Amid the fascination over what’s being broadcast on Arab airwaves these days, there is often a tendency to look past the nuts and bolts that are literally running the show. In its first year running, the trade expo component of MEB 2005 served as a window on some of the major trends shaping the relatively infantile industry, which, over the last ten years, has seen a watershed of investment opportunities across a multitude of equipment categories. And as the forces of capitalism began prying their way into the broadcasting industry, a new technological dynamic has made it harder for governments to control the business and thus the message that is being beamed out to their citizens.
What made MEB 2005 different than most other trade shows is that it played up the linkage between retail sales and sociopolitical realities, realizing perhaps that the relationship between business and government has proven to be an essential engine for change in this region. The synergy among attendees seemed most pronounced at the show’s central meeting point, a high definition TV studio broadcasting live from the exhibition floor.
Not only did it attract the usual suspects: technophiles and purchasing managers; it also drew broadcast journalists, creative directors and a range of high-level decision makers attending the nearby series of conferences. Whether they realized it yet or not, all industry players will be affected by the change in formats. Some were clearly hesitant about the switch to HD, citing equipment costs and the burden of training. “It’s not very useful to us yet,” said Mouna Mounayer, chief creative officer at Firehorse productions, which has made documentaries for The Discovery Channel. “Its not tried and tested,” she added, warning that use of such “crisp and fantastic” pictures would require more training. The regional market for documentary films is just one of many areas experiencing exponential growth in the industry. Like many Arab production houses, Beirut-based Firehorse has seen the demand for its services climb markedly as interest in the region peaked. “We were doing four to five documentaries per year, suddenly we are making 20-30” said Mounayer, conceding that HD would likely be rolled out next year. “We’ll give it a go because we don’t have a choice.”
Other major areas of demand include server-based tapeless system. Vatech which supplies broadcast equipment in the region, sees tapes as “the bread and butter” of its sales and forecasts double digit growth next year. But general manager Fadi Serhan is not optimistic about his core business on the long term. “It will finish after 10 years,” he mused. “Everything will be tapeless.”
The new market dynamics are also good news for software makers associated with the media industry, such as US-based Autodesk, which recently opened an office in Dubai Media City. Rapid growth in the number of television stations has meant surge in demand for its editing and finishing products, according to regional sales manager Karen Breedon. “The way Dubai Media City is growing is just phenomenal,” she said.
Indeed many of the region’s new stations and media companies are opening their doors in the tax- free industrial park, boosting the Emirate’s prominence in the industry. Although, Beirut remains a crucial source for talent, crews and locations, some of those exhibiting at MEB 2005 drew parallels with Cabsat, another regional broadcast technology trade show taking place in Dubai. Now in its 12th year running, Cabsat boats over 7,000 attendees compared to around 3,000 attending the first annual MEB event.
Audioland, a Middle East distributor for Czech lighting manufacturer, Robe Show Lighting, found the number of attendees to be low in number albeit high in quality compared to a major electronics shows in Germany.  “Out of 1,000 people who visited by our stand in Germany, only 10 contacts were valuable, but at MEB I got the same number of good contacts from only 30 visitors,” said general manger Elie Battah. He said the show helped Audioland, which has seen a tripling of its entertainment events related business over the last three years, diversify into the broadcasting segment. “A lot of people came from Qatar and Kuwait,” Battah added. “We are now in negotiations with TV stations from several Arab countries.”
The caliber of attendees was a priority for the organizers, according to MEB general manager in Beirut, Saad Aboul Nasr. “The people who came to the show were not just passersby,” he said, adding that the show admissions system measured each visitor only once.
“People were not counted each time they came and left the hall as is done in some other trade shows,” he said.
Aboul Nasr also touted the show’s HD exhibit as “a mass technical seminar” that was well suited to both industry attendees and the 300 odd students who helped put it together: “We made this young talent available to prospective employers.”
Several exhibitors are already signed up for next year, he added: “They talked about bigger reservations and more square meters.”
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