Why we Sponsor DGI
At DGI, we spoke to Mark Richardson at Planet Labs to see why they chose to sponsor.
Why did you choose to sponsor DGI?
Mark: It is at least the fifth or sixth time we've attended. There is nothing else like DGI in Europe that draws together defence and geospatial intelligence professionals, and those from other related fields within the military. I think every other vendor would say the same.
The customer base across the whole of EMEA has been a very strong pull. A lot of the military customers will come here that we want to have a conversation with, and that, over time, has got more and more senior. This time around we were glad to see that it was even further afield than just EMEA, which has been a huge win. The credibility of the people that come along is unsurpassed. There's nothing else like it in EMEA from a geospatial or intelligence perspective.
How have you found the quality of delegates on-site?
Mark: The number of senior delegations has increased over time. I think that certainly the flag officer level started to increase in the last couple of years, whereas previously it would have been far lower. The representation of our senior ranks as well as the users is very high.
How have you found the networking opportunities?
Mark: It's great. That's why we've decided to sponsor with a stand. It gives us the ability to access people when they're grabbing a tea or a coffee and a better chance of people walking past and getting a footfall in the stand. There’s been a high number of opportunities to network.
Have you done a session?
Mark: Yes, we did. This year, we've been focusing far more closely on the maritime domain, which is not necessarily what we've done in the past. As a result, people came to have conversations with us who probably wouldn't have otherwise come to us.
How would you rate the organisation of the event overall?
Mark: It's a very well-organised event—it has been for years. We recommend it to our customers just because we know they'll have a good experience. DGI is in a great location; it's easy for people to get to.
Do you see sponsoring DGI have a positive impact on your business goal?
Mark: Planet isn’t historically a company that's known within the defence sector. We have significant traction. Being associated with DGI provides us with a basis for reflecting our credibility and, more importantly, our commitment to the industry and this market. The affiliation is important to us.
We came from maybe three years ago, when we just attended, and I think we had a very small stand the year after. This the first year that we've had a full stand. That's a recognition, I think, of the value we're giving.
If you’d like to join as a sponsor at DGI, then get in touch and find out more about how you can get involved
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