Audio Media - September 2008 - (Page 16) geo focus: the M iddle East PALME Middle East Breaks Records he recent PALME Middle East 2008 in Dubai closed with a record-breaking 8,600 visitors, representing a 22% increase over the 2007 event, say the organisers. This year’s event has set new records not only in terms of the number of exhibitors (272 exhibitors, representing over 800 companies and brands), but the amount of exhibition space sold and the number of visitors. “We registered 1,500 more visitors this year than we did last year, clearly highlighting the industry growth and underlining Dubai as the entertainment capital of the Middle East. With five exhibition halls covering 20,000m2, PALME has real ‘pulling power’ and is now firmly established as the world’s largest events industry showcase,” commented Neil Hickman, Group Exhibitions Director of event organisers IIR Exhibitions Entertainment and Installations Technology Group. According to Hickman, it was the strategic change in the event structure T that has proved to be the catalyst for PALME’s growth. “Three clearly defined vertical sectors, Install, MUSAC, and Event 360 have emerged from our restructuring efforts. Combined they cover the entire spectrum of the entertainment industry, from cabling and lighting solutions to musical instruments and live acts,” he said. Based in Sharjah, Mario Mascarenhas’s Powerhouse provides one of the most comprehensive entertainment supply and production services in the UAE. This was one reason why the company was invited to provide the technical infrastructure for this year’s inaugural live stage at PALME’s Event 360 show in Dubai. The company had initially asked for the opportunity to audition the new Soundcraft Vi4 digital console, requisitioning a system from local distributors GSL Professional. But instead of borrowing the desk, Powerhouse’s sound engineers liked the Vi4 so much that the company promptly purchased it on the spot, complete with Control Surface, Local Rack, and Stagebox – and two 150m fibre optic cable drums. For Powerhouse, it is the latest chapter in a 12-year history of a company that began when event companies were non-existent in Dubai and customers looked to freelancers to meet their entertainment needs. Today Powerhouse provides a gamut of services varying from live entertainment to A/V and multimedia, sound and lighting, staging, rigging, and décor. A(&H) Design For Life n Allen & Heath iLive digital system was recently employed for Hewlett Packard’s Design Your Personal Life event at Wafi City in Dubai. PA company, Udaya Sound, was appointed to manage the AV requirements for the event, and had recently acquired the iLive system – comprising iDR10 mix rack and iLive-144 control surface – from Allen & Heath’s distributor, VV & Sons. “iLive’s proven technology will give Udaya an edge in terms of sound processing, and VV & Sons has provided full training and technical support in order to get the very best out of this A sophisticated hardware,” comments VV & Sons’ touring sound specialist, J Ninel. The Dubai event was part of a global campaign taking form as a battle of the bands competition designed to draw youths together from different countries with similar experiences and environments. Events were staged simultaneously in Athens, Istanbul, and Johannesburg, and live satellite links were used throughout the evening to unite the four different locations, as well as spectators who were following proceedings online. I Renkus-Heinz Appoints Mediatronics ME n a deal signed at the recent PALME Expo, RenkusHeinz has announced the appointment of Dubai-based Mediatronics – Middle East as its new exclusive distributor for the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Mediatronics ME is a leading pro-audio and communications solution provider for entertainment, sports, and convention venues as well as for TV and radio broadcasting, recording studios, the hospitality industry, shopping malls, and airports. The Middle East market has boomed for Renkus-Heinz in recent years, with high-profile installations including the Sharm El Sheikh Congress Centre in Egypt, the new Hajj Terminal Building at King Abdul Aziz International Airport in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, the Naad al Sheba Horse race track in Dubai, and the new luxurious Dubai Mall in UAE. V I TA L S TAT I S T I C S F U L L N AM E P O P U L AT I O N C A P I TA L LARGEST CITY AREA MA J O R L A N G UAG E M O N E TA RY U N I T MA I N E X P O RTS G N I P E R C A P I TA I N T E R N E T D O MA I N I N T E R N AT I O N A L D I A L L I N G CO D E United Arab Emirates 4.4 million (UN, 2007) Abu Dhabi Dubai 77,700km2 (30,000mls2) Arabic 1 Dirham = 100 fils Oil, gas US$23,770 (World Bank, 2006) .ae +971 Dubai aspires to be a regional and international centre for television and media services, alongside Egypt and Lebanon. An Electronic Commerce and Media Zone Authority was created in to attract regional and international media outlets. Dubai Media City and its counterparts offer two key advantages: tax benefits and freedom of speech. Major media organisations – including Reuters and Sony – and publishers, artists, and writers have moved in. Established satellite 16 broadcaster MBC relocated to Dubai Media City from London. The constitution provides for freedom of speech but there is strong regulatory and political control of media content. A law requires that publications be licensed and outlines acceptable subjects of reporting. Foreign publications are censored before distribution. Journalists tend to practise self-censorship when reporting on such matters as government policy and ruling families. Internet use is extensive; by there were . million users AUDIO MEDIA SEPTEMBER 2008
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