A further 27% of respondents voted in favour of participating in the shows even before receiving a jab, and the remaining 20% are willing to attend only after receiving the vaccine doses and the venues have other Covid-19 restrictions in place.

With defence show organisers and exhibitors eagerly waiting for the world to return to normal in 2021, the poll aimed to assess if people are willing to attend defence or trade shows without being vaccinated against Covid-19.

The analysis is based on 262 responses received from the readers of three of Verdict network sites Airforce Technology, Army Technology and Naval Technology, between 8 March and 26 April 2021.

The global vaccination drive provided hope for defence shows to be conducted this year, but the discovery of new mutant Covid-19 variants and uneven global distribution of Covid-19 vaccines has created a situation that is not practical for conducting exhibitions and trade shows.

Many defence events scheduled to be held this year, such as Paris Air Show and the UK’s Royal International Air Tattoo (RIAT) 2021, the world’s biggest military air show, were cancelled after a resurgence of the coronavirus pandemic.

Countries such as the UK, however, are planning to go ahead with their defence events in the second half of 2021, following their roadmap to emerge from Covid-19 lockdown.

Event organisers and exhibitors will need to adhere to strict Covid-19 safety protocols while conducting in-person events such as trade shows, which will have attendance in thousands until the pandemic comes to an end.

For more defence industry comment and analysis, visit GlobalData’s Aerospace, Defense & Security Intelligence Centre.

// Main image: The global vaccination drive has provided hope for defence shows such as DSEI to be conducted this year. Credit: Clarion