Asias mega Infocomm, media and technology event showcased the latest innovations to help the region thrive in the digital age.
ConnecTechAsia2019, comprising BroadcastAsia, CommunicAsia and NXTAsia, kicked off on June 18, 2019, in Singapore and showcased the latest technologies and trends shaping Asia’s digital future. The ConnecTechAsia Summit, themed Shaping Future Societies, brought together thought leaders from infocomm, technology, media and enterprises to discuss what is driving digital transformation in the region, and how the latest tech trends and innovations are changing the landscapes of cities, economies, business and media.
The three-day show attracted several first-time exhibitors such as JVC, ETC and KT Corp. These companies got together at the event to outline the latest tech innovations, create new business and network opportunities, and impart thought leadership to visitors from around the world.
Ranking as the region’s largest telecommunication, media and technology event, the show attracted over 1,700 exhibitors and over 40,000 attendees this year. ConnecTechAsia also featured a series of panel discussions on topics such as artificial intelligence, IoT and cybersecurity.
BroadcastPro ME caught up with Calvin Koh, Sales Director, Telecom | Media | Technology, Informa Markets, to find out more about some aspects of the show.
Highlights from ConnecTechAsia2019
Whats unique this year at ConnecTechAsia is Informas involvement that brings along knowledge and intelligence verticals that supported our event.
We worked very closely with Informa Tech verticals including Ovum, Tractica and Light Reading, and their involvement has put a lot of emphasis on AI, IoT and cloud technologies at our show, especially since these partners are the market leaders in some of these verticals.
In partnership with our knowledge partners, we created a more interactive show floor with more opportunities for on-site content. Since early this year, our emphasis has been on generating content for our visitors, media partners and our associations.
The show featured several on-site venues for engagement, such as the TVeXchange Zone, Innovation Hub, Content Stage, 5G Xperience, SatComm Stage and InfoSec in the City.
“The aim was to bring the exhibition to a new level. Instead of a stand-alone exhibition, we wanted to ensure visitors experienced a holistic conference as well as plenty of opportunities to engage with exhibitors and speakers,” Calvin Koh, Sales Director, Telecom | Media | Technology, Informa Markets.
Local and international exhibitors at the show
First-time exhibitors at BroadcastAsia included AEV/TEM (Italy), Anyware Video (France), ASPECTRA (Netherlands), Azdio (UK), The Streaming Company (UK), OPEN BROADCAST (UK) and SimplestreamLimited (UK).
85% of these exhibitors were from overseas. We had over 50 country-specific pavilions at the show, including the UK, France, Russia, Romania, the Philippines and Vietnam.
The show had local and international players participating.
One of the strengths of our show is the national governments support internationally.
Networking and engagement opportunities for attendees
This year brought together approximately 200 thought leaders at the summit and an overall 200+ activities and workshops.
We provided exhibitors with complimentary networking opportunities such as the exhibitors breakfast and the sun downer sessions. Platforms such as the CIO and CEO Forum provided exhibitors and visitors with several networking opportunities.
The aim was to bring the exhibition to a new level. Instead of a stand-alone exhibition, we wanted to ensure visitors experienced a holistic conference as well as plenty of opportunities to engage with exhibitors and speakers.
Pre-show roadshows
During the run-up to ConnecTechAsia, we held a series of roadshows in Kuala Lumpur, Manila, Jakarta, Bangkok and Singapore.
We also held a number of pre-show breakfast tech talks with our knowledge partner Ovum in Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Singapore. These were part of our continuous engagement with key stakeholders and industry players.
The talks were for C- and senior-level executives and we had Andrew Milroy, Head of Advisory Services – Asia Pacific, Ovum, as well as speakers from each country, share insights on the latest innovations and new technologies, as well as highlight growth opportunities in a fast-evolving digital environment.
Trends in the APAC market
I think many of the industry players are looking at how AI can facilitate their operations.
Some esports games have truly benefited from AI. We see AI playing a very significant role, especially in driving advertising.
Exhibitors have realised that with 5G in place, the certain reality is that convergence is going to impact all businesses, and we must come together.
Businesses are trying to grapple with who has the best revenue model and how to sustain them.
I think were also exploring cybersecurity and content security with AI and blockchain to reduce piracy.
These are some of the issues that can be addressed with our show coming together. Blockchain, for instance, can help counter piracy.
With the coming together of BroadcastAsia, NXT and CommunicAsia, we can expect AI and blockchain to be truly manifested in a bigger way.
Expectations from ConnecTechAsia2020
Enterprises, media and telecommunication companies will eventually rely more on 5G.
With that in mind, and in view of providing more convenience for visitors, we will bring the event back to Marina Bay Sands in 2020. The show will take place from June 9 to 11, 2020.
One thing to look forward to next year is the continued partnership with our Informa partners. We plan to continue to create a series of roadshows as part of our outreach program by June next year.
BroadcastAsia will be held at Basement 2 of MBS, CommunicAsia on Level 1, and NXT on Level 5.
What we want to do is re-showcase what ConnecTechAsia is all about after all, its about the converging of each of these sectors and verticals, and we have to live up to that.
