SPIKE Users’ club is an event that gathers representatives of governments, armies, and military industries from all the world. For sixteen consecutive years, the SPIKE Users’ Club Meeting (SUCM) had been held in different host countries around the world. In July 2022, after a two-year break due to the pandemic, the meeting was held in Latvia. RAFAEL Advanced Defence Systems, the NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA), and SPIKE Missile Family’s global users came together for a collaborative, face-to-face engagement to strengthen their wider relations and cooperation. SUCM’s 17th meeting was jointly organised by host user-nation Latvia and the NSPA. It included 19 SPIKE User delegations, and observer nations, having almost 200 participants at the presentation day including Latvian Army representatives.
Our team were excited to organize SPIKE missiles demonstration day that took place at two different areas of Ādaži Firing Range: at FIBUA the SPIKE FIREFLY capabilities were demonstrated and at the French Kurgan the Latvian Army launched four SPIKE missiles while audience was watching launch, fly and hitting the targets on the screen. The chosen French Kurgan location raised us challenges to overcome and forced us to find the best solutions for organizing, like getting live-stream videos from the missiles, drones and cameras at the targets (even 5,2 km far) at the area with weak internet connection or building a safe, stable and comfortable platform for the audience on the top of old concrete building.
Thanks to our high-level co-operation partners and service providers our team ensured smooth run of the event. Our event management services included coordinating the team and communication with all involved parties, full set-up of presentation place at the Ādaži Firing Range at two simultaneous locations, including building spectator’s platform, tents for the demonstration, catering and simulators’ exhibition, live streaming of the missile launch and hitting the targets, post-editing of several video materials, providing catering services, gift-aways for the participants, decoration of the location and tents, banners and flags for the branding, badges and lanyards. Some unusual tasks for our team were to find and deliver a sea-container as one of the targets to the firing range, provide pyrotechnic explosion and material to heat the targets for 6-7 hours.
On top of that – in the evening we organised a social gathering at the most prestigious event place in Riga – House of the Black Heads for more than 120 persons including catering, transportation to and from the event, live entertainment, music, and lights.
It was a fulfilling day, and we are grateful to our client for the opportunity and trust in our team!
