Key sectors are providing a big boost for the Middle East's professional audio visual and entertainment market, with the world's leading suppliers of event technology and related equipment lining up to take part in the region's specialist industry trade show in Dubai this year. Research gathered by Messe Frankfurt Middle East, the organizer of Prolight + Sound Middle East 2016, indicates that industries such as hospitality, retail, education, and MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, Exhibitions), present ample opportunities for the AV and entertainment market, and major players are responding. According to Messe Frankfurt, the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) alone has 1,559 hotels, 142 shopping malls, and 245 exhibitions, all of which require the latest professional AV technologies and services to enhance the visitor experience, whether for festivals, special events, and corporate functions, or for night clubs, concerts, restaurants and shops. The Gulf is also home to 99,321 mosques, which translates to regular upgrades of PA (public address) systems to the latest digital models for broadcasting daily prayers, while the 34,302 educational institutions dotted across the region is also a big market for integrated AV systems. This will come as good news to the 80-plus exhibitors from more than 10 countries at the inaugural edition of Prolight + Sound Middle East, which runs from 31 October – 2 November 2016 at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre. The three-day event is the Middle East's premier international trade and networking event dedicated to technologies and services for the entertainment, events, creation and media industries, and has attracted several industry heavyweights such as Monacor International, A German manufacturer of PA, stage and event technology. Monacor will showcase its three brands, Monacor, IMG Stageline, and JTS, and will launch its DMIX-20 mixer. "The digital mixer DMIX-20 from IMG Stageline impresses with an intuitive operating concept of the well thought-out user surface," said Marco Willroth, Executive Managing Director at Monacor International. "Due to the compact design, it's ideally suited for applications on smaller to medium-sized stages and for home studios. The device quickly impresses musicians, DJs and live sound mixers, and combined with an external router, it allows for convenient operation via iPad using a network connection." Willroth added: "Dubai and Prolight + Sound Middle East is the perfect trading place for our activities in the Middle East and Africa. In this rapidly growing region we are, of course, at the right place with our professional PA technology as well as modern stage and event technology." Other big names signing on early at Prolight + Sound Middle East 2016 include Adam Hall, one of the world's top 25 manufacturers in professional events technology, while Martin Professional, a supplier of stage lighting and effects fixtures, and Sennheiser, which produces consumer and professional audio electronics, are on-board as Founding Partners. Alexander Pietschmann, CEO of Adam Hall Group, said the company is enjoying strong demand for its event technology in the Middle East: "Due to our worldwide success for more than 35 years, the Middle East demand in the retail, installation, rental, live sound, leisure and sports industries are increasing rapidly," said Pietschmann. "We're going to introduce at Prolight + Sound Middle East the full range of our various brands, stage equipment and cables, since we're facing increasing demands from the Middle East and Africa. We expect business growth of 15 to 18 per cent in the new fiscal year in this region." Prolight + Sound Middle East 2016 will include several special features, such as Stage On, an outdoor live demonstration area for PA and AV systems; and Music Corner, a specialized area dedicated to musical instruments and DJ equipment. Other exhibitors confirming their participation at the annual showcase include NEXT–proaudio from Portugal; US-headquartered Samson Technologies; Bosch, and PAN Beam. Ahmed Pauwels, CEO of Messe Frankfurt Middle East, the organiser of Prolight + Sound Middle East, said: "In addition to urban centres such as Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Riyadh, Jeddah, Doha and Kuwait, the demand for audio visual and entertainment solutions spans the wider Middle East, which is one of the more exciting markets in the world today." "With the region holding out immense potential to become a leading market for audio visual and entertainment equipment, Prolight + Sound Middle East brings together leading international players and their range of products under one roof to enable easy access for regional trade buyers," he added. Prolight + Sound Middle East is the fifth installment of the international network of Prolight + Sound events worldwide, and is co-located with Light Middle East 2016, the region's dedicated exhibition, conference, and awards for lighting design and technology.
