2016 show recorded 7 percent growth in visitors
Increasing number of international brands and visitors elevated business in China
Fringe programme offered deep insights into China’s pro audio, lighting and stage development

Kicking off China’s sourcing season, the country’s leading pro audio and lighting show Prolight + Sound Guangzhou was a resounding success, drawing a record number of 68,441 visitors, up 7 percent compared to the 2015 edition. Area A of the China Import and Export Fair Complex with 130,000sqm was entirely occupied by 1,231 exhibitors (4 percent up) from 25 countries and regions presenting a wealth of high-quality brands and products from 29 February to 3 March 2016.

Ms Judy Cheung, Deputy General Manager of Messe Frankfurt (Shanghai) Co Ltd was pleased when commenting on the positive result: “The business atmosphere on the show floor in the past four days has been vibrant. The strong turnout of both global key brands and local visitors have clearly shown the industry is optimistic about the Chinese market. Many of the show participants commented that new innovative products are in great demand as the Chinese entertainment market is growing more mature and technology-oriented.”

Increasing number of international brands and visitors elevated business in China

The presence of leading brands such as ADJ, Bose, d&b audiotechnik, GTD, Harman, Laserworld, Peavey, Sennheiser, Shure and Yamaha has lightened up the commercial atmosphere of the show. Prolight + Sound Guangzhou resonated with the majority of exhibitors as an ideal
destination to reach out to the profitable Chinese market. Mr Robert Winterhoff, Managing Director of Beyerdynamic was impressed when remarking on the show’s effectiveness: “We are here to reach the Chinese market, as the consumers here opt for premium and quality brands. The response is awesome! We met with our distributors and partners in China. I am glad to see the show has grown in scale and become one of the most significant industry events in Asia.”

Exhibitors also noticed that the new specific product zones for conference systems, public address, headphones, microphones, pro audio and accessories (Hall 1.2 and 2.1), as well as the signature Audio Brand Name Halls, Pro Audio Halls, Lighting Halls and Enping Microphone Halls provided an effective platform for business.

Bose Professional Systems joined the show for the first time as an exhibitor. Mr Frank Feng, Manager, Greater China, described the result as beyond his expectation: “We are thrilled with the Audio Brand Name Halls and the hall arrangement which provides participants with a clear product segmentation. The show helps boost our brand exposure and strengthen our sales and connection with distributors, system integrators and end-users. It is also a great opportunity to release our new products to the market. We are absolutely amazed by the multiple benefits we have gained from this fair.”

Representing Harman International’s China Professional Solution, Mr David Lu, Deputy General Manager of the company explained their new offerings to the Chinese entertainment market. “I think the entertainment market is growing. It has provided many opportunities to us and we need to be more creative. For this show particularly, we have brought our new KTV series KP6000+ and KI500 which are suitable for the market. We gained a lot of momentum and attention from the industry here. This is a very good show and is very helpful to our sales.”

Meanwhile, local leading brands such as Nightsun Pro Lighting Equipment gained tremendous international business opportunities at the show. Mr Wilson Wang, General Manager in Sales commented: “Since the partnership with Messe Frankfurt, the visitor flow and number of international visitors at the show have significantly increased. This is important for us as our company focuses on export business. This show is very useful for exploring new markets.”

Scheduling Prolight + Sound Guangzhou at the beginning of the year is convenient for companies to launch new products to the market. KTV company Fujian Star-net eVideo Information System seized this occasion to launch their intelligent KTV systems. Mr Zhang Fan, Senior Sales Manager of the company said: “This works as a strategic timing for product launches. Many visitors are interested in our unique and revolutionary products and we are looking forward to opening up more businesses across continents after the fair. We already have plans to expand our booth at next year’s show.”

From the visitors’ point of view, the broad spectrum of products and the proximity of the show’s location to the manufacturing bases are favourable to their sourcing and networking.

Mr Chris Scott, Head of Design of Inspired Audio from the UK commented: “The show is getting more important and influential and I see that it is going to be the biggest show in Asia. It has become an annual meeting place for us and I am glad to have a chance to meet with my business partners at one spot.”

