Expo to bring home global tech innovations

Organised by Thebe Exhibitions, mediatech africa 2007 will showcase cutting-edge technologies and services from industry leaders in television and broadcast, sound and audio, lighting and staging, animation, communication, and every related field. The combination of technology, demonstrations, networking opportunities and special events attracts top quality visitors from all parts of the media, entertainment, broadcast and communication industries.

"The awareness of mediatech africa has grown both nationally and throughout Africa, and we are confident of continuing to expand the numbers of visitors," says Simon Robinson, director of Thebe Exhibitions.

International exposure

"International exposure has played an important role in boosting the profile of the show: in 2005, Thebe Exhibitions secured the support of the department of trade and industry (dti) to encourage visitors from African broadcasters, an initiative which boosted the profile of the show by hosting delegates from countries including Botswana, Swaziland and Nigeria," he says.

Simon Robinson also visited PLASA 06 in London and IBC in Amsterdam in September 2006 and brought some exciting ideas home for mediatech africa 2007. IBC2006 presented the breadth of all the latest technology and foremost business ideas in broadcasting and new media, and showcased unparalleled expertise in the fields of content creation, management and delivery.

"I was very impressed by the IBC Mobile Zone, which provided an opportunity for application developers, content providers and technology companies to showcase and demonstrate their capabilities. In addition to showcasing the latest developments in mobile TV and 3G services, the IBC Mobile Zone featured the latest innovations in mobile devices and their impact on the creation, management and delivery of content. We hope to create a similar zone at media techafrica 2007," says Robinson. The exhibition also plans to have a separate training zone for the audio and live entertainment markets.

Exhibitors are already gearing up in preparation for the 2007 event.

"We have been to every mediatech africa show, and for a profile brand like Sony it's very important for us to be there," says Jess Goedhals, GM of the Broadcast and Professional division at Sony South Africa.

Next generation technology

The show also provides Sony a key vehicle to promote next generation technology, Goedhals says. "2007 will be all about high definition. Virtually all of the products at our stand will be high-definition, including new XDCAM technology. We've already had some success with HD in South Africa, supplying 40 systems to the SABC, and we are expecting great things of the market here."

Goedhals's HD plans for media tech africa are well timed, with some big events on the horizon. Sony South Africa has already won a contract to supply the SABC with the country's first high-definition outside broadcast vehicle for the 2010 games, and Goedhals, like many other exhibitors, expects to drive a lot more business in the lead up to the 2010 World Cup with the products on show at mediatech africa 2007.

Zane Mohamed, financial director of Stage Audio Works, certainly agrees. "mediatech africa worked out great for us in 2005. The audience was exactly what we were looking for: decision makers and top technical guys from big companies. We made a lot of big contacts and saw new sales and lots of business as a result. It's lifted us up among the big names to be reckoned with."

"And in 2007 we're going to have a lot of new products to show off," Mohamed adds. "We've signed deals with new suppliers in Europe and the US like D&B Audiotechnik and EventDeck and we'll be showcasing these technologies at mediatech africa 2007."

"We are very happy with the exposure that we receive from mediatech africa," says Trevor Peters, one of the founders of Matrix Corporate and Theatre Sound. The company provides sound equipment to top international standards, and will be using mediatech 2007 to announce new technologies as they début in Europe.

Main exhibition hall

The show also moves to the main hall at street level of the Sandton Convention Centre. "We moved to the main exhibition hall to have a more prominent and visible venue. It is also bigger, and will allow us to grow the exhibition and increase our offering to the professional audio, lighting, staging, rigging and AV sector," Robinson says.

mediatech africa 2005 showed strong growth from 2003, with 3700 visitors. More than 25% of these were business owners or directors. 60% of visitors had direct authority to purchase and 15% had budget responsibility of between R250 000 and R1m. With increased international exposure and enhanced facilities, mediatech africa 2007 is expected to top 4000 visitors.

mediatech africa attracts buyers, decision makers and influential visitors from advertising agencies and specialists; animation facilities; art directors and designers; audio and video engineers; broadcast buyers; casino and entertainment operators; communication specialists; corporate buyers of AV equipment and communications; corporate training facilities; corporate TV/video production specialists; e-commerce experts; educational institutions; engineers and technicians; audio and film producers, directors and editors; government departments; HR managers; IT administrators and consultants; leisure facilities; production and post production facilities; recording specialists; sound engineers and technical consultants; technical students; venue managers; architects and engineers.

For more information, go to www.mediatech.co.za.