GCC Mega-Events Drive Wider Region's Market for Venue Audiovisuals to Cross USD 300 Million by 2016

8K LED Screens and High-Quality Lighting and Audio Deliver Immersive Visitor Experience

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates - 15 September 2015 - Mega-events across the GCC will drive the wider region’s audiovisual market for venues to cross USD 300 million by 2016, industry experts announced today.

Events set to attract millions of visitors, including World Expo 2020 in Dubai and the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qatar, are leading the Middle East and Africa’s audiovisual market for venues and events to grow by 61 percent from USD 190 million in 2012 to USD 306 million in 2016, according to a report by audiovisual trade association InfoComm International.

In particular, the UAE is a hub for entertainment and sports, with its audiovisual market for venues and events crossing USD 50 million by 2016, according to InfoComm International.

“As the GCC, and Dubai in particular, continues to elevate on the global entertainment stage by attracting big-name musical acts and sporting events, and in this contrast, whether the venue is a boardroom, nightclub, or a hotel ballroom, there’s a team of professionals dedicated to effective communications,” said Elie Khairallah, Technical Director, Dubai-based Venuetech.

“Venue managers cannot risk modest speakers or poor lighting, and need to upgrade their audio and lighting systems, as these equipment are used during every event, to become a resource for craftspersons to mold these dynamic experiences,” added Elie Khairallah.

Venuetech will be joined by key audiovisual exhibitors in lighting and sound, along with manufacturers and providers of LED display solutions.

“Tech-savvy Middle East fans and tourists continue to raise the bar and want a ‘wow’ effect when they go to events or concerts. At events like World Expo 2020, ultra-high definition 8K LED screens can help national pavilions to welcome guests with an immersive film, while stadiums can provide fans with riveting close-ups of sporting action,” said Richard Tan, Executive Director, InfoComm Asia Pte Ltd, organizers of InfoComm MEA.

In order to manage crowd control and safety for guests at these events, there is increasing demand in the Middle East for audiovisual security systems.

“Behind the scenes of any large event in the GCC, management and security personnel rely on state-of-the-art control rooms where live images, schematic diagrams, and data from internal systems and remote sensors can be accessed and viewed instantly and intuitively. The ability to quickly connect insights in real-time helps ensure a rapid response to any situation, and the highest possible visitor safety,” said Alistair Duthie, GCC Regional Manager, Mitsubishi Electric.

Supporting the Middle East’s audiovisual market, InfoComm MEA 2015 will showcase the audiovisual solutions from more than 200 manufacturers and suppliers from 30 countries.

The 5th InfoComm MEA will run under the theme of “Digital Interconnect for Peak Performance,” and will be co-located with GITEX Technology Week 2015 from 19-21 October 2015 at the Dubai World Trade Centre.