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MUMBAI: 13 years in and the PALM Expo hascontinued to march on triumphantly, as the 13th successive edition of the show drew great success, appreciation and recognition from the global pro audio, lighting, live events, music production & AV integration industry. 2012 marked a momentous year in the history of the Indian pro audio, lighting & music production industry with India?s only internationally reputed exposition, the PALM Expo, establishing itself as a true world class trade fair. And the 2013 edition of the PALM Expo raised the bar in all respects, as the show, which was held during May 30th to June 1st 2013 at the Bombay Exhibition Centre, elevated itself to a whole new level.
The most notable enhancements were observed from the word go itself, with the show sporting a plethora of branding opportunities in the form of ?walkway & passage billboards? placed across the exhibit halls and feature spacesgave the show an invigorated face-lift. Additionally, the revamped registration process which was housed in a dedicated hall of its own (Hall 2A) facilitated better visitor management, while adding a subtle touch of grace and elegance to show and giving it an international look & feel.
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Asserting ProAV
Apart from theincrease in exhibitor participation, enhanced exhibit space, addition of new features in addition to the existing ones, increased trade visitor turnout, and much more, complementing the plethora of latest products and technologies on active display, the PALM Expo 2013 was successful in its endeavor to assert and highlight ProAV as THE future of the Indian entertainment industry.
While stage-sound-lighting did continue to dominate a major part of the exhibit floor this year as well, the PALM Expo 2013did witnessan encouraging turn out from the professional AV segment of the market, with several video & display based brands along with a notable number SI oriented brandslike Christie, Axlevedio, Projection Design, Barco, Extron, Jona LED, Skjonberg Controllers, Watchout, ColorBUG, Neutrik, GreenHippo, Telegartner, Auro3D, Raylogic, Pickup, Medialon, Eurocom, Neptune-Bals, Schneider Electric, MX, Jands Vista, Pani Projections, BOSCH Security Systems, Everglow LED, A-Digital Screens etc and morerolling outsome of their latest products and technologies.
Excitement on the exhibit floor
Several internationally celebrated brands participated for the very first time at the show this year - brands like Smithson Martin, Bose, Tecnare, Antelope Audio, TOA, TW Audio, Adam Hall, Apart Audio, Televic Conference, Carvin Audio, Eve Audio, G-Technology, Terbly, Soundwave, Anolis Lighting, Eon Lighting and many more - brands that the Indian market was familiar only through sources such as the internet, catalogues etc (andthrough other international trade fairs).
Similarly, stalwarts like like Harman, Sennheiser, QSC, Music Group, Avid, Meyer Sound, Robe, RME,Yamaha, Turbosound, Martin Audio, Manley Labs, Shure, Lab gruppen,Presonus, NX Audio, Tannoy, dB Technologies, Waves,Charter Oak, RCF, d&bAudiotechnik, Rosendahl, API, DiGiCo, Genelec, Sonodyne, dpa, Crest Audio, Jia Lighting, LBT, Pioneer, and many others adorned the exhibit floor with some of the most captivating technologies available today.
The range of products showcased were dynamic & diverse, with products like - JBL VTX Line Array Series, Bose RoomMatch&PowerMatch Series, Crown Audio iTech 4x3500 Power Amplifier, Sennheiser Digital 9000 Series, Smithson Martin Emulator, DTS Raptor, Stonewater DX 1000, Avid?s Pro Tools 11 & S3L console, Genelec M Series Monitors, Audio Technica AT 5040 Microphone, Dynatech DL212 Line Array System, Yamaha MY8-Lake & Dugan MY-16 Interface card, Shure ULXD Digital Wireless System, QSC Acoustic Performance Series, Soundcraft Si Performer Series, Turbosound?snew Flashline series ofline arrays, Precision Devices Solidus, Midas Pro2 Series, Yamaha MGP Series, NX Audio PRX 215, Tascam US 366 Audio Interface, Charter Oak SA538 microphone, Focusrite Scarlett Series, Studiomaster PA 6.0 Stereo Amplifier, Carvin Audio TRX3210 Line Array System, with many more adding to the splendor.
