Thriving market draws visitors to Palme
Published: MEA
MIDDLE EAST: Following an increase in visitor numbers to the 2010 show, Palme Middle East is again expecting to welcome large crowds for this year’s show in April. Now in its ninth year, Palme occupies a key position in the global trade show circuit and provides the Middle East with its own unique industry forum.
The 2010 exhibition welcomed 200 exhibiting companies from 35 countries and more than 6,000 highly targeted and focused buyers and industry professionals from 68 countries, which presented a 4 per cent y-o-y increase in international participation. The show witnessed a 19 per cent increase in the number of exhibiting companies, 95 per cent of which confirmed that the quality of visitors and their return on investment for participating at Palme had met or surpassed their expectations.
‘Market dynamics are now changing and regional buyers are not travelling as much to Europe or the US to source products and services as much as they used to three years ago,’ said Eben Botha, exhibition manager for Palme. ‘There is an immense potential for business growth and finding newer market segments for manufacturers who wish to explore the Middle East as a market. Above all, the extraordinary spending power makes this region unique,’ he continued. ‘The purchasing authority of visitors that attended the 2010 edition of Palme Middle East accumulated to a whopping US$1.035 billion, which clearly indicates the size of this burgeoning market and how much business companies may attract by being part of the forthcoming edition of this show in April 2011.’
Palme 2011 runs from 26th to 28th April and will feature areas for laser and lighting demos, simulators and home automation areas, music and DJ equipment demos as well as conferences, certified education courses and free to attend product / technology focused seminars. The second Palme Middle East Awards will also be held where achievements will be rewarded in 12 categories covering audio, A/V and lighting sectors.