Palme Middle East set for product premieres

First out of the blocks include locally-based giants such as Ateis, Galtech and Gulf Commercial Group (GCG), along with the regional offices of residential and commercial automation specialists AMX-me and Extron.

Ateis Middle East will be demonstrating total integration of AV with wireless dimming solutions and remarkable sound fidelity.

Says Hussam Al Haddad, General Manager, Ateis Middle East:

"The market has changed and we are adopting more professional audio and PA/VA solutions. In the future we see automation and video combined into a single integrated fibre optic network."

Major recent projects for Ateis Middle East — involving PA/VA, pro audio, automation and lighting solutions — include Dubai Festival City Mall, Ottoman Palace and Mirdif Mall.

A featured product at Palme 2009 for Ateis Middle East will be their new Smartvox passive powered column, which can be set flat against a wall.

The major reference for this product is Liverpool Cathedral in the UK, the third largest in the world.

At Palme 2009, Ateis will also participate in the seminar programme, discussing new standards in voice evacuation and pro audio and hope that their innovative products will help to set new standards for pro audio/PA VA in the region.

Focusing on the residential market, Galtech LLC will show Elan's innovative multi-room audio/video systems including the new Wireless Touch Panel XP 8.4 — a powerful combination of wireless control technology, systems integration and automation for the home.

The long-established Gulf Commercial Group will be displaying the Q-Tronic Queue Management Systems, integrated with their latest digital signage and FID'S software, as well as special LCD screens with built in PC's and embedded windows software.

According to AV Marketing and Division Manager, Radwan El-Zein, the company's powerful software solution has found its way into around 550 mosques in UAE, as well as many installations in Saudi Arabia — with potential deals in the pipeline in Kuwait and Iraq.

Automation giants, AMX-me will focus heavily on the residential market, with a range of new products including the The Modero ViewPoint Lite MVP-5150 and MVP-5100, as well as the NXD-500i, ENV-VST-C, MET-ECOM-D, Inspired Signage and Vision2 ranges.

Exhibition director, Alex Heuff, believes that these early announcements indicate the positive mood within the industry, with the exhibition placing a greater focus on the installation market in 2009. A new dedicated Install sector in Halls 7 and 8 (with its own separate hall entrance) recognises the surge in installation projects in the Gulf over the past two years, and the icing on the cake will be the new Integrator Pavilion, which will allow up to seven of the region's major project consultants and installers to show their portfolios.

This shift is aimed at projecting the Middle East's premier convention for professional sound, lighting, music, audio visual and systems integration into a new dimension. This is helped with new and improved features such as the Business Connect Programme, the VIP Lounge, the DJ Competition and the educational seminars.