Defence events in South America

As the largest defence and security fair in Brazil and one of the most important in Latin America, Mostra BID Brasil offers direct access to procurement decision-makers from the Brazilian Armed Forces, public security agencies, and foreign delegations with purchasing power. For SMEs and startups in the BIDS ecosystem, it is the primary national platform to gain visibility with government buyers, attract investors, and forge export partnerships via the Brazil Defense / ApexBrasil programme. The Brasília location — home to all three military commands, 131 embassies, and key ministries — maximises institutional reach in a single three-day window.

ExpoNaval is the only comprehensive naval and maritime defence trade show in Latin America, making it the primary gateway for global primes and SMEs seeking access to the region's navy procurement programmes, including Chile's newly launched Continuous National Shipbuilding Plan. The structured delegation-meeting agenda — with admirals and commanders-in-chief from across the region — provides direct access to uniformed decision-makers that is rare outside major global shows. The 2026 move to Santiago amplifies political and commercial reach, attracting a wider pool of government and private-sector buyers.

COLOMBIAMAR is the single most important gateway for defence and dual-use maritime suppliers seeking access to the Colombian Navy's active frigate and patrol-vessel procurement programmes, as well as broader Latin American naval markets. The co-location of the CIDIN congress with the trade floor and a formal business matchmaking session compresses the sales cycle, giving SMEs and startups direct access to decision-makers from international naval delegations. With participants from over 40 countries in recent editions, it offers unmatched regional reach for companies targeting South American and Caribbean naval modernisation budgets.

SITDEF is the primary gateway for defence and dual-use suppliers seeking access to Peruvian and broader Latin American procurement decision-makers, including official delegations, purchasing managers, and armed-forces representatives from across the continent. Its biennial cycle and government-backed format make it the region's most credible platform for advancing re-equipment and modernisation contracts. For SMEs and startups, national-pavilion participation options and a growing focus on cybersecurity and AI lower the barrier to entry into a strategically important emerging market.

LAAD is the premier gateway to Latin America's defence procurement ecosystem, offering direct access to Brazilian Armed Forces and Public Security buyers who hold active acquisition mandates backed by multi-billion-real national defence investment plans. For SMEs and international primes alike, the structured delegation programme — with 1,200+ pre-scheduled meetings in 2025 — provides a uniquely efficient route to decision-makers across the region. No comparable event in Latin America matches its scale, institutional backing, or concentration of qualified military and government buyers.

Exposec is the dominant commercial gateway to the Latin American security technology market, drawing over 55,000 qualified buyers and specifiers from 40+ countries — making it the single most efficient venue for defence-adjacent suppliers (perimeter defence, UAS detection, C2, surveillance, cyber) to reach Brazilian and regional government, integrator, and enterprise procurement channels. The event's expanding 'new sectors' track — explicitly adding AI, cybersecurity, IoT, and connectivity — signals growing convergence with dual-use and public-safety defence applications. For SMEs and startups, the average of 400 qualified leads per exhibitor and the presence of decision-makers from public security agencies offers direct pipeline access unavailable at smaller regional events.

DroneShow Robotics is the dominant gateway event for the Latin American UAS and autonomous-systems market, attracting buyers and decision-makers from 40+ countries and drawing official participation from Brazil's key regulatory bodies (ANAC, DECEA, Ministry of Defense). For defence and dual-use suppliers, it offers direct access to a rapidly growing Brazilian and regional market projected to exceed US$9.8 billion in 2026, alongside structured business roundtables and co-location with geospatial, space, and eVTOL verticals. SMEs and startups benefit from a relatively accessible exhibitor model and a concentrated audience of procurement-ready professionals.

SpaceBR Show is the primary gateway for defence and dual-use suppliers seeking access to Brazil's growing space sector and the broader Latin American market, with institutional backing from the Ministry of Defence, FAB, DECEA, AEB, and ANAC providing direct procurement and regulatory engagement. The co-location of four simultaneous events under one roof creates a uniquely dense deal-making environment for SMEs and startups targeting geospatial, UAS, and space-enabled defence applications. With 12,000+ attendees from 40 countries and a 20% year-on-year growth trajectory, it offers unmatched regional reach for companies entering or expanding in South America.

FIDAE is the dominant gateway to the Latin American aerospace and defence market, attracting hundreds of official and professional delegations from across the Americas and beyond, giving suppliers direct access to regional procurement decision-makers. Its biennial cadence and broad government backing make it the primary venue for announcing platform sales, MRO contracts, and technology partnerships in the Southern Hemisphere. SMEs and startups benefit from dedicated innovation forums and the concentrated presence of prime contractors, investors, and air force commanders from across the continent.