(2 April 2009 8:20 pm)

MUMBAI: The 14th edition of the television trade event BroadcastAsia takes place in Singapore from 16-19 June 2009. It will offer the latest in digital and interactive media and address the value chain of content creation, management and distribution.

Despite the economic downturn, the event expects to have 679 exhibiting companies. Together with the co-located CommunicAsia, it is expected that 2000 companies will exhibit.

The show’s organiser Singapore Exhibition Services (Ses) senior project manager Calvin Koh notes that last year the event attracted over 62,000 attendees. “The event is a one stop sourcing ground for the broadcast and media industries and will once again provide exhibitors with an avenue to increase the visibility of their products and solutions. At the same time, they can interact with existing and potential customers.”

Koh adds that with Slumdog Millionaire’s success there is more global demand for content from India. “BroadcastAsia will be used as a networking platform by global corporations for partnerships and investments from Bollywood,” he says.

BroadcastAsia will have 10 group pavilions from countries like Belgium, China, France, Germany, the US and Italy. Exhibitors from India at BroadcastAsia include 3i Infotech, Beehive Technologies, Monarch Innovative Technologies, NDTV and Indiasign. Asian companies that will be present include Harris Corporation, Omneon, RCS, Conax, Asiasat, Google, Chyron and Seachange. He adds that pre registered visitors include HBO Asia, ESPN Star Sports, Disney and Tata Sky.

“Moreover the Media Development Authority (MDA) plans to spend $250 million this year to fuel and sustain the growth of Singapore’s media sector in view of the recession. The government is issuing calls for proposals in the film, television, publishing, music and interactive media areas. This is an excellent opportunity for regional players including market leaders in India to leverage on MDA’s plans and establish strategic partnerships with Singaporean companies.”

For the first time BroadcastAsia will feature Digital Signage which reflects the growing global demands of the hospitality, retail, transportation and entertainment industries for a dynamic medium to captivate audiences. BroadcastAsia’s Digital Signage cluster will feature exhibitors like GG Alliance, Magna Systems and Molle Digisign.

As far as the BroadcastAsia Conference is concerned, for the first time there will be an Opening Plenary to allow for knowledge sharing on industry issues like keeping up with the new media landscape and how to create opportunities in the current economy. Speakers from companies like IBM, Motorola, Hewlett Packard and Sony Pictures will share their views.

Held in conjunction with BroadcastAsia is CG Overdrive 2009. This is a computer graphics event. In its fourth edition, the event will showcase the latest computer grapjics technologies, attract visitos from animation, visual, effects houses and game studios, students, professionals in the fields of animation and computer graphics, producers, vendors and buyers. The CG Overdrive Conference will feature eight new tracks of sessions conducted by computer graphics experts. For students, there will be Recruitment Overdrive and Recruitment Talks.

Also taking place is CommunicAsia, which serves as a meeting ground for the infocomm industry. Koh adds that last year 88 per cent of surveyed exhibitors said that the show enabled them to reach their target groups. 70 per cent said that the show was effective in allowing them to promote brand awareness across the region.

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