MUMBAI: The PALM Expo has consistently evolved in tandem with the dynamic growth and expansion ofthe pro sound and light market, and as always, the expo will present limitless opportunities for business, brand building, distribution and promotion of technology. 

PALM Expo is India’s premier B2B exhibition for stage sound & light, DJ gear, AV install and music production. Summer is already on a roll and temperatures are set to soar even higher at the expothis year, courtesy the spurt in brands present on the floor.

In 2015, the expo covered a total of 21,000 sqmand boasted of 25,000+ visitors– an indication of the growth of the pro-audio market in India, which has over the years emerged as a key region in the global pro-audio scene.The 2015 edition of the expo saw 40 new exhibitors, and this year the expo is scaling a new highwith the latest products on display from 35 first time exhibitors at the show, in addition to the “PALM Expo loyalists” down the years.

This will be a great show for product buyersas more than 500 major pro audio brands display an endless slew of pro-audio products and turnkey solutions that include high-end professional speakers, line arrays, amplifiers, woofers & subs, mixers, consoles, patch panels, cables, connectors, mics, headphones, extended racks, stage lighting, lasers, smoke & fog machines and more.
Brands present on the floor include names like, Bose, Yamaha, Martin, Antelope Audio, Adam Hall, TW Audio, Jona LED, Harman, Sennheiser, QSC, Behringer, Genelec, Avid, Meyer Sound, DiGiCo, Beyerdynamic, Robe, Christie, d&bAudiotechnik, Turbosound, Tannoy, Shure, Lab gruppen, Nx Audio, PKN Technologies etc. and a whole lot more, who have confirmed their participation at the grand spectacle.

As most of these brandsalready have quite a number of shipping products, the show is all geared up to entice a critical mass of buyers. 

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More and more global players are now trying to make in-roads into the robust Indian market. A clear indication that international brands are finally taking concrete steps to affirm their commitment to the Indian market by exhibiting directly, is reinforced by the participation of more International brands which include names such as Adam Hall Asia , P Audio, Nicolaudie Groupand Grand Power LLC, to name a few. 

The PALM Expo will open its doors on 26th May 2016 to a mega event spread across 5 hallsat the Bombay Exhibition Centre, Goregaon, Mumbai, wherevisitors will haveaccess to the expo floor and the many prominent features taking place concurrent to the trade show activities.

For the seventh consecutive year, HARMANwill be back with its much-awaited Live Arenawhich is one of the most attractive features at the PALM expo. A lineup of some of the best bands and musicians performat the arena thus showcasing Harman’s top of the line audio and lighting products. 

Carrying forward from the previous two years, the Demo Qubeswhich are conceptualized to serve as a ‘live’ demo areawill feature two major brands –Hi-Tech Audio and Pope Professional. The sound at these acoustically treated, Demo Qubescan be manipulated, tested and heard at various volume levels, giving these companies a chance to showcase their systems across a range of audio spectrum, without any restrictions or disturbances from neighboring booths. 

If you are a rental company or an event management company, contemplating adding a line array to your inventory, then you’ll likely want to attend the Open Air Line Array Demo.One of the successes of the previous years, the outdoor line array demos, will exhibit displays from 12brands which include Audio focus, Audio Center, Beta 3,E wing, KV2, Lloyd Lee, Montarbo, Next Pro audio, Power X, Sound Capital Pro Audio, T W Audio and Z Sound. 

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Conducted in the open space at the venue on Ground IV, near the visitor parking area, the Open Air Line Array demoshave been a major draw since its conceptualization at the expo, with more than 3,000 visitors thronging the venue each year.

Yamaha MusicIndia Pvt. Ltd. has once again booked its own independent space –hall 2B & 2C, spread across 1150sqm, where the brand will display a huge collection of mixing consoles, MI products, PA speakers and installation products. Attendees will also be treated to live stage performances by famous singers and bands in an acoustically treated section, equipped with Yamaha’s speakers and consoles, inside this hall.

On the show floors itself the expo will offer an array of sideshow eventsthat appease visitors,with thePALM Conference & Seminar Programbeing the absolute highlight, giving access to the largest and most relevant educational and informative program for pro-audio, lighting and entertainment professionals.

