CABSAT 2015 opens today

CABSAT 2015 opens at Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) today, with more than 900 exhibitors from 60 countries descending on the 21^st edition of the region’s largest broadcast show.

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 of Pricewaterhouse Coopers (PwC), CABSAT 2015 is expected to attract more than 13,000 local, regional and international media industry professionals from March 10-12.

“Regional consumers are following global trends and moving towards services that give them greater control over when, where and how they view their entertainment,” said Trixie LohMirmand, Senior Vice President, Exhibitions & Events Management, DWTC.

“With the Middle East due to have 390 million internet users and up to seven connected devices per household by the end of the decade, the opportunities for content providers to maximise OTT content models are rife. CABSAT provides a dedicated platform for regional companies to better understand global trends and adopt products and strategies to drive monetisation and growth opportunities in the short, medium and long-term.”

Held under a primary theme of ‘Connecting Live Content Opportunities’, this year’s CABSAT & NAB Show Collaborative Conference will feature 16 sessions chaired by 40 leading global media industry thought-leaders. With speakers from regional and global media houses – both visionary independents and mega corporations – and blue-chip companies, the sessions will cover compelling case studies on disruptive technologies, the transition to digital broadcasting and monetising multiscreen and multi-platform services.

“CABSAT has evolved into the number one event of our regional industry and provides an unrivalled opportunity to share our products and plans with exciting new markets, meet with existing and potential broadcasters in the region, boost our business network through collaborative partnerships, and exchange ideas and knowledge to promote new ways to effectively reach, engage, connect with, and interconnect the region’s different communities,” said Sami Boustany, CEO of Yahlive – Associate Sponsor of the CABSAT & NAB Show Collaborative Conference.

Corey Bridges – one of the original directors who launched Netflix in the USA, the founder of Multiverse, a member of the Producers Guild of America, and a former Senior Vice President of Marketing for Hollywood visionary James Cameron’s firm CAMERON | PACE Group (CPG) – will deliver the Conference’s keynote address. Bridges will discuss his experiences building disruptive and innovative content companies such as Netflix and James Cameron’s 3D technology company, and explore how the business and production of multi-platform content is moving beyond delivering interactive content and towards fully-immersive, trans-media experiences.

Conference attendees will also receive an exclusive state-of-the-industry report worth USD$3,495 on ‘Trends in Broadcast and New Media Video in Middle East and North Africa’ prepared by Frost & Sullivan, the Knowledge Partner of CABSAT 2015.

The inaugural Middle East Post-Production Training 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. The tutorials will cover timelapse photography, video compression, LOG and RAW video, green screen production and web video production strategies, as well as technical guidance on a host of industry-leading software programmes.

With the value of global Over-the-Top (OTT) video streaming due to reach US$22.7 billion by 2018 – up from US$6.5 billion in 2013 – and legitimate IPTV subscribers across the MENA region due to treble to 6.16 million by 2020, CABSAT 2015 will host 80 specialist brands participating in its expanded Content Delivery sector – a key attraction for companies specialising in delivering multiple, connected viewing content platforms across mobiles, smartphones, tablets and PCs.

As regional media companies jostle for a larger slice of a global TV advertising industry forecasted to reach US$215bn by 2018, the heart of the Content Delivery Hub will be an open-air theatre hosting a series of seminars, discussions and live demonstrations related to monetising paid-for TV entertainment content via IPTV, OTT and digital platforms, solutions and services available to increasingly tech-savvy consumers owning multiple connected devices.

CABSAT 2015 will also host the co-located GVF Satellite Hub Summit – 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.