CABSAT 05 expands by 31 per cent; companies up by 87 per cent

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The show has recorded an increase in nett space by 31% necessitating an expansion of the show from two halls last year to three halls in 2005.

'CABSAT has grown steadily over the years to now fill up three halls catering to the requirements of the cable & satellite accessories and equipment sector, communications sector and broadcast and production sector. Each sector occupies a separate hall effectively providing for highly categorised subdivisions to facilitate trade visitors to make optimum use of their time while networking at the show,' said DWTC Director General, Helal Saeed Khalfan Al Marri.

Commenting on the highlights of the show this year, Mr. Al Marri said, an innovative radio & audio pavilion, the CABSAT 2005 Broadcasting Conference and the Middle East Satellite Summit are among the new developments this year that have enhanced the value of the show.'

'The number of participating companies at the event too has gone up substantially to 402 exhibitors this year compared to 215 (up by 87%). The show has once again lived up to its status as the Middle East's Leading International Electronic Media and Communications Event as 82% of the exhibiting companies are from overseas,' Mr. Al Marri remarked.

There will be five country pavilions at CABSAT including one each from the UK, Germany (Bavaria), China, Taiwan and Korea. Exhibitors from 50 countries are participating at the event this year.

CABSAT 2005 has been endorsed by international industry associations such as Arab States Broadcasting Union (ASBU), Asia Pacific Broadcasting Union (ABU), International Associations Of Broadcasting Manufacturers (IABM) and Global Satellite Forum (GVF).

The region's electronic media industry offers a variety of lucrative opportunities as the industry is revolutionising its services that are offered to consumers in the region. An increasing number of international manufacturers are participating at the event directly rather than via appointed distributors as they realise the potential the show has, to reach out to buyers throughout the GCC and neighbouring regions.

The Middle East Satellite Summit has been organised in coordination with the region's broadcasting and telecommunications sectors, and takes place on 9th March 2005. The satellite summit will include themed sessions touching upon different aspects of the industry including Convergence Versus Competition, Home Front: The Battle for the Living Room, The Convergence of Satellite TV & Broadband in the Middle East, The New IT Portfolio: Satellite-Based Video, Voice and Data, DVB, IP and the 'New' Bottom Line and Re-Evaluating the 'Value Chain'.

The CABSAT 2005 Middle East Broadcasting Conference will focus primarily on digital TV and bring the latest information on digital TV developments across the world. Practical case studies of implementation and operational issues of digitisation for television operations in the newsroom, production and archival asset management will be discussed.

Highlights of this year's event include a radio and audio pavilion which caters to the specific needs of the audio industry for video, radio and studio, the CABSAT 2005 Broadcasting Conference, and the Middle East Satellite Summit.

Among other major players to be present at CABSAT this year from the cable and satellite sector include E-Vision, Viaccess, HomeCast, Eurostar, Echostar, Triax, Topfield, HomeCast, Kaon, Technosat, SMART, SMT, Skyworth, Fortec, Thomson Broadband, ABO, Dynavision, Dubai TV and Al Majd.

The communications sector has attracted top names like Arabsat, Eutelsat, Intelsat, New Skies, Globcast, Hellas, SES Americom, Viasat, NSTT, Newsat, Atlas Communications, Horizon Satellite, Streamlink, ND Satcom, Newtec, Bond and Speedcast.

While the broadcast and production sector has the likes of Sony, Thomson, Panasonic, JVC, Pinnacle, Leitch, Matrox, SeaChange, IBM, Omneon, Egripment, Vinten, Sachtler, Miller, Technocrane, Axon, Fujinon, Hitachi, Canon, Discreet, Avid, Alias Wavefront, Salam, Tek Signals, Soft Edit, Oasis, Glocom, Dubai Media City and SAMACOM in the same hall.