In Broadcast - CABSAT 2017 - 3
3 www.inbroadcast.com | CABSAT InShow Guide | 21 - 23 March 2017 CABSAT 2017 - Making Connections, Moving Forward CABSAT marks 23 years Foreword by Hassan Ghoul, IABM Director, MEA T his year is the 23rd CABSAT, and I have been fortunate enough to attend every edition of this important Media, Broadcast and Entertainment event for the Middle East, Africa and South Asia (MEASA) region. The event has come a long way since its inception. Long gone are the days when the whole show could fit in one or two halls of the Dubai World Trade Centre exhibitions area. Those who visited the show in its early days would remember that it had a midday break when the exhibition would close its doors at about 1 pm and then reopen at 4pm. Show timings this year are 10am to 6pm on the first two days, and 10am to 5pm on the last day. CABSAT 2017 occupies halls 1 to 8 of the DWTC Convention Centre and will provide its 13,000+ visitors an opportunity to experience the latest, state-of-the-art broadcast, digital media and satellite technologies. The main theme of the event, Where Content Connects, clearly underscores the crucial role that content plays in the Media and Entertainment business; CABSAT will feature every aspect of content creation and distribution. In 2016, our industry and our market witnessed the start of what will undoubtedly be a major shift in the technology, consumer viewing habits and business models of the Media and Entertainment players in the MEASA region. The transition to IP technology is generating a lot of questions which are further complicated by interoperability issues among various manufacturers. Industry initiatives over the last year have, however, moved this issue forward; expect to see real progress demonstrated on the show floor. Media and Entertainment professionals will therefore expect to get a feel for the technology trends during CABSAT so they can decide on their own strategies and roadmaps for IP infrastructure, adoption of 4K/ UHD and beyond, OTT and Cloudbased operations, multi-platform delivery, and even VR (Virtual Reality) and AR (Augmented Reality). The CABSAT Conference, dubbed as the Content Congress, will run on March 21 and 22 and will comprise about 20 sessions with more than 40 speakers. The sessions will include several interactive panel discussions. The first day will mainly cover the Satexpo program which will include sessions about Satellite Communications. One of the sessions is an Idea Swap about the state of play in the MENA Satellite Broadcasting market. The speakers in this session include executives from Inmarsat, Al Jazeera Media Networks and Eutelsat. The second day will focus on technologies for content creation and distribution. The session speakers include Vidya Nath from Frost & Sullivan who will present the State of the Industry Report on MENA Media. The session will cover the report's findings on changing viewership habits among free-to-air, pay TV and OTT video consumers; revenue growth potential from Pay TV and OTT; and the key technologies that will empower the next generation of video services (Artificial Intelligence and Analytics). On Wednesday, March 22, a panel discussion will explore the latest trends and innovations in Ultra HD, Virtual Reality, OTT and multiplatform services. The speakers in this session include executives from EBU, IABM and Japan's Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications. Another panel discussion will debate how Telcos and OTT players can successfully cooperate. The GVF Satellite Hub Summit is running again this year over two days, on March 22 and 23. It takes place in Hall 8 within the Satellite area of the exhibition. The first day of the summit will include a session which will cover the key challenges of piracy for the industry. The session will discuss the strategies that the MENA operators are adopting to combat piracy. This year CABSAT is introducing a new feature - the CABSAT Appathon. This is a contest between ten teams of developers who will compete to produce the best TV App based on the Metrological Application Framework. The ten teams will spend the first two days of the show on the CABSAT exhibition floor, working round the clock. The winning team gets the chance to pitch their app to operators such as Ooredoo, Liberty Global and Contact on +44 (0)28 9061 0420 Disclaimer: All materials within the publication are the copyright of Le Sommet Limited. All rights reserved. No Materials may otherwise be copied, modified, published, broadcast or otherwise distributed withour prior written permission of the publisher or associates. Le Sommet Limited makes no warranties or representations of any kind concerning the accuracy or suitability of the written and advertisement information contained within this supplement for any purpose. The publisher also makes no warranties or representations of any kind that the services provided will be uninterrupted or be error free. Publisher Phillip Izzard pizzard@inbroadcast.com Editor Steven Preston ed@inbroadcast.com International Business Development Bryn Lister blister@inbroadcast.com Design & Production Martin Donnelly martin@inbroadcast.com KPN, offering a total reach of over 40 million households worldwide. Content Marketplace is once again featured in CABSAT 2017 where Content creators, distributors and buyers will be able to buy and sell the latest content for the MEASA viewers. CABSAT's Content Delivery Hub will group companies involved in OTT delivery solutions that facilitate the delivery of video or digital content via internet protocol and purpose built platforms for 'anytime, anywhere' consumption. With growing demand among Middle East viewers for online video content, over-the-top technology is becoming more and more mainstream. In conclusion, while CABSAT continues to provide the region's Media and Entertainment professionals with the ideal environment to view and experience the latest technology developments, I have always found, over the past 22 years, that my most valuable take from the show was the networking opportunity with my industry peers from the region and from further afield; as well as renewing acquaintances, there's nothing like oneto-one interactions to get a real feel for where our industry is headed. Designed & Produced by: LeSommet LIMITED Clara House, Dunmurry Office Park, Co. Antrim, N.Ireland. 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