We’re going to be loud!

Recently we announced the launch of a new show in our fast-growing portfolio of world-class events: Prolight + Sound Middle East 2016. Dedicated to technologies and services for the entertainment, events, creation and media industries, this three-day show in November is the fifth instalment of the international network of Prolight + Sound events organised by Messe Frankfurt worldwide – and it’s going to be loud!

Inevitably, when talking with media, the first line of questions that often pop up are why launch the show now? Why in Dubai? Why would companies exhibit, and why would visitors visit? Essentially, as with all our shows, the answer is simple:  we’re responding to industry demand.

I’ll come to that again later, but here are a few other reasons: First, the location is ideal. Dubai is at the crossroads between Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and Europe, presenting the ideal gateway for manufacturing countries to network and do business with visitors from countries throughout the wider region. 

At Prolight + Sound Middle East, exhibitors will have the opportunity to do all this under one roof, while at the same time learn about the latest developments, trends, and requirements of the regional professional AV, lighting, and stage production industries.

Second, the UAE, GCC, and the wider Middle East is one of the fastest growing regions in the world regarding AV products and services. Major infrastructure projects coupled with mega events such as the FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar and Expo Dubai 2020 are fuelling other industries such as hospitality, retail, events and festivals – all of which need the latest in audiovisual technology to enhance the visitor experience.

Third, this region is already home to a strong presence of international AV and entertainment brands. Now they have an annual platform to not only expand their business interests throughout the wider region, but more importantly to share their latest high-tech innovations that are shaping the future of an industry that is constantly evolving. 

A key aspect that underlines the AV and entertainment market in this region is that end-users, distributors, integrators, and consultants all demand high-quality products. Also new technology means product life cycles in this industry are extremely short, and so the need for a dedicated exhibition that brings the latest professional sound and lighting equipment from the world’s leading manufacturers is critical.

This demand for high quality comes from the top-down: regional governments are keen to make a global statement when it comes to staging world-class events, developing state-of-the-art infrastructure projects, or – as is the case in Dubai – being the ‘smartest’ city in the world. This has a major impact on the audio visual and entertainment market, and the industry has a unique opportunity to respond.

What about the key sectors for the pro AV market? Here are a few interesting stats that our research team has put together:

Number of Mosques in GCC: 99,321
Number of Education Institutions in GCC: 34,302 (GCC spend to reach US$ 150 billion)
Number of Hotels in GCC: 1,559      
Number of Malls in GCC: 142
Number of Exhibitions/Trade Shows in GCC: 245
Number of Mega Projects in GCC: 13                      

How does this impact the pro AV industry? Take mosques. They need to regularly upgrade their audio systems to broadcast content and prayers.  Sennheiser, a German manufacturer of consumer and professional audio electronics (and also a headline exhibitor at Prolight + Sound Middle East), recently upgraded the microphones and audio systems at Masjid al-?arām – the world’s largest mosque in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. This particular project was one of the company’s largest globally. 

What about hotels or malls? Think about all the clubs, special events, corporate functions, and festivals where pro AV supplies and services are the main feature throughout. And did I mention the Dubai Expo and Qatar Football World Cup? 

The Middle East is of course a different market compared to Europe and this led us to adapt the concept of Prolight + Sound Middle East to suit specific regional needs. End-users are becoming more involved in the decision making process in this industry, so we’re targeting them directly from a visitor perspective, particularly in key industry verticals such as hospitality, retail and so on.

For the first edition we are planning to welcome around 80 exhibitors from all over the world, including China, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, United Kingdom, United States, and of course, the UAE.

Back to my point about responding to industry demand. We already know that this region is one of the fastest growing international markets for the pro AV and entertainment equipment sectors.  In the words of Nour Assafiri, the CEO of Martin Professional Middle East, the market leader for stage lighting and effects (and also another headline exhibitor at Prolight + Sound Middle East): “The entertainment and lighting market is very important to us, both in the UAE, as well as the wider region.  We need a professional show such as Prolight + Sound Middle East to meet our existing clients, connect with industry colleagues, and educate the market on our latest products.”

Straight from the horse’s mouth…..