Official reports suggest that the exhibit floorfeatured over 100 exhibitors, with a significant rise in the number of new exhibitors & clocked over 16000 visitor registrations over the three days of the show. The show kicked off proceedings on 30th May 2013 with great enthusiasm & flair, with the exhibit floor flaunting some of the most visually appealing booths ever seen. Two new features were added to the show - "PALM Integration for Entertainment Demo - Interactive Audio Video"&"PALM Live Rigging & Trussing Experience" - both of which were placed prominently on the exhibit floor.
PALM Integration for Entertainment Demo:Envisioned by Modern Stage Service and supported by Hi Tech Audio Systems, the ?PALM Integration for Entertainment Demo -Interactive Audio Video? showcased a unique demonstration of video mapping done by Bart Kresa - regarded by many as the best video mapping designer in the world. The final design created adreamlike atmosphere as kaleidoscopic video combined with superior aural delivery to construct a truly immersive environment for the audience.
PALM Live Rigging & Trussing Experience:The second addition to the show was the ?PALM Live Rigging & Trussing Experience?. The first of its kind feature delivered the much needed quality information, knowledge & skills required to efficiently perform the rigging & trussing procedure through live demonstrations conducted by highly respected professionals from Prolyte. The feature covered the regulations, safety requirements, along with many other basic concepts that riggers must be well versed with. The area witnessed a surging turnout of quality visitors, clearly indicating that the feature provided a much needed fresh perspective to the Indian industry professionals about the whole process of rigging & trussing.
PALM Innovation Spotlight:The PALM Innovation Spotlight, an already existing feature that was also located on the exhibit floor, promoted the technological advancement of the industry, as it showcased 19 products ranging from across segments like live sound, music production, install & system integration, and lighting - all of which were kept live on display. The booth garnered tremendous footfall across all 3 days of the show, with inquisitive visitors assessing the products on display carefully. The booth boasted products from top notch brands such as JBL, Soundcraft, DTS, Crown Audio, Antelope Audio, dpa, Stonewater, Narain, Bose, Tascam, Genelec, Sonodyne and more. And due to the encouraging response from the visitors & exhibitors alike this year, the organisers of the show have promised for a more visually appealing Spotlight booth for the 2014 edition.
?Upping? the game
The show?s existing features also witnessed an upgrade in terms of overall quality and delivery, offering a revitalized lookof the show to visitors.
PALM Conference & Seminar 2013: With the clear intent to boost the knowledge quotient of the Indian industry professionals, the 2013 PALM Conference & Seminar Program was meticulously programmed to encompass the need of the hour for the Indian market. The topics for the programme ranged from the field of Live Production to Studio & Music Production to Post Production & Broadcast. Each day of the Conference session kick-started with a dedicated 90 minute "Special Master Class Presentation", followed by other sessions scheduled for the day which adhered to the respective themes. Supported by Harman - Day 1 saw the Master Class Presentation on "System Engineering & System Design for Live Events" delivered by Sunil Karanjikar, and Warren Dsouza of Sound.Com. Day 2 had the topic "E-Education Integrated Systems at Universities & Institutes" and "Public Communication Systems - Audio & Video" was the topic for the 3rd day, both of which were delivered by respected SI professional from RST Technology Holdings - Ranjit Singh.The comprehensive schedule for the rest of the program included other topics such as - The Imminent Merging of Lighting with Display & Video Technology, Multi Artist Recording for Live Broadcast Events, Animation Dubbing, Sound Design, Post Production stages, and more.These sessions were delivered internationally respected industry professionals like Toby Alington (who was the highlight speaker for the PALM Conference & Seminar 2013), Bart Kresa, Fredrik Svahnberg, BishwadeepChatterjee, &AshishManchanda. All sessions were highly interactive and garnered an earnest response from delegates, with almost every sessionenjoying a ?full house? attendance.Steinberg GmbH was the Conference Session Partner this year while GM Audio was the Conference AV Partner.
