner and Robust Staff Attendance

MS&T is the lead media partner for DSET 2024. Andy Smith, Halldale Group Founder and CEO, Dim Jones and Andy Fawkes, MS&T UK-based special correspondents and Jeremy Humphreys, Business Development Director at Halldale Group, look forward to engaging with the community during this DSET.