This year's landmark 30th edition also featured interactive technology demonstrations for attendees.
The 30th edition of CABSAT, the premier conference for the broadcast, satellite, content creation, production, distribution, and entertainment industries, concluded successfully on May 23, 2024. Organised by the Dubai World Trade Centre, the event witnessed a record-breaking turnout, drawing industry professionals from around the globe.
The third day of the conference saw more than 18,000 visitors participating in announcements of collaborations and Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) between exhibiting organisations. Emerging trends and technologies were highlighted, fostering insightful discussions among attendees.
Almanasa, Iraq’s OTT streaming platform, announced a strategic partnership with Roya Media Group, aimed at delivering a superior streaming experience to audiences across Iraq. This collaboration, announced at the CABSAT Co-Production Salon, combines the strengths of both platforms to offer a diverse library of entertainment options.
Exclusive conference events like the Content Congress and the SATExpo Summit provided global industry leaders, regional government officials, and business stakeholders with networking and knowledge-sharing opportunities over three days.
Speaking about the event, Majed Al Suwaidi, Senior Vice President of Dubai Media City, Dubai Studio City and Dubai Production City at TECOM Group PJSC, said: “Enabling and accelerating local talent is crucial to consistently secure the incredible expansion of the regional content creation economy, and Dubai Studio City is proud to have been a platform for more than 358,000 minutes of such unique stories to come to life in 2023. Committed to unlocking the visions of Dubai Economic Agenda ‘D33’ and Dubai Creative Economy Strategy, we are proud to serve as a global platform for regional storytellers and were pleased to champion their vibrancy and creativity as Strategic Partner of CABSAT’s milestone 30th edition this year.”
The Content Congress featured notable sessions such as ‘How to Create a YT Channel with the Help of AI,’ led by Arjun Radhakrishna, Lead Senior Producer at Nas Daily Studios, and ‘The Making of VFX for a Film that has over 4,500 Visual Effects Shots,’ led by Asif Bhushan from Phantom Digital Effects.
Radhakrishna guided participants through the applications of artificial intelligence (AI) tools in video production processes, offering insights into scriptwriting, film production, and editing. Bhushan shed light on the role of VFX in creating exceptional visual experiences, focusing on the film Ayalaan, which featured over 4,500 visual effects shots.
Leonid Novoselov, Chief Product Officer, Carrot Broadcast, LLC, said: “We are pleased to have showcased our range of innovations and solutions at CABSAT 2024, the premier conference for the broadcast, satellite, and content sectors. At Carrot Broadcast, we specialise in developing software solutions for handling real-time graphics. CABSAT offered us an ideal platform to demonstrate our wealth of expertise in producing graphic content for TV shows and live broadcasts. We exhibited our advanced hardware and software, as well as designs and technical services, and expertise in implementing lower third, augmented reality, and virtual studios for television.”
Additionally, the final day featured a session titled ‘Meet The in 5 Startups,’ presenting innovative entrepreneurs and startups including Iqbal Haider, Co-Founder & CEO of iinfinity media and technologies, Mustafa Hazam, Founder and CEO of Grambell, Olga Nayda, Co-founder and CEO of Glocal, and Naser Jahednia, CEO of Lichi Studios.
In addition, the final day of CABSAT 2024 featured a session titled ‘Meet The in 5 Startups,’ presented by the enabling platform for entrepreneurs and startups, and headed by Iqbal Haider, Co-Founder & CEO, iinfinity media and technologies, Mustafa Hazam, Founder and CEO, Grambell, Olga Nayda, Co-founder and CEO, Glocal, along with Naser Jahednia, CEO, Lichi Studios.
Ross Tanner, Senior Vice President-EMEA, Magnifi, added: “CABSAT 2024 served as the ideal stage to unveil the Magnifi platform’s most recent enhancements, which showcases our commitment to advancing and transforming the content landscape. These new improvements are slated to maximise efficiency and creativity by providing companies with cutting-edge tools for immersive storytelling and improved audience engagement. During the event, we introduced our Intuitive video editor extension and announced our partnership with Adobe, which streamlines project construction in Premiere Pro by providing instant access to Magnifi-indexed asset libraries, key moment clips, and rule-based compilations within the editing interface. Furthermore, we unveiled the product map of our ground-breaking generative AI graphics platform, which uses code-based design systems and AI to automate data-driven graphics workflows across digital media assets.”
Pavel Potužák, CEO, Aveco, commented: “We are delighted to have participated and introduced our new revolutionary product – ASTRA Media Factory– at CABSAT 2024. This innovative product has already won this year’s Best of Show 2024 award at NAB in the TV tech category. ASTRA Media Factory is a single platform with three dimensions, with the first dimension referring to the suite of services, covering the whole lifecycle of assets, automating studio production, management, playout, and distribution. The second dimension is the environment, which refers to its ability to function in any combination of On-Prem, Remote, and Multi-Cloud. Integration is the third dimension, with a vast library of integrated third-party products available from Aveco. In all three dimensions, ASTRA Media Factory offers a unified user experience and expands unified workflows. It also enables media organisations to leverage on-prem technology investments and seamlessly expand to the cloud. The three-dimensional flexibility allows ASTRA Media Factory to get very close to the dreams of the customers, which further increased its popularity among visitors at this year’s CABSAT.”
Attendees also had the opportunity to interact with cutting-edge technology, including the GlamBot, a high-speed camera attached to a robotic arm, adding a touch of Hollywood glamour to the conference. The BroadcastProME Manufacturer Awards recognised firms for their contributions to the region’s broadcast sector, with CABSAT receiving recognition for its impactful contributions.
The 30th edition of CABSAT provided a platform for industry leaders to connect, innovate, and explore the latest advancements in the broadcast and entertainment industries, marking another successful chapter in its esteemed history.
