CABSAT 2015 to Highlight Regional Content and Entertainment Industry Growth

Dubai, United Arab Emirates, January 8, 2015-With the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) media market expected to grow from US$16 billion in 2014 to US$24 billion in 2019 according to Strategy & Analysis,  CABSAT will examine the global impact of industry-evolving mega trends and highlight how regional companies can adopt products and strategies to drive monetisation and growth opportunities.

The show, which runs from 10-12 March at Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC), will present three days of disruptive trends delivering transformational change to the region via an exciting roster of new and enhanced features. These include specialist conferences and training sessions, satellite talks, the all-new Content Market Place featuring MBC Group and Stargate Studios, and an enlarged Content Delivery Hub – a key attraction for exhibitors specialising in anywhere and everywhere connected content platforms.

“With the total advertising spend in entertainment and media across the Middle East and Africa due to increase from USD$43.5 billion in 2014 to USD$65.9 billion in 2018, CABSAT 2015 provides a dedicated industry platform for regional media companies to absorb innovation-driven, best-practice business strategies to enhance their products for the benefit of viewers and consumers,” said Trixie LohMirmand, Senior Vice President, Exhibitions & Events Management, DWTC. “Research shows that emerging markets are due to surpass established markets in digital universe percentage share by 2020. CABSAT is the number one regional platform to connect live content opportunities and enhance collaboration between regional and international content owners, operators and distributors.”

With CABSAT 2015 due to welcome more than 900 exhibitors from 60 countries, the show will boast an expanded conference format featuring the second annual CABSAT & NAB Show Collaborative Conference and the inaugural Middle East Post-Production Conference.  

The CABSAT & NAB Show Collaborative Conference will be opened by Corey Bridges - one of the original directors who launched Netflix in the USA, the founder of Multiverse, the CEO of Lifemap Solutions, and a member of the Producers Guild of America. He is also a former Vice President of Marketing and CMO of Hollywood visionary James Cameron’s firm CAMERON  | PACE Group (CPG) and an advisor on the board of South by South West - a series of Texas-based film, interactive and music festivals and conferences.

Bridges will use a keynote address to highlight his experiences building disruptive and innovative content companies such as Netflix and James Cameron’s 3D technology company, as well as exploring how the business and production of multi-platform content is moving beyond delivering interactive content and towards fully-immersive, trans-media experiences.

CABSAT and NAB Show, two of the biggest industry show brands in their field, have again collaborated on a world-class electronic media conference programme covering the latest disruptive and converging trends in all filmed entertainment and digital media content, as well as connecting live content opportunities across the MEASA markets.

With a primary theme of ‘Connecting Live Content Opportunities’, key conference highlights include presentations by international heavyweights from entities such as ESPN, NBA (National Basketball Association), ITV UK, Huffington Post, Creative Grid and Ericsson Media Room amongst others.

The Middle East Post-Production Conference will boast two full days of world-class training presented in partnership with Future Media Concepts, Dubai Studio City and the Dubai Film & TV Commission. Delivered by certified instructors for Apple, Adobe and Avid amongst others, these valuable sessions include tutorials on timelapse photography, video compression, LOG and RAW video, green screen production and web video production strategies, as well as technical guidance on software programmes such as DaVinci Resolve, Blackmagic Design cameras, GoPro cameras, Apple Final Cut Pro X, Premiere Pro, Sync Sound Workflow, Adobe Photoshop for broadcast graphics and video, and Avid Media Composer.

Catering for digital media professionals including editors, producers, directors, graphic artists, motion graphics designers and new media specialists in production and post-production, commercial video, distribution and delivery, and independent films, the introduction of a specialist Post-Production Conference supports CABSAT 2014’s post-show survey results, where a significant proportion of exhibitors stated ‘seeing technical and engineering professionals’ as the most important factor in judging show participation ROI – the second ranked buyer audience request in 2014.

Elsewhere, the CABSAT Content Market Place – a new dedicated zone for creators, distributors and broadcasters of filmed entertainment content to showcase ‘Pay-TV’ and ‘Free-to-Air’ content offerings - will showcase multiscreen and second screen capabilities and associated monetisation opportunities. Primarily a content, distribution and exchange platform, the Content Market Place is aimed at MEASA’s third party channel suppliers including Cable, Telco’s, advertising agencies, Satellite content providers, ‘Pay-TV’ and ‘Free-to-Air’ operators, and all international broadcasters, TV channel owners and content owners.

In addition to the raft of new features, CABSAT 2015 will also boast enhanced offerings of features which helped attract a record 12,632 visitors to the 2014 event, including the GVF Satellite HUB - held in partnership with GVF - where senior level debates on technical trends and major satellite issues and challenges across the Satellite industry will take place.

Following a successful launch in 2014, CABSAT Connect will return with more than 500 senior executives meeting industry peers and recognising top industry players at the dedicated evening network event, while the CABSAT Global Meetings Programme will offer an enhanced one-to-one networking platform for all senior-level executives on the show floor. The launch of a new mobile app will allow executives more capacity to search and schedule meetings with the most relevant global and regional companies before the show.

With global Over-the-Top (OTT) streaming video on demand estimated to reach US$22.7 billion by 2018 - up from US$6.5 billion in 2013 - the Content Delivery Hub will be expanded to a full hall in 2015 with more than 60 exhibitors taking part in three days of live discussions relating to IPTV, OTT and online digital platforms, solutions and services with a supporting ‘live connected’ demo theatre.

The Content Studio Hub and CABSAT TV are also back to provide live feeds, social media updates, on-site interviews and daily event highlights with 40+ global and regional speakers and 900+ exhibitors, with dedicated live interviews and news feeds being broadcast directly from the show floor across a network of more than 12 screens and through the official CABSAT website. Visit www.cabsat.com to find out more.