30 January, 2007 - Amsterdam

InfocommAsia enters second decade in 2008 with pan-Asian event in Hong Kong
InfoCommAsia Pte Ltd, a joint venture between US-based InfoComm InternationalR and Singaporebased MP Asia Pte Ltd, has announced an anchor InfoComm Asia event to be held in Hong Kong in 2008, 19-21 November, as it enters its second decade of operations in Asia. Since its foray into the Asian market in 1998, building and reinforcing its brand first in Southeast Asia and then concurrently in China, InfoComm Asia has gained recognition as the definitive marketing event for the Pro AV industry in the region.

The organizer has also announced a rationalization of its Integrated Systems series of trade exhibitions and educational seminars from 2008, to take advantage of the strong branding that InfoComm Asia has acquired through the years. Hence, running concurrently with InfoComm Asia in 2008 will be InfoComm China, renamed from Integrated Systems China. While the latter focuses on the burgeoning China market, InfoComm Asia will target the South China and non homogeneous markets of Northeast, South, Southeast Asia and the Middle East. InfoComm Asia will be held once every two years while InfoComm China will run yearly – alternating between Hong Kong and a major
Chinese city - making the even year events in Hong Kong a pan-Asian affair.

As the Pro AV industry caters to very diverse market segments, the organizer has mapped out a detailed visitor promotion strategy, taking advantage of the 76,000 qualified databases that it has amassed through the years. This will target trade channels in the region, the media markets, corporate and other professional end-users of AV and integrated systems including the government sector, education and training, building, medical and healthcare, retail and entertainment, security and transportation. Specifically, besides direct distributors and integrators of AV systems, the IT specialists, developers, design consultants, architects and decision makers behind major user projects planned in Asia will be identified and invited to attend InfoComm Asia 2008. A series of Road Shows, comprising manufacturer presentations, market seminars, business matching and networking activities, will be staged in key cities in Asia in the build-up to the event, to create awareness of InfoComm Asia 2008 and of Hong Kong as the choice venue.

"A big part of our exhibitors" business is project driven, and Asia is a large and disparate market. If we were to organize a show in every market that has potential projects, our exhibitors will be running around Asia from exhibition to exhibition the whole year through. That would not make sense to them. Instead, we believe that by focusing our resources into building an effective biennial pan-Asian regional event, exhibitors can meet with prospective project buyers and channel representatives from across all of Asia in one place,” explained Mr Richard Tan, General Manager of InfoCommAsia Pte Ltd. “It will also provide them a regular platform to announce and launch their latest technology and solutions to the regional market. This will enable them to reach out to the world’s fastest growing market in a cost effective way,” he added.

Hong Kong is an ideal location for the pan-Asian InfoComm Asia 2008 because of its proximity to the major demand markets of China, Taiwan, Japan, India, Korea and the Middle East. Besides, Hong Kong and nearby Macau are in themselves interesting markets for AV technology in the coming years, as more entertainment complexes and infrastructure are being built. As an international air hub, Hong Kong has excellent flight connections and easy accessibility for travelers from US, Europe and the Middle East. The city is also well connected via multimodal transportation with Chinese cities, especially in the southern regions, making it convenient for Chinese buyers to visit. Further, many leading AV manufacturers have plants in Shenzhen/southern China and having the show in HK facilitates plant visits for the manufacturers’ important clients.

Catering to emerging trends in the Asian market, special themed pavilions will be organized. The et4 — entertainment technology for establishments, public spaces, theme parks and integrated resorts — and iHS — intelligent home solutions — pavilions will offer exhibiting companies with further opportunities to showcase real applications of their technologies. These will also give visitors insights or new approaches to gain competitive edge with new multimedia experiences, or to accessorize their residential projects with intelligent features to increase marketability.

In addition to a trade exhibition of the latest technology for presentations, conferencing, advertising and signage, entertainment and staging, education and training, public information, and command and control, InfoComm Asia will include technology and business conferences addressing trends and industry issues, site visits to live installations and educational seminars for skills upgrading.

With a comprehensive programme, and the support and participation of industry associations such as InfoComm InternationalR and the Chinese Institute of Electronics, InfoComm Asia 2008 will once again fill an important need for Asian businesses and international manufacturers in the Pro AV industry to network and explore growth opportunities in the Asian region.

Organizer
InfoCommAsia Pte Ltd is dedicated to delivering professionally organized exhibitions and events exclusively for the Pro AV, home automation and systems integration industry in Asia. It is a joint venture between InfoComm InternationalR (www.infocomm.org), organizers of InfoComm, the world leading event for the audiovisual industry and MP Asia Pte Ltd, a founding partner of WEO, a regional network of professional event organizers committed to supporting fellow industry players.

InfoCommAsia events bring together global solutions and world class technology, provide access to Asia’s diverse and thriving markets, and deliver expert knowledge to industry practitioners and manufacturers. Besides staging cutting-edge showcases, every InfoCommAsia event promises invaluable education and training, expert presentations, live pavilions and exciting networking opportunities, providing new age marketing opportunities for the global AV industry.

Additional information is available at www.infocommasia.org.

Sponsors
InfoComm International® is the international trade association of the professional audiovisual and information communications industries. Established in 1939, InfoComm has 4,200 members, including manufacturers, systems integrators, dealers and distributors, independent consultants, programmers, rental and staging companies, end-users and multimedia professionals from more than 70 countries. InfoComm International is the leading resource for AV market research and news. Its training and education programs, along with its separately administered Certified Technology Specialist (CTS) and corporately administered Certified Audiovisual Solutions Provider (CAVSP) company credentials, set a standard of excellence for AV professionals. InfoComm International is the founder of InfoComm, the largest annual conference and exhibition for AV buyers and sellers worldwide. InfoComm also co-sponsors the Integrated Systems shows in Europe and Russia and the InfoComm Asia shows incorporating Integrated Systems China and Asia. Additional information is available at www.infocomm.org.