Keela on 20 years at The Emergency Services Show and why it still matters

After 20 years at The Emergency Services Show, Keela International has seen the event shift from a small gathering to a key meeting point for the sector. For Sales Director Sam Fernando, it still does what it’s meant to do.

“It’s a consistently strong event with the right mix of our core customer base all in one place,” she says. “The Midlands location works well logistically, making it accessible for teams across the UK. It’s one of the few places where we can connect with such a broad range of the sector.”

Bringing different parts of the emergency services together was the aim when The Emergency Services Show launched in 2006. Over time, it has become less about exhibition space and more about conversation.

“The scale and professionalism has grown significantly,” Fernando says. “It’s become a more strategic event for the sector, not just a trade exhibition.”

That shift has changed how it fits into Keela’s year. “It’s become a cornerstone event for us,” she says. “It’s always in the diary, not just for sales, but for relationships and insight.”

COVID stands out as a moment when that connection mattered most. “When the industry was under real pressure, the return of the event gave people a chance to reconnect,” she says. “It brought together NHS, blue light and rescue organisations when collaboration was critical.”

Over the past two decades, the conversations have shifted. Fernando says the sector is more open to innovation, with greater willingness to explore new materials, technologies and approaches rather than relying on what’s familiar. That’s particularly visible in protective clothing, where sustainability is now a bigger focus.

At Keela, that has led to more long-term thinking, including initiatives such as its Legacy Project, which looks at the full lifecycle of garments rather than just the initial purchase. Expectations have shifted alongside that.

“There’s definitely been a move towards more informed decision making,” Fernando says, with less focus on trends and more on what delivers in practice.

She points out that often most of a garments environmental impact comes after purchase, in how it is used and maintained. That is starting to shape procurement decisions in a more practical way. Small changes, from washing practices to end-of-life recycling, can make a difference without major additional cost.

That approach is reflected in how the business has developed. “Flexibility has always been central to what we do,” Fernando says. During COVID, that meant switching production to certified gowns for the NHS for two years, supported by its UK manufacturing base. The ability to adapt quickly remains one of the company’s main strengths.

As with most suppliers, feedback from the frontline continues to shape what comes next. “It’s absolutely critical – the good, the bad and the ugly,” she says. That input helps ensure products are shaped by real-world use, rather than assumptions made at a distance, and the event remains a key place for those conversations.

Looking ahead, Fernando expects pressures to come from outside the sector as much as within it. “The current geopolitical climate presents challenges across supply chains, cost and availability,” she says. But there are also opportunities, particularly around more resilient local manufacturing and closer partnerships across the UK and Europe.

The Emergency Services Show is very different to the one Keela joined 20 years ago. But the core value remains the same – it is still one of the simplest ways to understand what is happening across the sector, by talking to the people in it.

Check out our recent interview with David Brown, Co-founder of The Emergency Services Show, where we look back at the last 20 years together. Read more here.

Keela International is a founding partner at The Emergency Services Show 2026, taking place from 16-17 September at the NEC in Birmingham. You can find them on Stand M50. Register your interest to attend here.