As the curtain fell on Prolight + Sound Guangzhou 2019 (PLSG), show organisers announced a new record of 1,353 exhibitors who flocked to the annual event from 25 countries and regions, along with 81,154 professional visitors (7% up) from the entire professional lighting, audio, event management, stage design, system integration and AV technology industry chain. Combined with an overall exhibition area of over 130,000 sqm, this marks the largest ever edition of PLSG to date.
Ms Judy Cheung, Deputy General Manager of Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd, is delighted with the turnout this year: “PLSG is committed to supporting the industry’s development by offering a first-class business and information exchange platform for the entertainment sector. We wanted our exhibitor showcase and fringe events to cover every corner of the industry’s needs, and to echo the growing trends in media technologies and system integration. We’re proud to be able to capture so many opportunities all under one roof.”
Much to the delight of participants, many key pro audio and lighting brands could be found across all of the halls this year, including Adamson, AKG, Antari, APG, Art Sound, Asystems, Audinate, Audio-technica, Beta Three, Beyma, BIK, BMB, Boray, Bosch, Bose, Broad Future, Celestion, Charming, DAS, Colour Imagination, CD-Stage, d&b Audiotechnik, db Technologies, DMT, Eagle, EM Acoustics, Ezpro, Faitalpro, Fane, FBT, Fidek, Fine Art, Funktion-one, Gonsin, Haimei, Harman International, Hivi, HTDZ, IAG, ITC, Klotz, Konig & Meyer, Kvant, Laserworld, Lavoce, Lewitt, Longjoin, Mascot, Meyer Sound, Mipro, Mode, Montarbo, Nan Yi, Nexo, Nightsun, Pangolin, PCI, Phoenix, Plustruss, Polarlights, QSC, Rainbow, RCF, Redx, Ruisheng, SAE, SE Audiotechnik, Sennheiser, Seikaku, Showven, Shure, Soundking, ST Audio, Star-net, SWS, Taiden, Takstar, Tendzone, Thunderstone, TOA, Top Plot, TW Audio, Viashow, Vue Audiotechnik, Yamaha, Yes-tech and more.
The success of the fair and its increased global brand representation were clearly reflected on the show floor. The event served as an opportunity for brands to showcase their latest innovations to the region for the first time in 2019, many of which have been specifically catered to the Chinese market. The show’s display areas were presented under a new arrangement this year too, with the ‘Media Systems and Solutions’ and ‘Communication and Conference’ halls under the show’s Audio Brand Name halls receiving high praise.
The event’s popularity this year can be attributed to its extensive cooperation with local and overseas industry associations, leading companies and professional media. Each contributed by inviting a number of high quality buyer groups and organising well-attended fringe events. A total of 11 domestic and international visitor groups attended the fair, and local industry media HC360 hosted a product presentation for over 1,000 professional buyers. Elsewhere, increased internationalism was also reflected in the show’s premium buyer groups, some of which came from the China Association of Recording Engineers, the Guangdong Association of Stage Art, the Zhejiang Province Stage and Audio Institute and Entertainment Equipment Industry Technology Association (EEITA) from Taiwan.
In terms of the PLSG fringe programme this year, both attendees and speakers emphasised how each event offered valuable information exchange, networking and educational and training opportunities which added an extra dimension to the show’s offerings. Digital audio networks in particular were heavily discussed, including through a sold out panel discussion on AVIT and how artificial intelligence (AI) solutions can influence the market, as well as the returning Dante Certification courses. Elsewhere, one of the most popular concurrent activities was the series of four Outdoor Line Arrays, which welcomed 41 international and domestic brands and a double-string display, which was ever-busy thanks to the favourable weather conditions.
Meanwhile, the first interactive multimedia display in PLSG, the Lighting and Art Space, was extremely well attended with lots of professional visitors and industry new force across the entertainment, media creative and stage design sectors. The area was established to showcase new media technologies associated with 3D mapping, stage machinery, lighting installation, new media art, stage tech innovations and more. Developed in cooperation with Chinese media giant Visual Jockey, the area featured a total of 18 professional visual and display companies and brands, including Epson, Hecoos, Music Trick Lighting, X Color and more demonstrating their latest projection and display systems, and was bustling with intrigued visitors throughout the show.
Participants admire comprehensive coverage across each sector
Mr Hai Xiang, Area Manager, Beijing Tricolor Technology Co Ltd
(Communication and Conference Hall Exhibitor)
“Right now, the key digitalisation trends of the media systems industry involve more intelligent technology, more AI, and more integrated management systems, which all can be seen here at PLSG. We’re promoting our ‘Apollo’ and ‘CrossMedia’ audio and visual monitoring systems in the Communication and Conference Hall of PLSG, which can be applied for security surveillance. The show has such a strong influence in the industry and every year, there are more exhibitors joining which is testament to the organisers. It also helps us learn from our industry peers to continue improving and developing our products in line with the trends.”
