| IDEAS International Defence Exhibition and Seminar | |
|---|---|
 The official logo of IDEAS 2012 | |
| Dates | November |
| Frequency | Biennial: Even years |
| Location(s) | Karachi Expo Centre, Karachi |
| Country | Pakistan |
| Established | 2000 |
| Most recent | 2022 |
| Next event | 2024 |
| Attendance | 24,000 at the last occurrence |
| Website | ideaspakistan.gov.pk |
The International Defence Exhibition and Seminar, more commonly referred to as IDEAS, is a defence sector event, held biennially, in Pakistan. Since its inception by President Pervez Musharraf in 2000, it has grown to include more than 54,000 trade visitors, 290 delegates members (from 43 countries), 133 national exhibitors and 294 exhibitors from around the world as of IDEAS 2016.[1]
The Pakistan government attaches a high level of importance to IDEAS; despite the fact that it attracts a large number of delegates, it is seen as a vehicle for facilitating their own indigenous arms trade. The level of political involvement has been known to reach the highest echelons, with President Asif Ali Zardari personally inviting the Amir of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah to the event in 2008 in order to boost the chances of Pakistan's export of its indigenously developed Al-Khalid main battle tanks.[2]
The Defence Export Promotion Organisation, or simply DEPO, is the government agency responsible for the success and organization of IDEAS. Typically, they outsource some elements of the exhibition production to private companies. From 2000 to 2006, Pegasus Consultancy Private Limited organized the event. However, after the 2010 conference was canceled due to catastrophic floods that hit Pakistan late that year, the contract for the event production was awarded to Badar Expo Solutions. Assessing the event's growth since its inaugural occurrence in 2000, Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gillani declared at the 'soft launch' for IDEAS 2012 that the exhibition had become a "mega event" in just eleven years and had achieved global recognition. IDEAS is held biennially at the Karachi Expo Center with participation from around the world.[3][4]
- ^ "International defence exhibition and seminar". Retrieved 21 February 2017.
- ^ "$34.5 billion loss to Pakistan". Retrieved 21 February 2017.
- ^ "China warns US it will defend own trade interests".
- ^ "Arms export income doubled: official: Defence show to open on Sept 16". 11 August 2002. Retrieved 21 February 2017.