At the end of the 70s, various French manufacturers supplying police equipment were worried that they had limited commercial contacts at international level. Contrary to the Aeronautics and Defence sectors, the Interior Security sector did not have any promotion and communications platform that matched its importance in France. As a result, the idea of organising a specific international exhibition took hold. EXPOL (EXposition POLice), the first private initiative, showed the way.

In 1984, the International Milipol Committee came to life as an association whose goal was the promotion of security techniques and equipment.
That same year, the first international Milipol Show was organised in Paris as the privileged information and public-relations tool, open widely to professionals in the field of security, including manufacturers, end-users, buyers and exhibitors of all nationalities. The quasi-confidential field of police, civil and military security equipment, virtually unknown to the general public until that time, was thus brought to light.

Then it broadened out to include the field of security which encompasses private and public communities, that of industry and businesses, the protection of populations, and internal State security.

In 1995 the Milipol Paris Show became an official event, along the same lines as the international Eurosatory exhibitions for land armament, Euronaval for naval equipment and the Paris-Le Bourget Aeronautics-Aerospace Exibition.
Today Milipol welcomes 956 exhibitors, 26 357 visitors, 58 official delegations and 469 journalists.