EVENT REVIEW: PALME ME

The PALME 2011 show had its best year yet as the region’s pro audio market has experienced a resurgence of activity in all sectors.

Held at the Dubai International Convention Centre, PALME?ME set the stage for several exhibitors to make industry announcements and launch various new products.

Notably, this year’s event saw power distribution products and accessories manufacturer SES/RFW make its fifth consecutive appearance at the showcase. "SES/RFW had another spectacular show," commented SES’s director, Gordon R. Cooper. "Despite continued tough trading times, SES/RFW had many big enquiries on the stand and took some good orders and welcomed back existing clients. Having RFW with good stocks in Dubai has really pushed up the sales for the last 12 months.”

In addition to the attention garnered by SES/RFW, Tannoy, Lab.gruppen and Lake also made the most of the opportunity to display and present their latest offerings, as well as conducting a seminar away from the exhibition floor.
Delegates were given a debut public presentation of Tannoy’s brand new VX Series and VXP Series, the latter featuring Lab.gruppen’s new IDEEA (Intelli-Drive Energy Efficient Amplifier) power module, with the official debut demonstration set to take place at the InfoComm show in Orlando later this year.

Mark Flanagan, communications manager for Tannoy, Lab.Gruppen and Lake, offered: "We were delighted to be able to showcase some of the new VX and VXP product here in Dubai. It added extra impact and gravitas to the seminar and really underlined the company’s commitment and high regard for the Middle East market."

An equally busy afternoon was also in store for Lab.gruppen and Lake, as it presented their amplification and powered loudspeaker management platforms, with a strong focus on the install potential of each of the main product ranges, including PLM Series, FP+ Series and the C Series of install-dedicated amplifiers. The Lake LM 26 standalone Digital Audio Loudspeaker Processor was also presented, providing some key insights on its potential within large scale fixed installations and its tour sound capabilities.

Among the highlights of the exhibition was the PALME Middle East Awards, which took place at a glitzy ceremony on the second day of the show, where innovation and technical excellence were rewarded in 13 separate categories.

As expected, the PALME?ME?show proved to be its most successful to date, bringing an increase in participation of almost 25 per cent, and close to 50 per cent of exhibitors have already confirmed their space for 2012, with the expectation that next year’s show will trump all numbers set in 2011.