Harman PALM Live Arena: One of the most distinguished&celebrated features of the PALM, the Harman PALM live Arena yet again mesmerized & entertained the audience with mind boggling performances from some of the most renowned musicians of present day. Located centrally between Hall 1 & 5, the Harman PALM Live Arena enjoyed its own private space as stage, sound, light & music came together in perfect harmony, making it a holistic space for top notch entertainment. Each day, the Live Arena kick-started proceedings with a workshop, exclusively sponsored by Harman, with topics such as Wireless &Mic?ing techniques, Hi-Q Net & Consoles. Day 1 saw established artists such as RanjitBarot, The Mihir Joshi Band, 9 Lives, Blind Image & Ravi Iyer deliver power packed energetic performances with the arena space being jam packed throughout the day. Day 2 was no less exciting as it boasted a line-up of established artists such as Sivamani, Sahil Makhija, Andy James & Tungsten, who set the stage on fire. Percussion magicianSivamani enthralled the audience with his master display of stick strokes as the crowd simply enjoyed the dynamic beats while metal guitarist Andy James also enjoyed major fan following at the show, with the crowd enjoying the killer riffs produced by the seasoned player. This day simply had the security on their toes at all times as people kept turning up in large numbers. The series of enthralling performances continued on Day 3 as well, with music superstars such as ShayamAdvankar&MonojitDatta (Fusion Band fame) and Niladri& Team - Gino Banks, Jai Kavi&DarshanDoshi along with jazz legendLouiz Banks, sitaristNiladri Kumar & bassist Sheldon D?Silva pepped the crowds with their invigorating performances. The complete gear for the arena was provided by Harman with distinguished sound rental company Sound.com providing the logistics & technical support.
DJs in the spotlight
The PALM Expo has been instrumental in promoting DJ talent through their continuous efforts each year in the form of the PALM DJ Champion& the PALM DJ Workshops.
PALM DJ Champion:In its 3rd edition this year, the PALM DJ Champion met with remarkable success yet again, with some of the most prolific amateur DJ?s going head to head in an epic battle of mixes. With exciting prizes up for grabs, exclusively sponsored by Traktor, the DJ competition commenced with 20 DJ aficionados battling it out in the eliminations on Day 1 of the Expo, from whom 8 were selected to sweat it out during the finals on Day 2. With a lot resting on the shoulders of the two judges - DJ Reji&Tanseer, three of the best DJ?s were selected based on technique, skill & showmanship, with Hitesh Khuman judged as the 2nd runner up, KerwinFernandes as the 1st runner up & Sanjay Meriva declared the winner of the competition. Hitesh won a TraktorKontrol X1 &Traktor Audio 2 while Kerwin won a TraktorKontrol S2. Sanjay received the TraktorKontrol Z2 as the grand prize. All the 8 finalists were also awarded with special headphones sponsored exclusively by Aerial 7. Also, as the DMC World DJ Championship along with the International DJ Association has joined with the PALM DJ Champion to co-brand its Indian edition this year onwards - the winner of the PALM DJ Champion (Sanjay) gets a direct entry to the regional DMC World Championship in India while the PALM DJ Champion runner up (Kerwin) get a direct entry to the IDA National Championship in India.
PALM DJ Workshop: Alongside the DJ Competition, DJ Reji, Tanseer& Grizzly Adams also conducted a DJ workshop "Introduction to Digital DJing& the Future". This workshop emphasizedon the evolution of the art of DJing along with its technology & helped better understand the latest, most pertinent trends in digital DJing.