A buyer from Kenya, Mr Tobias Ismal, Director of The Beat Factory said: “I can find a variety of good products here and after the show I can do factory visits, so I must visit this show every year. Chinese audio products are getting better and the quality is very close to the European brands but in a competitive price range, there’s no reason I am not buying them.”

Mr Zhi Jun Lo, General Manager of ILO Professional Sound from China was happy with the range of international brands at the show. “I am impressed with the show as it presents some of the best international brands in the industry. Apart from the international sourcing options, the show also serves as the benchmark for the latest industry trends. The market trends we picked up from the fair can help us customise our business strategies for the coming year.”

Chinese online trade portal HC360 has been organising buyer delegations for Prolight + Sound Guangzhou for years and this time it has attracted a record-breaking number of 1,600+ delegates. Ms Yan Fei Ge, Deputy General Manager of HC360 was upbeat when commenting on the overwhelming participation: “The high turnout rate indicated that the show is truly influential in the industry. It offers a variety of products for sourcing and a business-friendly atmosphere for sharing market intelligence with industry peers.”

Fringe programme offered deep insights into China’s pro audio, lighting and stage development

The show also delivered a four-day fringe programme covering topics that are essential to the technological advancement in the Chinese pro audio and lighting industry. Over 30 industry forums, including the debut PLSG Annual Training Session and Vision x Network Product Presentations, were held with positive outcomes.

One of the show’s supporters, The German Entertainment Technology Association (VPLT), invited industry experts to share expertise with industry peers at the fringe programme. Mr Randell Greenlee, the association’s Director remarked: “I think the show has gotten better. It provides a very good overview of the Chinese market and manufacturers.” One of their invited speakers Mr Andreas Gause, Director Marketing and Key Account Management of Gerriets gave a lecture in the Lighting Technology for Television Broadcasting Studio Forum 2016 about transmission screens for use with LED-backlighting and commented: “The conference can get the industry people more informed about new technologies and trends. It’s a good opportunity for a company like us to show what we are doing. The audience are highly-educated and they get the right information they need for their business.”

The China Institute of Stage Design and Guangdong Association of Stage Art hosted the presentation ceremony for ‘People of the Year 2015 – China’s Stage Art Award’ and Guangdong Association of Stage Art Seminar 2016 during the show, both with great response. Dr Lin Cao, Chairman of the association, pointed out the importance of holding the events during the show: “The forums open up constructive dialogues between international and local professionals to exchange their perspectives in uplifting the industry’s technology level.”

Attendees at the PLSG Annual Training Session found the information provided at the training highly related to their business. “I am very happy as I can interact with each speaker directly after the presentation. The knowledge I gained from this event helps navigate my business in this ever-changing market,” said Mr Yu Lo from Shenyang Sheng Yue Brother Culture Communication.

Prolight + Sound Guangzhou is organised by Messe Frankfurt and the Guangdong International Science and Technology Exhibition Company (STE). For details and information about the show, please visit www.prolightsound-guangzhou.com or email plsgz@hongkong.messefrankfurt.com.

For further details about Prolight + Sound fairs listed below, please visit www.prolight-sound.com/worldwide.

Prolight + Sound
5 – 8 April 2016, Frankfurt

Prolight + Sound NAMM Russia
15 – 17 September 2016, Moscow

Prolight + Sound Shanghai
26 – 29 October 2016, Shanghai

Prolight + Sound Middle East
31 October – 2 November 2016, Dubai

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Background information on Messe Frankfurt
Messe Frankfurt is one of the world’s leading trade fair organisers, generating around €645* million in sales and employing 2,297* people. The Messe Frankfurt Group has a global network of 29 subsidiaries and 57 international Sales Partners, allowing it to serve its customers on location in more than 160 countries. Messe Frankfurt events take place at more than 40 locations around the globe. In 2015, Messe Frankfurt organised a total of 132* trade fairs, of which more than half took place outside Germany.
Comprising an area of 592,127 square metres, Messe Frankfurt’s exhibition grounds are home to ten exhibition halls. The company also operates two congress centres.The historic Festhalle, one of the most popular venues in Germany, plays host to events of all kinds.Messe Frankfurt is publicly owned, with the City of Frankfurt holding 60 percent and the State of Hesse 40 percent.
For more information, please visit our website at: www.messefrankfurt.com
* preliminary numbers (2015)