PALME 2005 will be the largest ever regional showcase of its kind

Two of PALME's major supporters, Noor Assafiri, the CEO of Martin Professional Middle East and Jasper Whitaker, Head of Sales and Marketing at Omnix Media Networks, also outlined their plans for the exhibition that takes place at Dubai International Exhibition Centre from 24 -26 April.

The growth and development of PALME - the Middle East's premier professional sound, light, music, audio visual and systems integration exhibition - has been remarkable.

Launched in 2003, the event was received with great industry enthusiasm, and in a very short space of time has firmly established itself as a must attend event on the industry trade show calendar, and gained internationally recognition as a unique, comprehensive showcase of major international manufacturers, key regional suppliers, installers and integrators from the professional entertainment and project installation industries.

"Building on the phenomenal success of the last two years, the third annual PALME exhibition is a total sell-out, with a 100% increase in occupied floor space and over 400 leading companies from all around the world participating" said Brechin. "Based on pre-registrations, we also expect a record visitor attendance".

With the highly lucrative Middle East sound and lighting sector alone estimated to be worth $2 billion a year, the world's major industry players are choosing PALME as the launch platform for their new products and innovations - over 100 regional launches will take place at PALME 2005.

Designed as a highly focused B2B event, PALME is dedicated to putting key regional decision makers in contact with the world's leading manufacturers and suppliers. "One of the main reasons for the event's huge success is that we closely listen to our exhibitors and visitors so that we can develop the event in line with international trends, the requirements of the region and the objectives and requirements of the industry in general, hence the launch of three brand new innovative sectors this year" added Brechin.

Install, Event 360 & MUSAC are the result of extensive industry research, which clearly showed that there was a real demand for additional dedicated events that would complement the core concept of PALME and provide an unrivalled platform for companies looking to maximise their share of the business opportunities throughout the MENA region.

INSTALL, dedicated to the AV installation sector, will highlight the latest technological trends and developments for residential and commercial property. Cutting edge home automation systems, including web-enabled, touchpanel, lighting, HVAC and blind and curtain controls, security, remote monitoring, integrated AV distribution and control, structured wiring and cabling, multi-room audio and home theatre will be on display.

Billion dollar construction projects are being announced virtually on a daily basis, so it's a tremendous period for the industry - in just the last few weeks, it has been estimated that the UAE real estate sector is set to grow to $50 billion by 2010, and Qatar launched a $20 billion tourism project, so the business potential is incredible.

Event 360 is a solution provider for the events and event management industries, showcasing the latest product and service solutions available in the staging of live events from small corporate functions to huge sporting events, and has been specially developed for production companies, rather than being purely about products.

With the Middle East now a serious destination for tourism and entertainment and hosting global events such as the FIFA Youth World Cup, Formula 1, Asian Games, World Bank/IMF Symposium and the Dubai World Cup as well as thousands of smaller scale events, the demand for companies who provide professional, high quality services and solutions for events and event management - from temporary structures to laser shows, conferencing systems to production capabilities - is greater than ever.

The third new sector, MUSAC, is dedicated to musical instruments and accessories, ranging from the latest in electric guitars, keyboards, drums, amps and cabs to the most colourful straps and bags.

Supported by VV & Sons, Peavey, Zak Electronics and Korg, the inaugural MUSAC will deliver a dedicated, specialist and unique regional forum, showcasing instruments and accessories from the world's leading manufacturers and regional distributors under one roof. The first event of its kind in the region, it will give visitors the chance to see and hear, first-hand, the best that the industry has to offer.

There's a huge regional market for musical instruments - estimates are that there over 4,000 professional musicians in Dubai alone, and given the number of new developments (especially hotels) underway, this is set to grow yet further. On top of the professional musician market, there is also potential in the private individual segment.

Among the many special attractions at PALME 2005 is the highly popular DJ of the Year Competition (supported by major industry names including Sennheiser, Stanton, and Martin Audio) - an annual institution in the Middle East DJ and Club scene, some of the region's hottest DJ's will battle it out on the industry's hottest equipment at the grand final on April 26th. A session at London's world famous Ministry of Sound awaits the winner.

There will also be fantastic daily laser shows, featuring state-of-the-art laser animation technology by Lobo Electronics, the world's leading laser specialists.

PALME will also feature a series of master classes and industry seminars that will help the regional industry keep up to speed with the latest products, services and solutions available - held over the three days of the event, these will be hosted by some of the world's leading experts.

Brechin also expressed thanks to the many industry associations who enthusiastically support PALME - PLASA UK, the professional lighting and sound association (PALME is one of the few shows in the world to receive their official endorsement), APIAS (Italy), Secarty's (Spain) and ILDA (U.S.).