Ms May Song, Vice President, Beijing Oriental Prime Connections Film/TV Technology Co Ltd
(Media Systems and Solutions Hall Exhibitor)
“This year is the 20th anniversary for our company, and we chose to host a press conference on the first day of PLSG because it’s such an influential show associated with our field of work. We’re also here to showcase some of our audio products which have been used in the Olympic Games and at a number of national conferences. The high visitor flow is a huge benefit for us, because a lot of quality buyers have been interested in visiting our booth, including from China, India, the Philippines, Vietnam and Korea. The show acts as a bridge between us and new business opportunities, because clients can discover us for the first time and we can interact with them face-to-face. It also helps us better understand customers’ demands to produce better products.”
Mr Allen Tan, Product Marketing Manager, Bosch (Shanghai) Security Systems Ltd
(Media Systems and Solutions Hall Exhibitor)
“The PLSG show is very influential, has a huge scale, and is the first major exhibition after the Chinese New Year, which helps gather a lot of buyers from both China and overseas. This also makes the show very suitable for us to launch new products and technologies, and showcase the strength of our brand to the right audience. All in all, we’ve met a lot of potential clients already, and the results are very exciting for us.”
Ms Julie Zhu, Vice President of China Region, Kvant Ltd
(Lighting Hall Exhibitor)
“Kvant has exhibited at PLSG for 10 years and manufactures laser display systems. The entertainment industry in China is growing robustly and has huge potential, and even some of the tourist spots here are demanding these kinds of advanced audio and visual technologies for creative performances. The fair always provides us a good chance to further promote our brand and showcase our advanced laser lighting products to buyers. It is one of the most important platforms for us to better understand the Chinese market trends.”
Mr Yosef Levy, Owner, RST Audio Equipment Ltd
(Overseas Buyer)
“I’m here at the show to source new audio equipment and technology from the Asian market, so I can develop my own business in Tel Aviv, Israel. I’ve noticed there are a lot of brands here who are working on integrated solutions and providing systems of international quality. It’s also been very busy, which means there are a lot of opportunities for me to chat with industry peers from all around the world, as well as many domestic and international audio brands. I’d like to follow up my time at the show by placing some orders, and I may meet with my new contacts again at the Shanghai show later this year.”
Mr Eli Wu, System Designer, Shenzhen Ezpro Sound and Light Technology Co Ltd
(Chinese Buyer)
“This is my fourth time to visit PLSG and I’m looking for some audio and lighting related solutions for my company. The fair accommodates both large and small scale exhibitors from local and overseas, and allows visitors to find a wide range of products. It definitely caters to buyers’ needs comprehensively. I’ve met lots of high quality suppliers at the fair, and their products are useful and provide a perfect user experience at the same time. The fair not only allows us to learn the industry latest trends through its well-rounded fringe programme events, but also acts as an important meeting point for the industry.”
Mr Kane Zhang, Senior Application Engineer, Biamp Systems
(Fringe Speaker)
“This is my first time to PLSG, where I’m hosting a session on AVB and also a panel discussion on AVIT. The content and details for these kinds of fringe events offer a face-to-face element and a more intimate setting for people to voice out their thoughts to learn from one another. Only through these platforms can we tap into future technologies and continue developing our industry. To me, PLSG is a huge show with lots of industry experts coming together, which has allowed it to grow into such a good platform to match our industry goals.”
Mr Kevin Gu, Vice President, Shanghai Epean Exhibition Creative Development Co Ltd
(Lighting and Art Space Attendee)
“The new Lighting and Art Space offers a very comprehensive coverage of reflected technology for sound and lighting electronic innovations in an exciting way. The light show for the miniature St Paul’s Cathedral replica is particularly impressive. Nowadays, visitors are looking for more ways to interact with hands-on exhibits, and I believe some of the technologies shown in this space will be part of the industry’s biggest trends in the future, as they can be widely applied to many cultural and creative events such as in art exhibitions and museums. It will help different kinds of innovations become a reality, and makes the experience more fun.”
The 2020 edition of Prolight + Sound Guangzhou will be held from 19 – 22 February 2020 at Area A and B of the China Import and Export Fair Complex in Guangzhou, China. Prolight + Sound Guangzhou is organised by Messe Frankfurt and the Guangdong International Science and Technology Exhibition Company (STE). For more details about the show, visit www.prolightsound-guangzhou.com.
Other shows under the Prolight + Sound brand include:
Prolight + Sound
2 – 5 April 2019, Frankfurt
Prolight + Sound NAMM Russia
12 – 14 September 2019, Moscow
Prolight + Sound Shanghai
10 – 13 October 2019, Shanghai
Prolight + Sound Middle East
15 – 17 October 2019, Dubai
