A Taste Of The Global Market...

As one of the most significant and important events in the European industry calendar, Prolight + Sound promises to pull together key players from around the world. Roland Systems Group is one company that is more than prepared.
For many of the manufacturers descending on Frankfurt in April, Prolight + Sound will represent the single most important event to launch new products for the year ahead. R&D schedules will have been shaped by it, sweat will have been poured on it, hopes will be set on it – welcome to the biggest trade fair on earth for the events sector.
For four days, starting on 10 April, Prolight + Sound will host the world of event technology and become a colossal meeting place for manufacturers, distributors, retailers and professionals from every corner of the earth. The sheer size of the event can be daunting – if it is your first visit you will not survive without your Showguide (or the shuttle bus from one end to the other) - last year saw almost 900 exhibitors and over 40,000 visitors at Prolight + Sound. Add to that the 1500 exhibitors and 70,000 visitors to MusikMesse – the co-located event for musical instruments and music production - and you have a recipe for THE event for events.
The most striking thing about Prolight + Sound is the ‘internationality’ of the event in terms of exhibitors and visitors. For manufacturers it remains the perfect platform to meet with all of their territorial distributors to show them the new products for the coming year, to discuss market conditions and check out what their competitors are doing. For visitors it is the perfect place to compare and contrast, to see what is on offer from all the major players – and some emerging players too – with the beauty of being able to see it all at one time and under one roof. The show itself has constantly evolved in its content and format to reflect the diverse products and technologies that now come under the ‘events’ banner – it is no longer a simple question of light or sound. Such evolution has resulted in an ‘all encompassing’ event which, much to the benefit of the visitor, brings together all audio and visual elements and places them in context with each other.
For visitors to Prolight + Sound, the show is divided into three main sections – Sound Systems, Lighting & Stage (which includes video) and Audio – each within their dedicated halls. The different products are divided into product groups as follows: audio technology, lighting technology, communications technology, theatre and stage technology, media technology, visual communication and systems integration. The layout of Messe Frankfurt, though vast, is easily navigated – be prepared for a long walk if you want to take everything in. There are a number of Information Desks where you can ask for help to find certain products or exhibitors, but you can also use the Product Pilot (www.productpilot.com) in advance to plan your visit and make appointments with exhibitors if you so wish.
Visitors to Prolight + Sound can be assured that they will be able to see the very latest in technological advances and a glimpse of what is to come, but also take away with them a taste of the global market which you will be hard pressed to find elsewhere.
Prolight + Sound is a focal point of the tradeshow calendar and product launch schedule for Roland in terms of gathering input into new product development, market feedback, trends and competitor activity.  It provides a perfect setting for us to showcase the capability of our products in music, audio and video – and also to demonstrate our latest web streaming products by streaming live from the stand to RSGUK.tv. We always have a great live setup on the booth including personal monitors, video mixers and audio recorders – as well as the musical instruments - because it’s important to us that the visitors are able to ‘play’ with the products but we also want to emphasise the integration of our products.   As an international company, Prolight + Sound is an ideal time for colleagues to meet and to share ideas but also, essentially, to do the same with our global distributors, dealers and end users. The importance of this ‘mega event’ to Roland - and other exhibitors - cannot be underestimated in terms of networking, marketing and ultimately sales – whether on the showfloor or as a result of exhibiting.
Roland can be found at Prolight + Sound in Halle 8.0, stand number G54.
Read the article in the online edition of Regional Film and Video here.