Inaugurated last year as PALA India, this year’s exhibition will be spread over 3000 sq m of exhibition space and is expected to feature around 200 brands distributed across 115 stands at the Bombay Exhibition Centre.
This is the target for experienced exhibition manager James Raffoul (pictured), who has been taken on by IIR Exhibitions to maximise PALME India’s potential. Having previously worked on high-profile exhibitions for Brintex and Emap, Raffoul says he couldn’t resist the challenge to consolidate an incipient event in such a fast-emerging market.
“The fact that last year the show attracted 120 exhibiting companies spread over 75 stands, with 2,500 visitors attending, indicates enormous confidence and market potential,” Raffoul says.
“The market is growing exponentially, and India is now the second fastest growing major economy in the world.” While Bollywood remains the central entertainment focus, the events industry is showing a huge GDP growth of around 9%. “The large number of new hotels, houses of worship, sports complexes and shopping malls all require technology infrastructures and communications systems,” emphasises Raffoul.
As with sister shows PALME Middle East and PALME Asia, both Install India and Event 360_ will operate as separate vertical shows within the PALME India umbrella, ensuring that the exhibition caters evenly to rental stagers and AV systems integration companies alike. PALME India will also provide a platform for professional recording and broadcasting technology, architectural and theatre lighting, DJ technology, special effects and visual and sound communications for the entertainment, presentation, project installations, music and other related industries.
Collateral events are already being confirmed to spice up the mix; these include a DJ competition, spectacular laser displays, and a full seminar and educational programme running throughout the three days. There will also be Country Pavilions and a Media Zone. Loudspeaker manufacturers will be delighted to learn that demo booths will be available – all sound-proofed by RK International.
Raffoul says that although PALME India will essentially target the region, he expects that “between 10 and 15 per cent” of the visitors to attend from the Middle East and Asia. “As we will have global brands on display from world-renowned manufacturers, this will be a truly international event,” he promises.
“IIR Exhibitions are investing heavily in this show, and we are currently in negotiation with a number of potential media, business partners and trade associations. Our aim is to present a fully-integrated international technology and conference showcase of which India can be proud.”
PALME India (formerly PALA India) will take place from 4-6 October 2007 at the Bombay Exhibition Centre (NSE Complex) Mumbai, India.
