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IIR Announces Dedicated AV, MI and Event Industry Exhibitions within PALME

IIR Entertainment & Installation Technology Group has announced that from 2007 all of its exhibitions will be produced under the PALME imprint. It has also announced that its dedicated Install, MUSAC and Event 360 branded ‘exhibitions within an exhibition’, first introduced at PALME Middle East, will be featured at all PALME events.

The dedicated branded exhibitions have significantly improved the focus of the event in respect of the particular industry sectors, and contributed significantly to the continuing growth of PALME Middle East.

“In the space of just three years PALME Middle East has achieved a 25 per cent year on year growth rate,” explains group exhibitions director, Entertainment & Installation Technology Group, IIR Worldwide, Darren Brechin. “Starting out at just 3,600 gross square metres, the exhibition is on course to reach 18,000 square metres next year. It is the success and format of PALME Middle East that we are now set to emulate across all of our events.”

Install, a feature of the Dubai exhibition from 2004, was launched at PALA Asia this year, and will feature at the inaugural edition of PALA India in October (5th to 7th). The growth of Install the Middle East has been driven by the unprecedented development boom that has transformed the region in recent years; encompassing commercial, tourist, leisure, and residential sectors. Last year Install accounted for 40 per cent of PALME Middle East, with 110 exhibiting companies. At PALA Asia this year, 20 per cent of the exhibition was given over to Install Asia. Next year, PALME Asia is projecting a 10 to 12 per cent increase in the scale of Install Asia, as the region’s tourist, commercial and residential developments increasingly mirror the development trajectory of the Middle East. Similar success is predicted for Install India.

MUSAC, serves the interests of MI exhibitors and visitors at PALME Middle East. This year 35 per cent of 6000 visitors to the show were for MUSAC; only 17.5 per cent of these were non-trade visitors. With an MI import market officially valued at US $40 million in 2004, and estimated to be on course for some US $120 million this year, the growth of MUSAC Middle East is assured. This year a UK pavilion provided a unique focus for British manufacturers, and next year country pavilions will showcase the products of Germany, Italy and France.

In a city where musical education is compulsory until the age of 14, the demand for musical instrument and accessories is considerable. There an estimated 7,000 to 10,000 musicians in Dubai alone, added to which there is demand and growth potential of the rest of the region, for which Dubai is a trading hub; around 70 per cent of the instruments and accessories imported into Dubai are re-exported throughout the rest of the Middle East.

Event 360 is currently the only regional event in the Middle East for international and regional event professionals, providing a dedicated market place for those involved in event organisation, and those providing the myriad of services required for event production. Next year, it will likewise be the only such regional event in South East Asia and India. In just two years, Event 360 has become an integral feature of PALME Middle East, and leading international companies are drawn to exhibit at the event, including PROCON, LOBO, Creative Lighting, Avesco Group, tarm and Oracle Projects. Musical events are a large growth area in the region, centred principally on Dubai. Robbie Williams sold out 23,000 tickets in three hours, in April, for a one-off performance at the Nad Al Sheba stadium. Phil Collins, Sting, Bryan Adams, Bob Geldof, Lionel Ritchie, and Jamiroquai have all performed there this year to sell out audiences. Other calendar events include the International Jazz Festival and Desert Rock.

Across the region as a whole the focus on attracting and staging events of international significance is recognised as an important growth area. This year the Asian Games will be staged in Doha. Qatar will spend US $2.8 billion on facilities, including a world-class stadium, aquatic centre and the largest indoor sports arena in the world. The event will attract over 10,000 athletes from 45 countries, and will boast a larger opening ceremony than the Athens Olympic Games.

There has already been a significant event industry presence at PALA Asia, and the introduction next year of Event 360 at PALME Asia will provide a specific focal area for event producers and those selling them services. Already PALA India has attracted some major event services companies to its inaugural event, including E\T\C, LTM – Lift Turn Move, and Laser Systems Europe.

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IIR Announces Dedicated AV, MI and Event Industry Exhibitions within PALME

25th September 2006

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