DSET’s Decade: From Side Gig to Strategic Hub

MS&T’s Special Correspondent Andy Fawkes spoke to Ruddy Nice CEO and DSET founder Tess Butler about what to expect at DSET 2025 and the all-year mission to deliver for the military and beyond.

As DSET marks its 10th anniversary in Bristol, it reflects a decade of continuous growth and sustained impact on military simulation, education, and training. Butler recalled its origins: “We had 99 attendees, three pop-ups, and raised £32,000, and it cost us £31,000 to run. We were doing it as a side gig.”  Now twenty times larger, the event retains a clear sense of mission. “This is our day job. It’s a year-round effort to deliver answers to defence challenges” she emphasised.  Underscoring DSET’s recognised status, Lieutenant General Sir Ralph Wooddisse, KCB, CBE, MC, Commander, Allied Rapid Reaction Corps will give the 2025 keynote. 

A defining feature of DSET is its high participation from military, government, and academia, which makes up 70% of attendees, a proportion significantly higher than comparable events. Butler attributed the event’s influence on this mix: “it enables peer-to-peer learning, and we've had participants tell us it helps them adopt new technologies faster.”

DSET aligns closely with current policy priorities. The UK’s Strategic Defence Review mentions training 90 times, cyber 111 times, and recruitment 16 times Butler told me. DSET is directly addressing these themes: hosting the British Army’s security and cyber conference and delivering CPD-accredited courses in partnership with Oxford Brookes and Bath Spa universities.

New areas of focus continue to develop. Engagement with Critical National Infrastructure (CNI) and emergency services is increasing, with two sessions led by professionals from these sectors. Space is also on the agenda, featuring input from the UK Space Agency and Space Command. NATO will have its largest presence yet, with seven organisations and a dedicated stand. Notably, “for the first time ever, DMSO will be having a stand at a training and simulation show,” Butler noted. Eleven organisations will participate in the War Gaming Festival, alongside a new session on AI and analytics in training data exploitation.

DSET maintains a strong commitment to diversity and inclusion. Its hybrid model, launched in 2020, remains essential, despite comprising 25% of the budget. “We’re committed to maintaining accessibility for our global community” said Butler. This year also marks DSET’s hosting of the Army Service Women’s Network Conference, highlighting the need to improve retention. “Women are still leaving the forces faster than they’re joining … we need to retain talent, not lose it” Butler noted.

As ever, the focus remains on content over spectacle. “We don’t do champagne receptions. All our funding goes back into delivery,” Butler explained. “We’ve never been just an event company. This is a community, and this is what we do all year.”  Indeed, sponsorships are being sought for Education, Networking, and the DSET Intern Programme to help build the community. 

With 60–70 exhibitors, 10 government agencies, and an expected 2,000 attendees, DSET 2025 is positioned to be a major event for the sector, second only to I/ITSEC. But as Butler concluded, “We’re not about size. We’re here to deliver meaningful outcomes for defence, every day of the year.”

DSET will be held 8-10 July at Ashton Gate, Bristol, UK

Event Registration - https://www.halldale.com/dset-2025-event