Palme ME

July / August 2008

Six years since its inception, the Dubai edition of PALME still seems able to draw a crowd.

A very respectable 272 exhibitors came to promote their brands and services and, although the five halls seemed a little quieter than previous years, official visitor figures suggested visitor numbers were once again up. The event closed with a personal best attendance of 8,600 visitors (which, if you like pie charts and percentages, is a 22% increase on 2007s show).
“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 20,000 square metres, 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 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.
With a plethora of new and enlarged venues springing up particularly in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, Event 360 has benefited the growing number of event professionals in the Middle East.
“Our objectives at Event 360 were to consolidate our market position and promote our total solutions’ packages. Due to the numerous enquiries we received, we are planning to support Event 360 through to 2011,” said Brian Fernandes, Managing Director, Purple Fire International.
Another local event-led organisation, Blue Banana concurred with that sentiment. “Event 360 has really helped accelerate our company growth, giving us a platform from which to showcase our creativity,” said Barry Judge, Marketing Manager.
To recognise expertise in the events industry, a dedicated Middle East Event Awards scheme was also launched this year. Bernard Walsh, Managing Director of dmg world media Dubai, picked up the Lifetime Achievement Award, having developed an enviable portfolio of events, such as INDEX, Big 5 and The Hotel Show.
Receiving the award Walsh lauded the professionalism within the industry. ”The event industry has grown significantly over the last 15 years and has attracted many talented people. It is reassuring to know that not only does the industry have an exciting future I am confident it is in safe hands.”
The Install sector at PALME echoed the booming Middle East real estate sector with a steady increase of Install exhibitors, which this year included the likes of Meyer, Christie, Opus, NEC and many other internationally renowned brand names.
Matthew White from Opus, who responded to their success last year by moving to a larger dedicated island site, commented, “Home automation is coming increasingly to the forefront — PALME has a more polished look about it, and we have had a very good show.”
Mauricio Saint Martin, Middle East manager for Meyer, commended the extremely high quality of visitor. “Instead of mediocre traffic, the people who came to see us knew exactly what they wanted; we are hoping to close deals on several systems in the next couple of months.”
The Middle East Lighting Design Awards (MELDA) was yet another prominent feature of PALME M.E. Already a red letter date on the architectural lighting industry calendar, professionals from around the region gathered to pay homage to true innovation in lighting design.
Islamic architecture proved to be the ultimate inspiration for creative architectural lighting specialist Speirs & Major Associates. The international design company claimed two awards, ‘Project of the Year’ and best lighting design for a ‘Public Building’, for their innovative lighting of the interior of the Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan Mosque in Abu Dhabi.
Director, Jonathan Speirs, commented, “To win two awards for the same building is a testimony to the talent and dedication within the team as well as the quality of our lighting design which paid the perfect complement to an outstanding example of Islamic architecture.”
Another highlight of PALME Middle East was the final of the Pioneer-sponsored PALME DJ of the Year competition which took place on the last day. Twenty-three year old Iranian Amin Golestan, enthralled the judges with an enduring 10 minute virtuoso performance and was crowned the undisputed king of the turntables and took home over US$ 10,000 worth of prizes.
“It was a fitting end, inspired entertainment wrapping up another memorable event for the entertainment and events industry,” added Hickman.