Ministry of Defence names agency for £4m event

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has appointed Altitude Inspires to run a £4m event for defence industry partners this August. The agency won a six-way pitch to manage the event, The Grand Challenge, which will comprise 11 UK teams of defence industry suppliers and investors, showcasing inventions designed to support the armed forces. The event is part of the MoD’s Defence Technology Strategy and delegates have been asked to invent “systems to detect, identify and report threats in a hostile urban environment”. The three-week event will take place at an army training facility in Copehill Down Village, near Salisbury Plain. Altitudes’ contract covers all aspects of the event, from accommodation and creating delegate facilities for 250, to risk management and production of live video coverage. “The MoD is providing the showcase for the best UK innovations, which will be exposed to the world media, potential investors and international customers,” said Altitude managing director John Saunders.