To be held at theInternational Lounge –Hall1 Mezzanine, the Conference Program will provide the ultimate learning and networking environment, over the course of the expo.The three day forum are designed and developed to reflect topics of maximum interest, to the pro audio, music, lighting and audio-visual industry and will attract highly influential delegates and decision makers, focused on shaping their purchase based on professional guidance

This year, the program boasts of an esteemed panelof industry professionalsincluding Vijay Sabhlok, MilindRoarane, Anil Girkar, Sunny Sanour, Meghdeep Bose, John Stewart Eduri, to name a few, speaking on topics of prime interest on technology trends in the industry.

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The event which includes a series of panel discussions andpresentations on all three days of the expohas a particular theme dedicated to each day of the expo. The theme for each day is as follows: 
Day 1 (26th May – Thursday)
Theme: Stage Sound & Light
Day 2(27th May – Friday) 
Theme: AV Install & Integration
Day 3 (28th May – Saturday) 

Theme:Music Production
The first day will also feature an EEMA PALM CONFERENCE SESSION,with a reputed panel by EEMA discussing theDynamism of the Live Stage Market in India. The three day Conference & Seminar Program will culminate on Day 3 with an Open Forum for Sound Engineerswhich will be moderated by AdityaModi and will consist of a panel including stalwarts of the music industry like ShantanuHudlikar, PramodChandorkar and MujeebDadarkar.

The rapidly progressing professional AV segment has become an undeniable force. In lieu of this ever increasing presence within the entertainment domain, the PALM expo will add further character to the show by including a3D IMMERSIVE PROJECTION & MAPPINGshowcase on the floor in Hall 1. 

The PALM Soundscapewhich is fast growing into the expo’s biggest feature will take place at Hall 4 VIP Parking Area. The Soundscape will enable networking among industry stalwarts who will share their experiences and expertise through interactive sessions curated by premier artist management agency, UnMute.

With continuous efforts, The PALM expo has been instrumental in promoting DJ talent via the DJ Championship,spearheaded by DJ Championship Director DJ Reji. The championship will bring together some of India’s top DJs and musicians. With aspiring, as well as pro DJs registering en masse for the championship, this session has established the PALM expo as the centre of gravity for Indian DJs.

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HONOURING EXCELLENCE
Honouring excellence in the domain of music recording is the 10th Edition of the gloriousIndian Recording Arts Academy Awards (IRAA).The awardswill continue to applaud the best in the Indian music recording industry. Spearheaded by AchilleForler, Awards Director and Anil Chopra, Founder & Chairman of the awards, the IRAA awards continues to grow. For the first time in 10 years, a voting process has been incorporated which will give registered members an opportunity to vote on the IRAA website.

“There are a lot of new young sound engineers who are doing great work and the IRAA focuses on scouting these new talents and bringing them into the spotlight and awarding them for work done,” says Anil Chopra.

The Awards will take place on the third day of the expo – 28th May 2016 at Hall 4, VIP Parking Area with winners being felicitated across21 categories. The IRAA committee has announced that its highest honor, the IRAA Lifetime Achievement Award, will be presented to veteran Sound Engineer, Satish Gupta.

True to its primary objective, the PALM Sound & Light Awardswhich is now in its 6th year, will showcase & recognize individuals and organizations for their unparalleled contribution to the industry by rendering outstanding services in the field of staging, lighting & live sound in the Indian market in the previous fiscal year.

Spread over 22 technical categories, Sound Designers, FOH Engineers, Audio Monitor Engineers and other sound& light industry professionals will be recognized at this “invites only” ceremony27th May 2016.

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“I am happy that PALM has been able to live up to the expectations of our exhibitors and visitors. The company intends to invest more in the show and ensure it continues to contribute to the growth of the industry. I look forward to welcome everyone at PALM and wish our exhibitors a successful ‘businessful’ show”, says Ramesh Chetwani, Exhibition Director of PALM Expo. 

The PALM Expo dates have always been a highlighted date on the calendars of the Indian pro audio & music recording industry. Each year the organizers have upped their game and this year too the expo’s energy is all set to get more effusive with all the opportunities for business planned out at the venue.