What SMi Group does

SMi Group, legally SAE Media Group Ltd and previously known as SMi Group, is a UK-based independent conference and event producing company founded in 1999 and headquartered in London. It designs, markets, and operates more than 35 annual B2B conferences across four primary verticals: Defence and Security (including counter-UAS, UAV technology, military robotics, MilSatCom, missile defence, armoured vehicles, soldier technology, and maritime systems), Pharmaceuticals (pre-filled syringes, injectable drug devices, drug discovery, and packaging), Utilities (smart water systems), and Aviation (aviation carbon, added via the 2024 acquisition of The Aviation Carbon Event). Geographically, events are run in the UK, continental Europe, North America, the Middle East and Africa (through a 2024 partnership with JODDB), and the Indo-Pacific region.

The company's core products are its branded conference series and two wholly owned industry community hubs (C-UAS Hub and Loitering Munitions Hub) that provide year-round news, analysis, and audience engagement between physical events. Marketing and distribution are delivered through the smgconferences.com website, direct email newsletters, owned community hubs, and the events themselves, with direct sales support via phone and email for sponsorships and group bookings.

The business model is asset-light and event-driven. Revenue is generated from two principal streams: paid delegate registration for conferences and tiered event sponsorship packages (lead sponsor, speaking, exhibit, networking reception, coffee/tea break, lunch, branding, lanyard). Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed. The company has no public listing, no disclosed parent, and no disclosed institutional funding; growth has been funded organically and through small bolt-on acquisitions rather than external capital raises.

Name

SMi Group

Legal name

SAE Media Group Ltd

Website

https://smi-online.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

SMi Group (operating as SAE Media Group) is a London-based independent B2B conference and event organizer producing 35+ annual conferences across Defence and Security, Pharmaceuticals, Utilities, and Aviation sectors globally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Conference and Event Registration: Revenue generated from attendees paying registration fees to participate in professional conferences and events across defense, pharmaceuticals, utilities, and aviation sectors.
2. Event Sponsorship: Companies pay to sponsor events, with various sponsorship tiers available including lead sponsor, speaking, exhibit, networking reception, coffee/tea break, lunch, branding packages, and lanyard sponsorship.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

SMi Group produces and runs a portfolio of over 35 B2B conferences and networking events annually across Defence & Security, Pharmaceuticals, Utilities, and Aviation sectors. The company sells delegate registration and tiered event sponsorship packages, and supports these with two owned industry community hubs (C-UAS Hub and Loitering Munitions Hub) that provide ongoing news and insights between events.

Product overview

SMi Group (also known as SAE Media Group) operates as a conference and events company offering focused networking events across multiple sectors. The core offering consists of Defence & Security events covering military technology, autonomous systems, counter-UAS, UAV technology, satellite communications, and survivability; Pharmaceuticals events focused on drug delivery devices and packaging; and Utilities events including smart water systems. Additionally, the company owns online community platforms including C-UAS Hub and Loitering Munitions Hub that provide industry news and resources. The company organizes events in the UK, Europe, and North America.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Defence & Security Events Recurring annual conferences and networking events focused on military technology, autonomous systems, counter-UAS, UAV technology, military survivability, air and missile defence, satellite communications, armoured vehicles, military airlift, and soldier technology. Targets defence ministries, armed forces procurement, and defence industry vendors.
• Pharmaceuticals Events Conferences and networking events covering pre-filled syringes, injectable drug devices, AI in drug discovery, and pharmaceutical packaging technologies. Targets pharmaceutical and biotech companies, drug delivery device manufacturers, and packaging suppliers.
• Utilities Events Events focused on utility infrastructure including the Smart Water Systems conference addressing sustainable water management and smart water infrastructure deployment. Targets water utility companies, infrastructure providers, and smart water technology vendors.
• Aviation Carbon Events Sustainability-focused conferences addressing aviation carbon emissions and environmental impact. Acquired by SAE Media Group in 2024 to expand the sustainability portfolio. Targets airlines, aviation regulators, sustainable aviation fuel producers, and emissions technology vendors.
• C-UAS Hub Owned online community hub providing counter-UAS news, insights, and resources for the counter-UAS professional community, sustaining engagement between SMi Group events.
• Loitering Munitions Hub Owned online community platform providing insights, updates, and intelligence on loitering munitions, used to sustain engagement between SMi Group events and support the broader defence technology community.
• Global MilSatCom Annual recurring conference focused on military satellite communications and space-based capabilities, held in the UK. Sold as a standalone event with attendee registration and tiered sponsorship packages.
• UAV Technology Conference Annual recurring conference covering unmanned aerial vehicle technology and applications, delivered in both UK (UAV Technology) and US (UAV Technology USA) editions, sold as standalone registration and sponsorship offerings.
• Military Robotics & Autonomous Systems Recurring conference series covering robotics and autonomous systems for defence applications, with separate UK and US (Military Robotics and Autonomous Systems USA) editions sold as standalone registration and sponsorship offerings.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• JODDB (Jordan Organisation for Development and Defence)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSAE Media Group and JODDB co-host the first C-UAS conference for Middle East and Africa, combining SMG's conference expertise with JODDB's regional defence knowledge.
• C-UAS HubcoreOthersIndustry community hub owned by SMG, serving as a central source for counter-UAS news and resources.
• Loitering Munitions HubcoreOthersIndustry community hub owned by SMG, providing insights, updates and intelligence on loitering munitions.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Arena International: B2B conference producer with overlapping life sciences, utilities and industrial events, addressing similar sponsor and attendee segments.
• Marcus Evans: B2B conferences organiser with defence, pharma and utilities programmes, sharing the high-priced, sponsor-anchored event model.
• Informa (Informa Markets / Informa Connect): Largest global B2B events operator running defence, pharma, and technology conferences that compete directly with SMi Group's flagship series across regions and verticals.
• Defence iQ: Specialist defence and security conference and digital media brand covering counter-UAS, MilSatCom and adjacent topics — overlapping product, audience and verticals with SMi Group.
• Reuters Events: B2B events business running high-profile industry conferences and owned media properties, competing for enterprise sponsorship dollars in similar sectors.
• Clarion Events: UK-based large-scale events group operating across defence, security and adjacent verticals with comparable sponsor-driven conference economics.
• Terrapinn: B2B conference organiser running defence, aerospace and pharma-adjacent events globally, competing for similar sponsor and attendee budgets as SMi Group.
• IQPC: Established B2B conference producer with overlapping coverage in defence, military and pharma, deploying a similar registration- and sponsorship-driven event model.

Emerging players

• MJBizDaily / MJBiz Con: Specialist B2B events and media business in a defined vertical niche, illustrative of the owned-content + annual-conference hybrid model SMi Group is pursuing with its hubs.

Broad incumbents

• S&P Global Commodity Insights (Platts Events): Large incumbent with a conferences and events division spanning energy, commodities and utilities — adjacent SMi Group's Smart Water Systems vertical and competing for similar enterprise buyers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/smi_group
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sae-media-group
• Facebookfacebook.com/saemediagroup
• YouTubeyoutube.com/saemediagroup

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about SMi Group