In 2014, 898 exhibitors presented their innovations and new products at Prolight + Sound 2014. With 42,267 visitors, the fair was a magnet for the entire sector. The 2014 edition of the Musikmesse welcomed over 75,000 visitors from 142 countries including retailers and wholesalers, representatives of the music industry and trade, staff from musical institutes and amateur and professional musicians.
The large number of registrations already received, the many returnees and the numerous first-time exhibitors taking part in 2015 underscore the great significance of Prolight+Sound for the sector. Following the June 2014 announcement of the merger with the ShowTech annual show, previously located in Berlin, Prolight+Sound 2015 will have a special thematic focal point for the theatre world and welcome numerous new companies from this field.
The exhibition halls occupied remain unchanged in comparison to 2014. Exhibitors from the audio and sound-systems sector make their presentations in Hall 8.0 while visitors will find everything relating to lighting and stage technology, as well as trusses, display and video systems, in Hall 9.0. Exhibitors from Asia are represented by a broad portfolio of products, stretching from lighting and sound systems to stages, trusses and network systems, in Hall 9.1. New products and innovations from the world of lasers and effects, show and stage lighting, as well as contract installations and trusses, can be seen in action in Hall 11.0.
Prolight + Sound Conferences
The Prolight+Sound Conference bundles numerous lectures and presentations held within the framework of the fair. The conference is split into four main sections: Media Systems puts the spotlight on systems integration and AV-media technology. The Prolight + Sound Forum looks at new developments and areas of application in the field of event technology and promotes an interdisciplinary exchange of ideas and information. The VDT Academy is an information event organised by the Association of German Sound Engineers (Verband Deutscher Tonmeister – VDT) for the professional audio sector. Additionally, the Theatre and Film Colloquium will form a separate section of the Prolight + Sound Conference for the theatre, stage and film technology sector in 2015.
Another part of the comprehensive educational programme held at the fair is the three-day Eventplaza Conference, at which renowned speakers with great practical experience discuss the latest trends and strategies, as well as new ideas and impulses for the event sector. The programme is aimed primarily at event and incentive managers, marketing, communication and human-resources executives, as well as congress and conference organisers. For the first time, each of the three days will have its own focal point. Thus, the Wednesday (15 April 2015) will be devoted to event safety when the International Event Safety Conference (I-ESC) tackles the subject of ‘Assuming and transferring responsibility’. The focus on Thursday (16 April 2015) is on products and events. The speakers on the third day of the conference (17 April 2015) will concentrate on personnel developments in the event sector. The new Networking Lounge represents a great opportunity not only to exchange ideas and information but also to make new business contacts. Participation in the Eventplaza Conference is free to all visitors to Prolight+Sound. The Eventplaza Conference will be held in the ‘Portalhaus’, located to the south of Hall 11.0.
Theatre-technology
Prolight + Sound has expanded its range of exhibits and services for trade visitors from the theatre technology and planning segments with a new thematic focal point – ‘Stagery’ – and expects to welcome numerous new exhibitors from this field. Thus, with the Theatre and Film Colloquium, there will be an extensive programme of seminars for the sector coupled with a special customer programme offering many exclusive benefits for theatre planners. From stage lighting, trusses, rigging and hoisting equipment to curtain systems, show textiles and seating – products and services for the theatre industry will be listed clearly in a special brochure, the ‘Stagery Quickfinder’ and via a special-interest section of the online exhibitor search engine, to ensure that trade visitors can orientate themselves even more easily.
Prolight + Sound also shows sound reinforcement systems and stage technology in action under realistic conditions. At the Live Sound Arena and the Concert Sound Arena, manufacturers demonstrate small and large PA systems up to and including complex line-array systems. The outdoor exhibition area also includes an Open Air Showroom for mobile stages and tent systems, as well as for big portable displays.
P+L and Musikmesse
The coming Prolight+Sound will once again be held concurrently with Musikmesse, International Trade Fair for Musical Instruments, Sheet Music, Music Production and Music Business Connections, giving both exhibitors and visitors the opportunity to exploit the synergies between the two sectors to the full. Overlaps between the two fairs are to be found primarily in technology segments where the boundaries between professional and consumer products are becoming increasingly blurred.
For exhibitors, Musikmesse is the world’s most important business and marketing platform for musical technology, complete with an extensive complementary programme of events with workshops, concerts and awards ceremonies. In 2015, the event character of the fair will be further reinforced by extended opening times for the general public who now have admission to the fair all day Friday and Saturday.
Together with Prolight + Sound, Musikmesse covers the entire value chain of the music and live entertainment industry – from sheet music to festival PA systems. Moreover, there are numerous points of contact between the two trade fairs, e.g., in the fields of studio technology, audio software, microphones and effects. Holding the two events concurrently gives both exhibitors and visitors the chance to make optimum use of the synergetic effects generated between the two segments.
Musikmesse tickets are also valid for Prolight + Sound.
Musikmesse 2015 will also be characterised by an improved hall layout. Thus, the woodwind and brass instruments that used to be exhibited in Hall 4.1 will round off the range of products in Hall 3.0. Exhibitors of this product segment will profit from the larger number of visitors to Hall 3.0, the exhibitors of which include manufacturers of percussion instruments and full-range suppliers. Moreover, Hall 3.0 boasts optimum delivery facilities on ground level while the acoustic and visual separation of the individual segments will ensure a business-friendly atmosphere.
Also new are numerous exhibitors from the recording, microphones and audio / video segments in Hall 5.0 – in addition to the keyboard instruments, synthesisers and full-range suppliers already represented there. A number of renowned companies, including major microphone manufacturers such as Neumann, Sennheiser and Beyerdynamic, have already announced that they will be making their presentations in Hall 5.0.
The product spectrum to be seen in the other exhibition halls remains unchanged. Hall 3.1 is the location for sheet music, percussion instruments, string instruments, acoustic guitars and harmonica instruments. In Hall 4.0, visitors will find manufacturers of electric guitars and bases and amplifiers while Hall 5.1 is the place to go for equipment and software for the recording, audio / video and DJ segments. More full-range suppliers are to be found in Forum.0.
Messe Frankfurt is also reinforcing the position of the fair as a platform for specialist musical-instrument retailers. A central B2B area in Hall 4.1 will provide the opportunity to hold sales, marketing and supplier discussions at a single venue and in a professional atmosphere. Naturally, only registered trade visitors, such as retailers and sales personnel, will have access to the new area. The Tulip Club, the VIP lounge for top buyers from the sector, is also in the immediate vicinity of the exclusive business area. Exhibitors can book a booth in the B2B area to use as an office at the fair or as a supplementary exhibition stand.
Awards ceremonies
At Prolight + Sound, the ‘Opus – German Stage Award’ is given for outstanding achievements in the field of stage productions while the ‘Sinus – Systems Integration Award’ honours the creative use of audio-visual media technology and systems integration in complex projects. Additionally, a host of international trade journalists meet in Frankfurt to present the Musikmesse International Press Award (MIPA) and Prolight + Sound International Press Award (PIPA) for the best products in the industry.
The PRG Live Entertainment Award (LEA) is the most important honour given by the German event sector and will be presented for the fifth time at the ‘Festhalle’. The award goes to promoters, concert agents, artists’ managers and venue operators in 14 categories and is traditionally distinguished by the presence of many stars. At the same time, LEA represents a high-grade opening gala for Musikmesse on the eve of the fair (14 April 2015).
www.messefrankfurt.com
www.prolight-sound.com
www.musikmesse.com
