What COGES does

COGES EVENTS (legal entity: COGES, SAS au capital de €1,000,000) is a French business-to-business event organizer wholly-owned by GICAT (Groupement des Industries Françaises de Défense et de Sécurité terrestres et aéroterrestres), the French Land Defence and Security Industry Association. Founded in 1970 (with the SAS structure later incorporated under Paris Trade and Companies Register number 403 070 949) and headquartered at 39 Rue Mstislav Rostropovitch, 75017 Paris, the company specializes in organizing international defense and security trade shows, conferences, and bespoke institutional events, serving defense manufacturers, armed forces, government bodies, and industry clusters across more than 150 countries.

The company's product portfolio comprises flagship trade shows — Eurosatory (Paris, the global defense and security exhibition), Expodefensa (Bogota, the reference Latin American defense event under Colombian Ministry of Defence patronage), SITM (International Mountain Troops Summit, Grenoble), and Techterre (innovation laboratory at Camp de Sissonne, led by Future Combat Command) — alongside the recurring iDeaS Meetings program (monthly themed webinars and in-person strategic sessions hosted via Livestorm), the France Pavilions turnkey national-pavilion program deployed at third-party international shows across five continents (MSPO, AUSA, INDODEFENCE, IDEX, DSEI), and a bespoke event-management service for institutional clients. Its supporting technology stack includes an event management platform with online catalog and conference program tools that synchronize favorites between web and mobile, an exhibitor matchmaking service via form submission, CRM systems for lead capture, and a partnership with SOGENA (a GICAN subsidiary) to extend coverage into naval defense.

COGES generates revenue through four primary streams: transaction-fee-based trade show organization (exhibitor booth fees, sponsorship, registration), professional-service fees for the France Pavilions program, bespoke event management fees, and sponsorship/speaker participation for iDeaS Meetings. Pricing is quote-based with customized packages and multi-year contract cadence, and the firm operates on a direct sales go-to-market model anchored by its own event brands, GICAT network access, and a dedicated international sales team covering CEE/Asia/Oceania, North America/Western Europe/Benelux/Israel, and Africa/Latin America/Mediterranean/Middle East/Turkey. The management team is led by Chairman General (2S) Charles Beaudouin (a 38-year French Army veteran appointed CEO in October 2020) and supported by functional directors covering administration/finance/HR, technology strategy, sales, communications, technical/logistics, and exhibitor online services.

Name

COGES

Legal name

COGES, SAS au capital de 1 000 000 €

Website

https://cogesevents.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1970

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

COGES EVENTS is a Paris-based B2B event organizer and subsidiary of GICAT that produces international defense and security trade shows (Eurosatory, Expodefensa, SITM, Techterre), the France Pavilions program across five continents, and bespoke institutional events for government and defense-industry clients in 150+ countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Defense and Security Trade Show Organization

NAICS

Convention and Trade Show Organizers (56192), Convention and Trade Show Organizers (561920)

akta.pro primary industry

Government, Defense & Public Safety Shows Organizers (THAHABAO)

akta.pro secondary industry

Industry-Specific B2B Trade Show Organizers (THAHABAB)

Keywords

• Defense trade shows
• Security exhibitions
• B2B event organization
• Defense conferences
• National pavilions program

Headquarters

HQ city

Paris

HQ country

France

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. Trade Show Organization: Organizing international defense and security trade shows including Eurosatory, Expodefensa, SITM, and Techterre. Revenue generated from exhibitor booth fees, sponsorship packages, and visitor registration fees.
2. France Pavilions Program: Turnkey national pavilion solutions for French companies at international trade shows including logistics, communication, administrative support, and B2B/B2G access facilitation.
3. Bespoke Event Management: Custom event organization services including institutional meetings, conferences, trade events, and corporate events for public bodies, manufacturers, and clusters.
4. iDeaS Meetings: Monthly webinars and in-person strategic meetings with sponsorship and speaker participation opportunities.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

COGES EVENTS organizes international B2B trade shows, conferences, and bespoke events for the defense and security sectors. Its portfolio includes flagship exhibitions such as Eurosatory (Paris), Expodefensa (Bogota), SITM (mountain troops summit), and Techterre (innovation laboratory), supplemented by the iDeaS Meetings program of monthly strategic webinars and the France Pavilions turnkey national pavilion service for French companies at international shows.

