Sound as ever

This year's instalment of the Prolight+Sound trade fair in Frankfurt, Germany, was the largest and most successful in the event's history.

More than 112,000 visitors attended this year's Prolight+Sound trade fair, ensuring the show consolidated its position as the world's largest pro audio, lighting and live staging production industry event.

"With 837 exhibitors from 42 countries, the show also set a new record in terms of exhibitor numbers," claims Detlef Braun, member of the Board of Management of event organiser Messe Frankfurt.

This year's event was arguably the most comprehensive to date in terms of its scope and enhanced service offering to visitors and exhibitors alike.

The Prolight+Sound Media Systems trade fair, which was staged in conjunction with the main exhibition, featured cutting-edge innovations from the media technology and systems integration sectors.

With approximately 35 lectures and panel discussions, the Media Systems Congress was the largest information event at this year's Prolight+Sound.

With this year's show registering a five percent increase in exhibitor numbers compared to last year, Braun suggested the event also attracted a larger number of event management firms specialising in every facet of event production, from planning and logistics to sourcing AV content and associated technologies.

This year's show also boasted an increase in the number of exhibitors and delegates travelling to Frankfurt from outside Europe.

In terms of individual countries, China posted the largest contingent of foreign participants with 74 exhibitors, followed by Great Britain with 59 exhibitors, the USA (51), Italy (54) and Taiwan (33).

With foreign exhibitors accounting for 59 percent of total exhibitor numbers, this year's instalment was the most internationalised in the event's history.

Braun attributes Prolight+Sound's growing profile internationally to its commitment to "sector integration".

"As well as audio and video segment digitalisation, the profitability of trades and services is becoming an increasingly important theme," he says.

"New developments in LED and LCD technology for example are impacting [various industry sub-sectors]."

A recent report commissioned by Germany's preeminent industry body, the Professional Lighting and Sound Technology Trade Association (Verband für professionelle Licht- und Tontechnik - VPLT), found the country's live events industry employed more than 10,000 professionals and enjoyed annual turnover of more than US$4.5 billion.

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