InfoComm Launches New Event for MEA Marketplace

By InfoComm International, 03/15/2011

After countless requests from exhibitors over the last two years, InfoComm International is delighted to confirm that it is launching a trade show for the Middle East, Africa and Gulf region in Dubai, the region's most powerful trade hub.

InfoComm Middle East & Africa (IFMEA) will take place from October 9-13, 2011 at the Dubai International Convention & Exhibition Centre. A joint venture between InfoCommAsia and Dubai World Trade Centre, the event will be co-located and jointly promoted with GITEX TECHNOLOGY WEEK, the largest ICT event for the region. IFMEA 2011 will draw the attention of the 130,000+ attendees who are expected to visit GITEX to the power of professional AV products and solutions.

• Co-location with GITEX will expose 130,000+ attendees to the power of AV solutions
• New show satisfies substantial lobbying from leading manufacturers
• Event perfectly placed for the convergence of AV systems with IT networks

"IFMEA is born out of a marriage of strengths," comments Terry Friesenborg, Senior VP of International Development, InfoComm International. "Dubai World Trade Centre is the most established and influential organiser of trade shows for the Middle East and Gulf region, while as an industry body, InfoComm has been providing education and certification for the pro-AV industry since 1939, as well as organizing its own highly successful series of trade shows and other events throughout the world."

Trixee Loh, Senior VP, Dubai World Trade Centre affirms the partnership: "Dubai has the infrastructure, the experience and the economic and geographical positioning to bring together all industry sectors covering the Middle East, Africa and South Asia. GITEX is the ultimate business driver and innovator for this enormous and rapidly expanding market and will be the perfect stalwart for such a venerable brand as InfoComm."

Now in its thirty-first year, GITEX TECHNOLOGY WEEK brings manufacturers, developers, distributors and resellers of business IT solutions together with the region's top influencers and decision makers across a wide range of industry verticals, from IT, banking and finance through to education, hospitality, oil and gas, aviation, retail, government, healthcare and many more. Last year's show saw more than 130,000 attendees from 135 countries converging in Dubai to see products and solutions from over 3,500 exhibitors, occupying some 76,000 square metres of floor space.

Richard Tan, General Manager, InfoCommAsia, says that it not just the scale of GITEX that makes it the perfect companion for IFMEA. "The launch of our event comes at a turning point in the evolution of professional AV," Richard explains. "The migration of AV products onto IT networks is making systems integration a more net-centric process than ever before. Co-locating with GITEX TECHNOLOGY WEEK therefore makes technology sense as well as business sense -- the two go perfectly hand in hand."

As well as a dedicated showcase for AV products and solutions on the trade show floor, IFMEA will feature CTS-accredited education seminars from the InfoComm Academy, along with a variety of opportunities for manufacturers to present their solutions in conferences and training sessions. This combination of networking and education in a market with vast potential has already proved irresistible to many key players in the AV space, as Tan concludes:

"Some of the largest companies in our sector, including Mitsubishi, Extron, AMX, Crestron, Wolfvision and Jupiter Systems, have already confirmed their booth space at IFMEA 2011, and we expect many more to sign up now that the show has been officially launched. Our industry has been crying out for an opportunity such as this for some while, and we are looking forward to a successful, empowering and inspiring launch event in October."

For more information, please contact:
Richard Tan, General Manager,  InfoCommAsia Pte Ltd 
JP Cossé, Project Manager, Dubai World Trade Centre

About InfoComm International®
InfoComm International® is the international trade association of the professional audiovisual and information communications industries. Established in 1939, InfoComm has 5,000 members, including manufacturers, systems integrators, dealers and distributors, independent consultants, programmers, rental and staging companies, end-users and multimedia professionals from more than 80 countries. InfoComm International is the leading resource for AV market research and news. Its training and education programs set a standard of excellence for AV professionals. InfoComm International is the founder of InfoComm, the largest annual conference and exhibition for AV buyers and sellers worldwide. InfoComm also produces trade shows in Europe, Asia and China. Additional information available at infocomm.org.

About Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC)
GITEX TECHNOLOGY WEEK is professionally managed and hosted by the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC), which provides more than three decades of experience in delivering world-class events in the Middle East, featuring local, regional and international exhibitors with unmatched expertise and in-depth market knowledge. The extensive portfolio of leading trade and consumer brand events includes GITEX TECHNOLOGY WEEK, Gulfood, Dubai Internal Boat Show and Dubai International Motor Show. The DWTC's commitment to ongoing innovation within the exhibition industry has supported the rapid growth and development of a wide range of business-to-business and business-to-consumer shows, and delivered consistent satisfaction to exhibitors and visitors. DWTC works with the leading trade bodies and industry associations to ensure that all exhibitions deliver full value, and are built upon the real needs of their specific sector. Additional information available at www.dwtc.com