Bringing the Global Industry Back to London

Interview with Rachael Shattock, Group Event Director, International Security Expo & Nineteen Cyber Series (International Cyber Expo, National Cyber Security Show & SASIG)

Can you start by giving us an overview of the 2025 event in numbers?

Let's start with the dates – International Security Expo (ISE) and International Cyber Expo (ICE) are two-day shows taking place 30 September - 1 October at London Olympia. We are set for another record-breaking year. We've got over 300 global exhibiting brands and we're expecting over 10,000 visitors – as well as a lineup of over 80 international speakers who are all experts in their fields.

We've got senior government officials in the mix and they're going to be speaking at both our conference and summit. There is also five dedicated zones and trails this year – the two Government Zones as well as the Perimeter Protection Zone, Drone & Counter UAV Trail and Aviation Security Trail. We are delighted with this level of support and are pleased to be partnering with over 40 industry organisations, including security associations and leading media titles like ISJ and SJUK.

The key to success with ISE is our expert Advisory Council, chaired by Angela Essel. This year, the Council comprises over 50 stakeholders. They help us shape content to keep us on track and ensure we're covering the full gamut of the industry whilst meeting the needs of visitors. ISE is co-located with ICE, highlighting the importance of convergence between physical security and cybersecurity.

What will be the key themes and topics covered in conference sessions?

We have the International Security & Resilience Conference, but we also have our Global Counter Terror & Security Summit. One of the speaker highlights from the 2025 program includes key stakeholders behind Martyn's Law – from those that will be implementing the legislation and also those that will be licensing it. These people are all in one place, at one time. We're also going to be looking at practical implementation and providing wider security resilience.

Once again, we're working with Resilience First who are running a panel that will address resilience within critical national infrastructure and another session with Cranfield University that will look at a new model for organisational resilience. We'll also have a focus on HVM and vehicle ramming.

Like in previous years, we’ll also have the Realities of Terror sessions – but this year it's a little different because we've got representation from terror museums across Europe, including Norway and France, as well as the US. The panel is going to be chaired by a representative from the 9/11 Memorial & Museum, who will also be running a number of other sessions as well as a workshop.

ISE is predominantly a trade event so there is a strong focus on this within our Conference already, but we're further enhancing that with insights. We're going to be hearing from the Department of Business and Trade, UKDSE and Fairfax County; this acts as a gateway into US business specifically, and visitors are going to be hearing about the trade relationships that exist. They will also gain insight into how to do business in other markets and how to integrate overseas businesses into the UK.

In addition, Ukraine continues to remain a key focus – and SCEG, an ADS Special Interest Group, is going to be putting together a panel with businesses that are working in and out of the country on a daily basis. Another key highlight will be a Keynote Address from a senior UK government official. Last year, we were privileged to have Minister of State for Security, Dan Jarvis MBE MP, visit the show and hope he will be able to attend once again. All of our content in both the Summit and the Conference is completely free of charge to attendees and is CPD accredited.

Active government participation is a major USP for us. ISE is the perfect blend between industry, government and academia, and we've got more support than we've ever had this year. We have representation from over 20 government agencies, department and organisations, from JSaRC to Border Force and many more besides.

What live demonstrations and hands-on showcases will be available?

The hall is full of live demonstrations and showcases throughout the two days. You can't get away from it. Many of our exhibitors will be demoing products on their stand and, once again, we are also staging our Live Immersive Arena in partnership with CrisisCast. This was launched in 2024 and got fantastic feedback from visitors and exhibitors – we're hoping for something even more spectacular this year. For those of you that didn't visit last year, the Arena consists of a group of actors that deliver scenarios showcasing how best to deal with multi-layered terrorist attacks.

In the other demo areas, we have Border Force showcasing and demonstrating every aspect of their organisation, including trucks, cars, boats, control rooms, drones and the Border Force Detection Dogs team as well. We're also delighted to be welcoming LPCB back for the Live Testing Lab and we've got a full schedule of exhibitor products being put to the test once again, plus much more elsewhere.

What networking opportunities are there for attendees and exhibitors?

Networking is a key component of ISE and we have two full days of opportunities to connect – and that's what the show is all about. We have the International Hosted Buyer Programme – open to all visitors who have an active buying requirement – which will see our team match buyers with our global network of exhibitors and set up one-to-one meetings.

The networking drinks reception is also key, which takes place at the end of day one. It's open to all visitors and exhibitors – and that to me is our way of saying thank you to them for supporting our event. It is one of my favourite parts of the week. Moreover, associations will be running dedicated member meetings throughout the two days.

How does the show contribute to global security efforts and reflect the global landscape?

ISE plays a significant role in advancing global security and resilience. It's a central hub for innovation, policy exchange and industry collaboration. I find it an absolute privilege to work on an event that has such significant purpose and really does impact people's lives. We're bringing together industry, government and academia, but they're discussing the current and future challenges that the world is facing, fostering integration between groups. The products on exhibitor stands save lives – and many of the people that attend ISE are in charge of keeping people, places and the world safe.

We're excited to co-locate ICE with ISE, and it’s a USP for us to have both physical and cybersecurity under one roof, represented at one time. It's ideal for attendees to be able to visit both shows in one venue.

ICE has strong government support and will host over 100 vendors – but it's much more than just an exhibition. We also have the Global Cyber Summit, a two-day conferences which will cover key subjects like emerging technology, AI, quantum computing, geopolitics, supply chain and third party assurance. We will also cover wider themes affecting the industry such as the skills gap. Moreover, on our Tech Hub Stage, vendors will be demoing products and looking at key case studies.

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International Security Expo 2025 takes place at Olympia in London on 30 Sept - 1 Oct – see everything that is on at this year’s event here: https://www.internationalsecurityexpo.com/

Register for your free pass here: https://international-security-expo-2025.reg.buzz/security-briefing-sep-25

A version of this interview was published in the August 2025 edition of International Security Journal.