Hometech Middle East home to technology leaders in May

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Home entertainment, audio systems, gaming gadgets and digital imaging devices, home automation and networking, home appliances and devices from over 180 leading consumer technology companies will be on display for 3 days, during May 13 -15.

Home entertainment is a large category at Hometech. Visitors will be able to see and test the latest in HD image technology, flat screen displays, and audio technologies and applications from Samsung, Panasonic, Hitachi, Audiovox, Runco, Loewe, Linn and G-Hanz.

Al Futtaim will construct a Consumer Electronics City at the show, which will feature Panasonic's 103' plasma screen, Hitachi's brand new hybrid camcorder and other innovative products from Toshiba, Aftron, and Sanyo. Plug Ins, the retailer, will have their own special show area.

Imagine Technologies' Home Entertainment System worth 1 million Dhs, XBOX 360's Living Room Experience, and the customized audio cars from Rockford Fosgate are tipped already as the hottest attractions at Hometech in 2007.

The show will also host a special pavilion with the CES Best of Innovation award winners 2007, which will direct the focus on the emerging, leading edge technologies and systems. The Best of Innovation Awards are granted to products that judges at the CES Las Vegas Exhibition vote the best in their field for product and design innovation. These Innovation Winners will be showcased for the first time in the Middle East at Hometech.

Products showcased are: TAVI 030 from New Media Life, the world's first and smallest portable wireless IPTV and Podcasting device; UTV Player from Ubicod, a convergence STB using home networking; the Power Stick from Ecosol; AVL 300-S Central Home Theatre and Lighting controller and the iCarPlay Wireless 200 from Monster Cable; and Evo customized modular installation system form Vantage Point.

Convergence and home networking are prevailing consumer trends, and very well represented at the exhibition and conference by companies such as Pacific Controls, Archimedia, eHome Automation, Eon Smarthome, Channel Vision, Crestron, Opus Technologies and Netstreams.

'Information, security, lighting, entertainment and more are enabled by one standard protocol and delivered instantly at home or at the workplace, whenever needed', said Khalifa Al Jazeeri from eHome Automation, commenting on the increasing scope of home automation. And he added:'This is a dynamic industry with phenomenal potential, given the Middle East market place boom'.

Adding to the excitement, there's a 2 day conference programme co-produced by the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA), featuring leading consumer electronics experts and the ProCollege seminar hosted by Loewe.

Hometech Conference Programme will run during the show, May 14 -15. The speaker panels include: Gary Shapiro, President & CEO of CEA, John Dahl, Sr. Fellow, Director of Education,THX Ltd, Noel Lee, Head Monster of Monster Cables, Mike Wombwell, CEO of Red Entertainment Distribution, Charbel Fakhoury, General Manager, Microsoft Gulf ME, and Vishesh Bhatia, Group Director Al Futtaim Electronics, to name a few.

'By all standards, Hometech 2007 is set to be a fantastic show, it has more than tripled in size from the previous edition, and has attracted the key players of the industry,'

said Suman Manning, the exhibition's Show Manager.

'With CES support this year and the re-branding as the International CES/Hometech in 2008 we are looking forward to the continued growth of the event, into a major marketplace for innovations and for launching consumer technologies, and into a platform for networking'.