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) in Mumbai on 26-27-28 May 2016, was the biggest till date. In terms of attendance; visitor count climbing up to an official figure of 22,366 unique PALM visitor.
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 not-to-be-missed event!
The show drew in thousands of visitors from throughout the country, including regions like Jharkhand, Uttarakhand, Manipur and Nagaland.
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.
Mr. Vibhore Khanna, National Sales Manager of Professional Systems Division, Bose Corporation India commented: “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.”
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.
Over in Hall 2B & 2C, Yamaha Music India 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, Lloyd Lee, Montarbo, Next Proaudio, Power X, Sound Capital, TW Audio and Z Sound.
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.
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 “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.
