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Breaks attendance records as numbers swell by 20%; Reflects vibrant growth and expansion of the Indian pro sound and light market
Record breaking attendance at PALM seems like a given now. The 16th edition of the expo which took place at the Bombay Exhibition Centre (BEC), Mumbai on 26-27-28 May 2016, was the biggest till date, in terms of attendance, with visitor count climbing up to an official figure of 22,366 unique PALM visitors.
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There was a 20% growth in the number of visitors and delegates who walked through the doors of the PALM expo this year, as compared to 2015. A substantial rise in the online pre-registration figures highlights the fact that the expo over the years has evolved into a much-awaited and pivotal event which is “not to be missed”.
The show drew in thousands of visitors from throughout the country, including regions like Jharkhand, Uttarakhand, Manipur and Nagaland.
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The crowded registration hall at the 16th PALM expo
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The importance of the Mumbai show is also underscored by the attendance of a substantial number of international delegates who made their way to the expo, from countries like USA, UK, UAE, Australia, Sri Lanka, Singapore, Japan, Germany, Netherlands, Thailand, Qatar and Oman.
With the explosion in the Entertainment Event and Music Production industry and the long term efforts that the show has worked towards, to attract more professional visitors, it became compelling for the organisers to institute a paid on-site entry process. The aim was to filter and ensure that only industry professionals who were truly interested in the products on display and the various PALM features, registered for the expo. This move by the organiser succeeded in attracting a more professional audience of consultants & integrators and rental & event management companies.
“The PALM show was great! We’ve had a wonderful response to our products, a lot of foot traffic. I think that the exposure, networking and quality of visitors was very good for Pro Audio,” says Mr. Vibhore Khanna National Sales Manager, Professional Systems Division, Bose Corporation India Private Limited
“This year PALM has really got some quality crowd and I hope to generate business from the great leads that we got here,” reiterates Saahil Kumar of Sennheisher India Pvt. Ltd.
Swift escalation in Size and Scale
The PALM has undergone a dramatic growth through the years making it India’s only and undisputed trade show for pro audio, stage sound & light, AV install and music production. 183 direct exhibitors who included top manufacturers, brands, distributors and dealers, covered 24,336 Sq.m. of space at the Bombay Exhibition Centre, representing an increase of 15% from the last edition.
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A view of the exhibit floor in Hall 1
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A view of the exhibit floor in Hall 5
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“We are here from the first edition of the PALM Show, and each year and it is growing bigger and better,” says Mr. BV Nagpal, Founder of Sonotone.
That international brands are finally taking concrete steps to affirm their commitment to the Indian market by exhibiting directly, was reinforced by the participation of more International brands which included names such as Adam Hall Asia, P Audio and Nicolaudie Group to name a few. The 2016 edition boasted of 74 new exhibitors, bringing the total number of brands on display to 500+ representing a clear growth year-on-year.
“The show was beautifully organized, very professional and OHM has generated amazing amounts of new and interesting contacts which will undoubtedly convert into business. We are looking forward to next year!” said Mr. Gareth Coleman, Director - International Sales, OHM UK
The numerous audio, video, lighting, control technologies and install solutions embraced within the expo, reiterated the fact that the Indian pro sound and light industry, for stage entertainment and music production is integrating with world class companies, which in turn has resulted in PALM moving in tandem with other global expos in Europe and US for displaying the latest products launched.
Mr. Ramesh Chetwani, the Exhibition Director for PALM states: “Year after year we keep striving to add more exhibitors and brands on the floor to showcase new line of products that are entering the market. This year, PALM recorded the highest number of new exhibitors, which proves that the market is maturing and is ready for more top of the range products and technology. The only way is up.”
New products and technologies were in plentiful supply, making the PALM a fascinating spectacle.
“PALM India, ensures a great platform for all leading AV brands to showcase their technologies and solutions. MUSIC Group derives a great mileage from this show by demonstrating its state of art solution though its renowned brands TANNOY, LAB GRUPPEN, LAKE, MIDAS, TURBOSOUND, TC ELECTRONIC and TC HELICON,” enthused Mr. Karan Kathuria, Director, Touchpoint MUSIC
The growth of PALM has been such, that it is today a mega event spread across three exhibit halls, two exhibit Demo Qubes and other special events spaces
such as the Soundscape Hall and the Open grounds at the BEC.
Defined exhibit areas for both pro-audio and lighting
In Hall 1, the focus was on audio and sound - studio, recording, concert, installed, PA, production, broadcast and media.
Hall 5 offered lighting for stage, studio and theatre, stages, trussing and rigging. The show also had display, projection, video and LED.
“The PALM 2016 achieved its key objective in allocating defined exhibit areas for both pro-audio and lighting. Independent Halls for both segments
advantaged exhibitors tremendously in organized flow of visitors to their interest segments. Functionally and productively PALM 2016 established a new
paradigm. Industry growth in India both in volumes and values as well as in size effectually presented the largest display this year of product,
technology, brand and trade. PLAM 2016 invested considerably in delivering very high level of leadership talent on the conference, soundscape and live
arena stages. We are creating new avenues for engaging the industry and contributing to the development of the pro audio and lighting industry in India,”
say Anil Chopra, International Director, PALM Expo.