Product overview

COGES EVENTS operates as a subsidiary of GICAT (French Land Defence and Security Industry Association) and functions as an event organizer and strategic partner for the international defense and security community. Its portfolio consists of: (1) major international trade shows — Eurosatory (Paris biennial defense and security exhibition), Expodefensa (Latin America's reference defense event in Bogota), SITM (International Mountain Troops Summit in Grenoble), and Techterre (innovation laboratory forum at Camp militaire de Sissonne); (2) the iDeaS Meetings program — monthly online webinars and in-person strategic exchange sessions complementing the trade shows; (3) France Pavilions — organized national pavilions at international shows to promote French defense industry exports; and (4) Bespoke Events — customized event organization services for public bodies, manufacturers, and clusters. A supporting digital platform provides an online catalog with favorites synchronization between web and mobile, and exhibitor matchmaking via form submission. The company leverages its 50+ years of expertise and network to connect manufacturers, armed forces, governments, think-tanks, and institutions across more than 150 countries.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Eurosatory: The Global Event for Defence and Security - international trade show
• Expodefensa
• SITM
• Techterre
• iDeaS Meetings
• Pavillons France

Products and services

• Eurosatory

Quantifiable outcome

• Events attract participants from more than 150 countries
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core, secondary and minor.

• GICAT (Groupement des Industries Françaises de Défense et de Sécurité terrestres et aéroterrestres)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGICAT is the parent organization - French Land Defence and Security Industry Association. COGES EVENTS is a subsidiary of GICAT, leveraging the association's network of French defense and security manufacturers. GICAT facilitates direct access to key international market players for COGES clients and provides strategic intelligence on new tenders and involvement in specialist clusters.
• GICAN (Groupement des Industries de Construction et Activités Navales)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFrench Maritime Industry Association through its subsidiary SOGENA. Partnership for organizing naval defense France pavilions at international trade shows, complementing COGES terrestrial defense events.
• SOGENA (Société d'Organisation et de Gestion d'Evénements Navals)secondaryChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSOGENA organizes France pavilions for naval events under GICAN. Collaboration with COGES for coordinated defense industry exhibition services across land and maritime sectors.
• OVHminorOthersWeb hosting provider for cogesevents.com. SAS with capital of €10,069,020, located in Roubaix, France.
• DUNE INTERACTIVEminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerWebsite designer and accessibility audit firm that conducted the RGAA compliance audit in September 2025 achieving 95% average compliance. Located in Asnières-sur-Seine, France.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• ADNEC (Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Company): Operates IDEX and UMEX, two of the largest international defense exhibitions. Directly comparable to COGES as a venue and event organizer specializing in defense and security trade shows with government backing.
• SOFEX (Jordan): Organizer of the Special Operations Forces Exhibition & Conference in Jordan, a specialized defense and security trade show. Comparable to COGES' SITM and Techterre as a focused, government-backed defense exhibition organizer.
• DEFEA (Defence Exhibition Athens): Organizer of a major defense exhibition in Greece serving Southeastern European and Mediterranean defense markets. Comparable to COGES as a regional defense trade show organizer with international exhibitor bases.
• Farnborough International: Organizer of the Farnborough International Airshow and related defense events. Comparable to COGES as a UK-based organizer of major international defense and aerospace exhibitions attracting government and industry delegations.
• FEINDEF: Organizer of the International Defence and Security Exhibition of Spain. Directly comparable to COGES as a national-level European defense trade show organizer serving government delegations and defense manufacturers.
• Clarion Events: Organizer of DSEI (Defence and Security Equipment International) in London, one of the world's largest defense and security trade shows. Directly comparable to COGES as a defense-focused trade show organizer serving government delegations and industry exhibitors globally.

Broad incumbents

• RX Global (Reed Exhibitions): A global exhibition organizer operating across many industries. Comparable to COGES as a large-scale B2B exhibition operator with event management technology infrastructure, though RX is not defense-specialized.
• Messe Düsseldorf: Major German trade fair organizer with a global portfolio including security and defense adjacent events. Comparable to COGES as a large European exhibition organizer with established international exhibitor relationships.

Others

• GICAT (Groupement des Industries Françaises de Défense et de Sécurité terrestres et aéroterrestres): COGES' parent organization and the French Land Defence and Security Industry Association. Related as the principal shareholder and ecosystem partner providing network access; comparable in mission of promoting French defense industry internationally.
• AUSA (Association of the United States Army): Organizer of the AUSA Annual Meeting & Exposition, a major US defense industry event. Comparable as a military association-affiliated event organizer, though it serves a US national market rather than COGES' international focus.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@cogesevents
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/coges

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles20 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 COGES