pmcimagazine.com
IWA 2018
Once again this March the small but effective PMCI crew made their way to Nuremberg in Germany
for Enforce Tac and the IWA Outdoor Classics Show and 2018 proved to be another very special
year; Bill reports back on a show where there was lots to see and even more to talk about!
O
kay, picture the scene if you will; some fairly
big lads (namely Nige, Iggy and I) all piled
into a 4x4 filled with tactical-style packs and
gear rocking up at the Dover Docks check in!
To say that both immigration and customs
gave us more than a cursory glance would
be lying… this was one hell of a road-trip,
heading as we were to Enforce Tac and the
IWA Outdoor Classics Show 2018! This has
to be my favourite event of the season;
although SHOT as reported on by Trampas and his merry
band of “shooters and looters” is still bigger there’s a certain
something about the show in Germany that always brings
a heady mix of excitement and expectation for me. Held in
early March each year “IWA” brings to Europe the very best in
firearms, optics, accessories, clothing, and gear.
Enforce Tac has always been a separate entity from the
main “IWA” and was created from the traditional Official
Agencies Day at the start of IWA Outdoor Classics and
already has a solid reputation. The growing interest in an
international and above all discreet exchange of views on
law enforcement, security and tactical equipment led to the
10
premiere of Enforce Tac as a separate restricted exhibition and
conference in the congress centre of NürnbergMesse in 2012.
These days besides firearms, ballistic accessories, optronics
and tactical equipment, the exhibitors at Enforce Tac present
operational clothing such as bullet-proof vests, stab-proof
vests, body protection, face protection, shields and helmets
to their core professional customers and users. The European
Police Trainer Conference also offers ample opportunities for
exchanging views with experts, but don’t expect to get into
this part of the show without a very specific invite!
The main “IWA” Show is slightly (just slightly!) more relaxed
in relation to visitors, and continues to grow and grow. When
I first started attending the show six years ago the “tactical”
side of things had only really just begun to make its mark,
but since then I’ve seen a sure but steady influx of companies
and each year the show just gets better and better for our
industry; “tactical” now dominates a Hall 9, and has now
expanded further; this expansion shows absolutely no sign
of stopping!
For the 2018 show the number of exhibitors was up again
with 1,558 exhibitors and almost 47,000 trade visitors from
around the world. Exhibitors from almost 60 countries and