Like many 2020 events, I/ITSEC will be fully virtual this year for the first time, referred to as vIITSEC, and it will look very different than in past years. But that won’t change the value it brings to the table for the military training and simulation community. To gain more insight into what to expect for this year’s show and the different value it presents to the defense community in this format, we spoke with Steve Detro, U.S. veteran and President and CEO of Detro Consulting LLC. This year, Detro serves as a Protocol Officer for vIITSEC and was formerly the show’s Conference Chair, affording him a seasoned perspective on I/ITSEC and its evolution over the years.
Despite the inability to physically shake hands and talk shop in-person this year, Detro thinks vIITSEC will offer a different level of engagement value for attendees, particularly with the ability to attend more sessions than was previously possible.
“The way I/ITSEC is typically set up, attendees are forced to choose between different sessions and paper presentations that are happening at the same time. Not this year,” Detro stated. “Attendees don’t have to make those tough choices with archived content being available for on-demand viewing well into 2021.”
Detro also noted that because of the virtual nature of the show, vIITSEC’s agenda spans across five days, as opposed to the typical four days, allowing for even more specialty content. The networking component of the show is also reimagined with different Q&A segments and “Meet the Author” sessions available for attendees, creating perhaps even more direct access to paper authors and thought leaders than before.
Last year, the Modern Integrated Warfare team had the opportunity to connect with Detro to learn about his career in the defense space and the massive leaps he’s seen in the industry regarding training and simulation technology.
“With the new technologies and secure networks, we can deliver training to any soldier, sailor, airman, marine, or civilian no matter where they may be,” he stated in the interview last year, referring to the ability to train at the point of need. This year has shown an incredibly bright light on that need and we are seeing it put into action across the different branches of the U.S. military.
You can watch the full interview with Detro from the I/ITSEC 2019 show floor below and hear what he has to say about the evolution of military training technology. See how those insights are being applied to today’s test and training approach during vIITSEC from November 30 – December 4. More details here.
