Behind the Curtain: Modern Day Marine

For this Behind the Curtain we're taking a closer look at what goes into planning Modern Day Marine. A production of the Marine Corps League, Modern Day Marine is a unique platform for the Marine Corps to meet and discuss their biggest challenges with industry.[Tweet "Behind the Curtain: A closer look at planning Modern Day Marine. #GovEventsBlog"] Held on the Marine Corps Base Quantico (in Quantico, VA - about 35 miles south of Washington DC), this event brings companies with innovative products directly to the Marines. This year's event is being held September 27-29. We spoke with show director, Charles Baisley to get a sense of what goes into producing this show and what attendees can expect this year.

Q: What is the history behind Modern Day Marine

A: The show is going into its 36^th year. In 1996 the show moved to its current home at Marine Base Quantico. This location gives us a distinction among the military shows. Being on base we can easily draw large military attendee numbers. This has been especially helpful during times of travel budget restrictions. This location also supports our efforts to make this event a platform for the Marine Corps to share their stories of success and challenges. Modern Day Marine is produced for the Marine Corps with the support of our exhibitors.[Tweet "A platform for the Marine Corps to share stories of success & challenges. #GovEventsBlog"]

Q: What makes this show unique?

A: Being on base gives this show a different vibe. The Marines attending are more relaxed being in their own element. We tell our exhibitors, don't come in suits or they will think you are with the IRS. It's a casual event that facilitates a lot of conversation between companies and their military customers. Marines are not known for holding back their opinions so our exhibitors get real, unvarnished feedback about their products.

I would also say that the range of products on display is pretty amazing. From very tactical products like backpacks and knives to state-of-the-art vehicles to cyber solutions, our exhibitors cover the entire gamut of the Marine Corps mission.

Q: What themes are you seeing emerge for this year's show?

A: Each year the Marine Corps leadership delivers a Report to Industry at the show to highlight the current challenges and successes. Over the past couple of years there has been a real push to return the Marine Corps to their expeditionary roots with the Expeditionary Force 2021 vision. We expect to hear a lot about what it will take to meet these expeditionary goals.[Tweet "The Marine Corps leadership delivers a Report to Industry during Modern Day Marine. #GovEventsBlog"]

Q: What are you most excited about for this year's event?

A: We have a huge focus on allowing small businesses to get into the event and show their products to the Marine Corps users. As a whole, the Marine Corps does a lot of work with small businesses as they tend to be able to focus on the niche products that are so needed in the field. Our small business pavilion has long been a big attraction at the event. Not only is it a great showcase, but the interactions with the Marine Corps provides a great education for business owners looking to sell into DoD.

Our middle tent features all of the big equipment and is always a huge draw for Marines and their families with large vehicle displays, lots of hanging signs, and 'big show' atmosphere. Some vehicles on display include the Amphibious Combat Vehicle, the Joint Light-Weight Tactical Vehicle and the Amphibious Assault Vehicle.

Finally, a newer feature that we launched last year is the Marine Zone. This tent has different units co-located in one place with all of their key reps. It becomes a hub for people looking to learn more about acquisitions and requirements for doing business with the Marine Corps.

Q: What are some of the challenges in planning this event?

A: Being on base means that we are essentially building an expeditionary unit on a field. It takes 30 days to assemble all of the tents, AV, air conditioning, etc.  Being outside we're impacted by the elements and have to be prepared for the show to go on rain or shine.

Being on base you have to remember you are a guest. You'll have families stopping by and you want to make sure they have something to enjoy since you're coming to their home. We have to balance the serious and important nature of the conversations happening at the show with some family fun.

Finally, in promoting the event we cannot accommodate drop-ins like shows held downtown. Being on base we cannot have just anyone dropping in so we are not as visible with advertising as many other shows are.

Thanks to Charles for taking the time to give us some background on this storied event. For more details, you can check out Modern Day Maine here.