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Cabsat 2013 to see 15pc increase in size

Dubai, December 24, 2012

Cabsat, the leading digital media event in the region, is set to be the biggest yet, with a 15 per cent increase in size, housing leading broadcast and satellite technology companies from around the world from March 12 to 14, 2013.

The event will be held at the Dubai World Trade Centre and comes at a time of transformational change in the broadcast and media industry in the region, a statement from the organisers said.

Ten countries in the region have already achieved the milestone of 100 per cent digital television penetration, with the whole of Mena seeing digital television in 85 per cent of households as soon as 2017, according to specialist analyst Digital TV Research.

Content specialists LiquidThread carried out research on viewing patterns during Ramadan this year and found a high level of internet use, particularly to catch up on favourite programmes, noting “people swap seamlessly between screens to watch the same series and catch up on missed episodes.”

Catch-up television is set to rocket, increasing the amount of television viewed - the same research predicts that access to digital video recording in the set-top box will triple in the next 10 years.

Social media also has an impact. Facebook now has a billion users worldwide, and research by Omnicon Media Group puts penetration in the UAE and Saudi Arabia at the same level as the most advanced users like US and UK. Close to 90 per cent of those surveyed said that social media was their first online activity, even before checking emails.

Serving this tremendous appetite for media, the region is now served by world-class businesses. For example, OSN offers a compelling service of regional and international content; Sky News Arabia has created the most advanced news production centre in the world; and Live sent one of its HD outside broadcast units from Abu Dhabi to London to provide coverage of the 2012 Olympic Games.

To match this dynamic and thriving market, CABSAT is the ideal platform for people from around the region to come together to share knowledge and to learn the latest from the manufacturers, the statement said.

With exhibition space at full capacity, all the leading manufacturers from around the world, as well as the strong local distribution and systems integration suppliers, are expected to flock to Cabsat 2013. Research at the 2012 Cabsat found 94 per cent of visitors rating their experience as “good” or “excellent”.

Among the leading companies at Cabsat was Cisco, which exhibited for the first time in 2012 at the event. Omar Hawary, business development manager, said: “We met our goal of achieving a strong impact for our video technology in the region. Cisco was very appreciative of the outstanding support of the organisation at Cabsat, which contributed greatly to our success at the exhibition.”

Melvin Saldanha, vice-president of engineering at Ten Sports in India, said: “I have seen an impressive evolution of Cabsat over the nine years I have been visiting. For anyone involved in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia broadcast industry, it is the natural event to source new equipment and techniques, create new partnerships and forge business deals. The networking opportunities in and around the event are second to none.”

“Cabsat is a wonderful networking platform to explore new business opportunities, formulate strategies and strengthen partnerships with key industry players,” Tareq Abdul Raheem al Hosani, CEO of Yahsat, said.

“We are explicitly broadening our appeal this year to include the emerging African markets and the hotspots of South Asia as well as our established Mena footprint,” said Helal Saeed Almarri, CEO, Dubai World Trade Centre, organisers of the event. “Every broadcaster and content producer across this wider region is facing challenges at present, to create programming that stands up against the best of the rest of the world, and to deliver it across multiple platforms in our always on, social environment.”

“Cabsat is going from strength to strength because we create an event where everyone is welcome to share their experiences and to learn what is new. Our region has a fine reputation for innovation, and our major players are regularly catalysts for imaginative new applications of the latest technology.”

The Cabsat Academy continues to develop targeted training, workshop and discussion sessions to boost knowledge exchange. There is a mixture of free and paid sessions, with vendor presentations, workshops and interactive tutorials alongside the broadcast conference and the satellite conference organised in partnership with GVF.

Alongside the well-established technology feature areas, 2013 sees a new dedicated “Africa in Focus” zone on the exhibition floor. This provides a starting point and networking area for the many decision makers coming from emerging African markets.

Also new in 2013 is a VIP visitor programme, designed to ensure that C-level executives make the most of their time at Cabsat. This offers exclusive networking opportunities as well as dedicated events and access to a special lounge.

Visitor registration is now open. The exhibition is strictly for trade and business only, and visitors under the age of 18 will not be permitted entry. - TradeArabia News Service




Tags: UAE | Dubai |

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