SMPTE and Entech exceed expectations in Sydney
Published: ASIA
AUSTRALIA: Following the launch of the Integrate show in 2009, suppliers and attendees alike have been torn between the three or four different trade shows congesting the calendar during a five week period every two years. The planets aligned again this week, and with most Australian distributors feeling the pinch more than ever before, the pendulum seems to have swung in the favour of the more established of Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE) and Entech. The Australian Commercial and Entertainment Technologies Association (ACETA) sought some resolution in these muddy waters and as a result of its involvement has combined these two shows together to produce Australian Entertainment Technology Week.
Taking place at the Sydney Convention & Exhibition Centre (SCEC) for the final time, the broadcast and entertainment shows seem to have exceeded expectations during the opening two days. Entech now incorporates the ACETA Australian Hall of Manufacturers, an Industry Skills Pavilion, the ACETA guided workshop and presentations programme and a dedicated music floor. Meanwhile the show floor itself has welcomed back exhibitors such as Ambient Technology (Jocavi, Kind Audio, Outline Audio), Bose, DAS Audio, Galatic Music (Behringer and LAX), Innovative Music (FBT, HME and Mogami), KV2, Meyer Sound, Roland and Technical Audio Group (Allen & Heath, Audio Technica, Martin Audio and QSC Audio). DAS Audio, Jocavi and Mogami are being displayed on their new distributor booths.
Many major names are of course missing, but they can easily be located by stepping from Hall 5 to Halls 4 and 3, where SMPTE is in full swing. Rather than exhibit their complete catalogues of products, the emphasis at the show is on keeping it simple. Whilst CMI Music is concentrating on promoting TASCAM products and in particular the manufacturer’s mobile recorders, Audio Products Group is displaying the AKG range of relevant microphone solutions. Elsewhere, Clear-Com, Shure and Studer are the mainstay brands on the Jands booth, whilst Production Audio Services has cut its lines down to seven out of its total of 25 (Audix, Comrex, Countryman, Klotz ais etc).
There seems to be audio solutions for all the broadcasters on offer. Large digital format consoles (Avid, Calrec, Lawo and StageTec), monitors (Focal), networking / comms (Riedel) and wireless microphones (Lectrosonics and Sennheiser). Meanwhile, CDA Pro Audio is happily convincing broadcasters of the virtues of the Mic W miniature microphone brand that it has just begun to distribute in South East Asia alongside its existing Prism and Cedar Audio portfolios, including the DNS8 Live noise suppressor. ‘It’s a really great show and we’re getting a kick out of demonstrating these products for the first time to broadcasters,’ enthused managing director Rick Dowel.
The packed seminar programmes held by both shows also ensured a positive two days on and around the three exhibition halls. Generally speaking, the ‘integration’ of these shows, that are built on education, has bolstered their appeal thanks to the redirection applied by ACETA.
Entech closes its doors at 5pm tomorrow whilst SMPTE ends at 5pm on Friday July 26th.