Mr. Chetwani added “The show scored on many other fronts, like the crucially designed defined exhibit areas between the two halls, the entry fee that had a
benefited effect on the visitor profile, our strict enforcement of ‘NO-Sound Contract’ signed with the exhibitors finally paid off in controlling the sound
on the floor and many other initiatives. The show features and other allied events drew a lot of attraction and accolades from the trade professionals who
walked the exhibition. Our motto of ‘Delivering Business’ remains strongly focused. We are happy that the industry has supported us well, and we see
growing together to achieve higher laurels as we move together.”
Over in Hall 2B & 2C, Yamaha Music India Pvt. Ltd. once again booked its own independent space spread across 1150sqm,
to display their collection of products & solutions.
A major draw for rental companies and event management companies was the Open Air Line Array demos, conducted in the open space on Ground
IV, near the visitor parking area. 12 Indian and international brands exhibited their line arrays, attracting thousands of visitors over the three days of
the show. The 12 brands at the Open Air Line Array included Audiocenter, Audiofocus, Beta 3, Ewing, KV Audio, Llyod Lee, Montarbo, Next Proaudio, Power X,
Sound Capital, TW Audio and Z Sound.
“We are getting an overwhelming response from potential clients all over the country following the PALM show,” says Gurprit Singh, Namdhari Impex Director
of Sales and marketing. “We already booked five systems at PALM and now are looking to book even more - it’s a big achievement for us.” Besides, having a
presence on the expo floor, Namdhari Impex had also showcased the Next Proaudio and Audio Focus line array at the Open Air Line Array demo area.
One of the most attractive features at the PALM expo - The HARMAN Live Arena, was back again for the seventh consecutive year. A line-up of some of the
best bands and musicians performed at the arena.
The acoustically treated Demo Qubes at the BEC VIP Parking Area, near Hall 4, served as a live demo area. The Demo Qubes gave companies an opportunity to
showcase their sound systems without any restrictions.
Gateway to Business Intelligence
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On the show floors itself the expo offered an array of sideshow events. The highlight was the extensive and educational PALM Conference & Seminar
programme showcasing 30 top speakers / presenters, communicating informative knowledge on product solutions, technological developments and safety and
security issues in the event industry.
The PALM Conference & Seminar Programme which was held at the International Lounge in the Hall 1 Mezzanine offered an ideal networking environment and
provided for an interactive exchange of ideas and learning. The EEMA PALM Panel Discussion on
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Full-house sessions at the PALM Conference &
Seminar Programme
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“Road to Event Safety in India” boasted of the best Indian
and International speakers from the entertainment event industry and drew in a packed house. The three day Conference & Seminar Program culminated with
an AES India-PALM Open Forum for Sound Engineers. Stage Sound & Light was the theme for the first day of the PALM conference programme, followed by AV
Install & Integration on the second day and Music Production on Day 3
The PALM Soundscape which took place in Hall 4, witnessed 50 entertainment events, pro-audio and music industry stalwarts share their experiences and
expertise through interactive sessions and panel discussions curated by artist management agency - UnMute. The Soundscape was also
followed by the 6th consecutive DJ Championship spearheaded by DJ Championship Director DJ Reji.
Honouring and Spotlighting Excellence and Achievements
The PALM expo was also the venue for the renowned, annual PALM Sound & Light awards and IRAA awards. The Global Audio Industry Leader of the Year award
at the PALM Sound & Light awards went to Mr. Uli Behringer, CEO & Founder of MUSIC Group, in recognition of his visionary leadership in creating
and strengthening the International MUSIC GROUP. The Indian Pro Audio Industry Development leader award was bestowed on Vardhaman MegaTech.
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Winners of the 6th PALM Sound and Light awards
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Winners of the 10th IRAA awards
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In the Event Entertainment sector, Fountainhead Entertainment Pvt. Ltd. won the award for excellence in Event Management. The winners in the professional
excellence and innovation categories included:
Sound & Light Professionals for Sound Rental; Vinayak Video Vision Pvt. Ltd. for Video Rental; Q Lighting for Lighting Rental; Sensation Gachibowli for
Set Design; SOUND.COM for Touring Operations Systems; Modern Stage Services Pvt. Ltd. for Video Design Solutions; Seventy Event Media Group for Stage Production; MUSIC Group / Turbosound for bringing in exemplary
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innovations in their product with the Turbosound iQ15; Harman Professional India for Research and development in Audio Signal Processing Technologies from their India Development Center; Bose Corporation for the most Innovative Portable PA
Product with Flexible Array Technology; d&b audiotechnik for Line Array Technology; Hi-Tech Audio Systems Pvt. Ltd. for Pro Audio Distribution 2015.
A special honorary award was also bestowed on Mr. Rajan Gupta, Managing Director of Hi-Tech Audio Systems Pvt. Ltd. for his 25 years contribution to the AV
Industry.
In its 10th consecutive year, the IRAA awards continued to applaud the best in the Indian music recording industry. Winners
across 21 categories were felicitated at the IRAA Awards which was held on 28th May 2016, in Hall 4. IRAA’s highest honour - The IRAA Lifetime
Achievement Award, was bestowed on renowned and veteran Sound Engineer, Satish Gupta.
“PALM 2017 will witness further ingenuity in defining industry segments and opportunity for growth. The joie de vivre of PALM motivates the global industry
each year to be part of the magic aisles in the entertainment city of India,” said Mr. Anil Chopra.
The next edition of PALM expo, Mumbai will be held from 01-03 June, 2017.
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