Palme Middle East 2008, the region’s biggest entertainment and event management expo, has taken centrestage in Dubai with its official opening on Sunday.

Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) director general Khalid A bin Sulayem officially inaugurated the sixth Palme Middle East show at the Dubai International Exhibition Centre.

Sulayem said the expo underlined the importance of the events and entertainments industry in Dubai.

With mega entertainment projects underway at Dubailand, Bawardi and Port Rashid, plus the burgeoning media and production zones, entertainment is playing a massive role in the country’s economic development.

Palme 2008 is the Middle East’s biggest gathering of entertainment industry professionals and organisers are expecting visitor numbers to top 8,500.

Speaking at the show Neil Hickman, group exhibitions director of event organisers IIR Exhibitions Entertainment and Installations Technology Group said this year’s show has set a new record in terms of the number of exhibitors and the amount of exhibition space sold.

More than 800 companies are present at the show over three clearly defined vertical sectors - Install, Musac and Event 360. Combined they cover the entire spectrum of the entertainment industry, from cabling and lighting solutions to musical instruments and live acts.  

The Park Hyatt Hotel, hosts a special gala dinner tonight to present the coveted Middle East Lighting Design Awards (Melda).

Musac will host the semi-finals of the Pioneer-sponsored Palme DJ competition on April 28. The finalists will hit the decks on the final day of Palme, with the best DJs battling it out for $20,000 worth of prizes and the crown of undisputed king of the turntables.-TradeArabia News Service