DUBAI — Two days into the second edition, Prolight + Sound Middle East has been attracting quite a lot of attention from the who's who of the entertainment and events industry in the region.

Chockfull of the latest in events and entertainment products and solutions from leading international brands, Prolight + Sound Middle East is tapping into a wellspring of latent demand from the flourishing regional events and entertainment scene, as well as wide interest from hospitality and government representatives.

According to research from Euromonitor International (EMI), the UAE’s professional AV market is estimated to value $ 707 million by 2018, up from $656.2 million in 2016, giving an idea of the scale of potential growth.

The GCC region, thanks to it's ongoing economic expansion and strategic investment plans, currently has 1,559 hotels, 142 shopping malls, and 245 exhibitions, all of which require the latest professional AV technologies and services to enhance the visitor experience and set themselves apart from regional and international competition.

To put things into perspective, the overall market for AV (audio visual) products and services in the Middle East is currently worth almost $3 billion, having registered an incredible 76 percent spurt from 2012 to 2016.

The Gulf region is also home to 99,321 mosques, which make regular upgrades of public address and AV systems and are also opting for the latest digital models for broadcasting daily prayers. Meanwhile, the 34,302 educational institutions ranged across the region are also a big and growing market for integrated AV systems as demand spikes for digital and integrated e-learning channels and systems.

The second day also saw the culmination of the inaugural Events Creation and Entertainment Development Forum, which saw 35 experts drawn from across the world, sharing their experiences and insights, presenting case studies and discussing international best practice norms and standards, as well as key issues and developments that affect the industry. The forum received extremely favorable review from delegates and industry professionals.

Prominent on the show floor over the first two days were a combination of first-time and returning exhibitors including big names such as: Founding Partner Martin Professional, Bose, Monacor, Robe, FBT, GTD, Procom, Prolight Group, SES, Aviss, Unusual Rigging, Penn Elcom, Lavoce, Indu Electric, NMK Electronics, Prolab Trading and Venuetech.

The exhibition also saw the return of Stage On!, the live demo area where visitors get an up close look and feel of the latest AV equipment from the leading brands, Prolight + Sound Middle East, is the fifth leg of the international network of Prolight + Sound events worldwide, which brings the latest technologies and services for the entertainment and creation industries. — SG