Honouring Excellence
Over the years, the PALM Expo has been instrumental in recognising & honouring individuals and organizations for their unmatched contribution to the Indian entertainment industry. And it comes in the form of the glorious award ceremonies - PALM Sound & Light Awards, the IRA Awards, and the newly instituted PALM System Integration Awards.
PALM System Integration Awards: This year, the PALM Expo instituted thefirst ever edition of the PALM System Integration Awards, felicitating three global industry stalwarts by awarding Bose Corporation India with the Project Performance Award, veteran projection expert Bart Kresa with the Creative Direction Award, and finally video technology veteran & expert Adela Kriland with the Education & Support Award.In light of the upswing that the SI industry has witnessed over the years, and the promise that it is said to deliver in the coming years, the PALM System Integration Awards is touted to grow and expand its horizons to an increased number of categories, recognizing & honoring more good work in the field of SI.
PALM Sound & Light Awards: The 3rd edition of the PALM Sound & Light Awards stayed true to its motto of recognizing and honoring outstanding servicein the field of stage-sound-lighting, as awards spread across 10 technical categories were bestowed upon those who excelled in their respective craft during 2012-2013. The award winners felicitated this year at the ceremonies included; Best Sound Rental Company - Sound.com, Best Lighting Rental Company - SS Lighting, Best Staging Company - Men At Work Stagecrafts, Best Video Rental Company - Video Design, Best Audio Systems Engineer - Sunil Karanjikar, Best Audio FOH Engineer - PramodChandorkar, Best Lighting Designer - AtulSonpal, Best Set/Scenic Designer - Varsha Jain, Best Audio Monitor Engineer - Fali Damania & Best Event Management & Production Group - Percept Live.
IRA Awards: In addition to the PALM Sound & Light Awards, and into its seventh glorious edition, the IRA felicitates the best in the Indian music industry with 19 nomination categories, as it recognizes & honors Indian recording and engineering talent with the prestigious IRA Awards - Outstanding contribution to the Sound Department of the Indian Film Industry - Mangesh Desai, Best Recording/Mixing Studio (Large Commercial Space) - A M Studio, Best Recording/Mixing (Small Commercial Space) - In The Mix studio, Best Recording/Mixing Studio (Audio Post Production - Films & Commercials) - Yash Raj Studio, Best Mixed Album (Films) - Sunny M.R for theBollywood film ?Cocktail?, Best Mixed Album (Non-Films) - Niraj Singh for the album ?Thagni?, Best Film Song - AmitTrivedi& Karan Kulkarni for the Bollywood film song ?Pareshaan?, Best Background Score - Pritam& Sunny M.R for the Bollywood film ?Barfi?, Best Record Label - Universal, Best Independent Record Label - Only Much Louder, Most Popular Song On Web & Radio - AyushmanKhurana for the Bollywood film song ?Paani Da Rang?, Best Sound Design - Kunal Sharma for the Bollywood film?Gangs Of Wasseypur?, Best Upcoming Recording/Mixing Engineer in Films and Music - ShadabRayeen, Best Studio and Live equipment Dealers and Retailers - Sudeep Audio, Best Live Sound reinforcement - J Davis Pro Sound, Best Live Sound Mixing Engineer - AshishManchanda, Best Band Production (Album)- Spud In The Box for ?Attention Please? EP, Outstanding Contribution in the field of Audio Education - ManoharKunte& lastly, Outstanding contribution to Indian Classical & World music - Asha Rani Mathur.
What the future holds?
The PALM Expo has over the years provided the most apt platform for the global sound & light industry to convergeand explore the unbounded potential of the Indian market, and 13 years aheadthe PALM Expohas garnered international recognition & appreciation of being the true world class event that it has turned out to be.PALM Expo promises to serve the Indian pro sound and lighting, music production and system integration market by offering the best from the global players. Look out for the 14th edition of PALM Expo from 29th May - 31st May 2014 at the Bombay Exhibition Center, Mumbai.
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