The 18th edition of CABSAT, the Middle East’s premier exhibition for digital media, broadcasting and satellite industries, concluded with exhibitors securing solid business leads and reporting greater market interest, according to organiser Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC). The specialised show was attended by 11,483 professionals and industry visitors from 110 countries, a 13% increase over last year; the vast majority of which were serious buyers.
Over three days of power-packed business development and knowledge exchange, visitors had the perfect opportunity not only to see the latest innovative products and services the industry had to offer, but also learn about the new technologies and trends during the many specialised workshops and seminars hosted during the show.
More than 800 companies from over 55 countries participated in this year's show. Leading companies, including Al Yahsat, Arabsat, BBH, Blusens, Canon, Cisco, Dubai Studio City, Eutelsat, FOR-A, GlobeCast, Grass Valley, Gulfsat, Harris, Hitachi, Horizon Satellite Services, iDirect, Intelsat, Mediacast, Nilesat, Nynex, Rohde & Schwarz, Sky Stream, Sony, Telespazio, Televes, Thomson Broadcast, Turksat and twofour54, showcased the latest technological advances.
A First Timer Leader
Cisco, the worldwide leader in networking and communications technologies, participated for the first time in CABSAT. Omar Hawary, Business Development Manager, EMEA, Video Technology Group, said: “Cisco was pleased to participate at CABSAT 2012 and meeting many key decision makers in the MENA video arena.We have met our goal of achieving a strong impact for our video technology in the region at CABSAT.Cisco is very appreciative of the outstanding support of the organization at CABSAT which contributed greatly to our success at the exhibition.We look forward to future participation.”
New Studio technologies
With a full 3G Studio uniquely built on their stand utilising the latest broadcast technologies, Sony reported great interest from serious buyers during the show. Awad Mousa, Head of Content Creation Marketing, Sony Professional Solutions MEA, said: “CABSAT this year has been excellent for us. We have built a full 3G studio on our stand and the feedback from the attendees has actually been exceptional. We have showcased our capabilities and a lot of products and solutions. We feel the quality of visitors this year was better than previous years and we are happy with our participation.”
Great Cameras
CABSAT 2012 was the platform for the regional debut of Canon's latest cinematic EOS camera, the EOS C300. This light-weight and compact camera, which features a super 35mm CMOS sensor, is compatible with more than 60 Canon EF Lenses ranging from 8 – 800mm. Arguably the smallest camera in the world made for filmmaking, the company said the EOS C300 could be an ideal option for story-telling.
“CABSAT has cemented its position as the must-attend regional show within the industry. During CABSAT 2012, we received strong interest from visitors for our cutting-edge EOS C300C camera, resulting in promising business leads. We congratulate the organisers of CABSAT on the continued success in delivering a well organised and well attended show and building on the achievements of previous years,” said Hendrik Verbrugghe, Marketing Director, Canon Middle East.
“We have been involved in CABSAT for many years and this has been without doubt the most successful year for Hitachi since we began. A combination of the very excellent position of our booth, the support and the marketing campaign, which has brought the visitors to the show, and our beautiful camera products all have made a big contribution to a very successful participation in CABSAT 2012,” said Paddy Roache, Director & General Manager, Hitachi Broadcast in EMEA. “The level of cooperation from DWTC team has been superb from the top to the bottom. It is a fine show,” he added.
UAE Satellite Leader
Yahsat CEO, Tareq Abdul Raheem Al Hosani said: “CABSAT 2012 proved to be a great success for Yahsat and Yahlive, as we announced a number of key new services and strategic partnerships, which really strengthen our business proposition. The satellite communications industry across the Middle East, Africa and South Asia is transforming rapidly, which makes CABSAT such an important event, as it provides a wonderful networking platform to explore new business opportunities, formulate strategies and strengthen partnerships with key industry players. We are already looking forward to 2013.”
"CABSAT is a must for the telecommunication industry in the MENA region. We are pleased to see new faces every year interested not only in the legacy product but also on the innovative ones. The success of the show lays on having highly technologically savvy and professional visitors, thus creating a perfect environment to show high-tech solutions," said Marta Ramirez, Creative Director, Blusens.
“CABSAT 2012 responded thoroughly to the increasing industry requirements,” said Trixee Loh, Senior Vice President, Exhibitions, DWTC. “The overwhelming reports from exhibitors on the quality of visitors and business leads during the show are a testimonial of CABSAT being a vital driving force of the growing regional digital media and satellite industry in today’s fast changing world.”
Next year’s show will be held from 19 – 21 March 2013 in Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre.
For more information, please visit www.cabsat.com.
