Prolight + Sound Guangzhou 2020 (PLSG), gathered a total of 41,556 visitors and 677 exhibitors for its 18th edition at the China Import and Export Fair Complex. Concluding on 24 August, the event was the first major industry trade fair of its kind to return in China following the COVID-19 outbreak, providing an effective and high quality business platform for professionals in the entertainment, media and AV industry to reconnect, rebuild and network.
Speaking at the conclusion of the fair, Ms Judy Cheung, Deputy General Manager of Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd remarked: “In light of the ongoing global pandemic, we are pleased to have received full support from the industry. In keeping with the trend of digitalisation, this year we channeled additional resources to facilitate business online – helping exhibitors market their products more effectively and easing the sourcing process for buyers. For the first time, the entire exhibition, including new products, training courses and seminars was broadcasted. We hope this new “offline + online” experience made it easier for industry players to network, learn and explore business opportunities in the resurgent market.”
Under the motto of “Beyond lighting and sound”, the 2020 edition offered more distinguished product categories that engaged users with digital experiences. Technological convergence was the main focus of the fair, with the newest entertainment, AV equipment and related integration opportunities attracting the attention of potential buyers. Some of the leading brands, both international and domestic that participated in eight halls across a total of 80,000 sqm of exhibition space this year included: BBS, Boray, Bosch, Bose, Charming, Coda Audio, Concord, D&Q, Danacoid, EAD, EM Acoustics, Eagle Group, Enne, Fidek, Harman International, Hivi, Husion, IAG Group, Infinova, itc, L-Acoustics, MA Lighting, Maingo, Mode, Nightsun, Peavey, Ray Long, Ruisheng, Sennheiser, S-track, Star-net, Taiden, Takstar, The One Studio, Thunderstone, Tricolor, Viashow, Vue Audiotechnik and many more.
Judy added: “The positive feedback that we received from buyers and exhibitors during the four days suggests that the positioning of the fair and its expansion into new product categories closely matched the needs of the market. This is something that we hope to maintain at the next edition in May, where the industry will once again have the opportunity to explore the latest technologies and development trends.”
Live coverage of the exhibition, including presentations of the industry’s latest products and technologies was broadcasted on HC360.com – one of the industry’s largest online trade media platforms. Together with the PLSG WeChat platform, which livestreamed the PLSG Annual Training Course, the two platforms attracted significant attention from those who were unable to travel to the fair, garnering 165,000 views.
Besides an extensive collection of the latest products, PLSG also compiled a variety of educational programmes. This included the PLSG Annual Training Course, the Acoustic Block Forum ‘Opportunities and Challenges of Audio Technology in Artificial Intelligence’, the 10th Advanced Audio Forum, and a Carving Art Exhibition.
To help industry practitioners in the post COVID-19 era, safety topics dealing with the reopening of live events were added to the programme. Both attendees and expert speakers were impressed by how the events delivered valuable information and created opportunities to network and exchange market intelligence. Another unique part of the fringe programme was the Outdoor Line Array, which gathered 20 professional audio brands to showcase the sound qualities of their audio systems to professionals and audio enthusiasts in real time.
In this challenging year for the industry, the organisers worked hard to provide channel players with valuable opportunities to pursue their business objectives, with the majority of participants reporting favorably on their participation.
ChunLin Liu, Vice General Manager, BeiJing HXTC Technology Co Ltd commented: “Our company has participated at PLSG many times in the past and this year we are showcasing our microphone products for teleconferencing. Although there have been challenges, the pandemic has also generated some opportunities for our business because of the shift towards digital media and the increased use of virtual meetings. Our microphones and other products match the demands in this market. Even though this year’s fair scale is not as big as previous editions, the clients who have visited our booth to discuss products and place orders have met our expectations. PLSG is a well-developed trade fair with a good reputation in the industry and high visitor quality, which is the main reason why we always choose to exhibit here.”
Chuang Liu, Project Director, Huoshan 3S Digital said: “Prolight + Sound Guangzhou closely matches the business sectors we have been focusing on this year, including lighting, audio and video products used in KTV and hotels. We have developed various new products, such as our first “cloud” karaoke room, which combines traditional karaoke with entertainment, interactive games and a DJ experience. We are launching these new products on the PLSG platform because it’s the leading exhibition for the industry, not just in Guangzhou but also other regions. The exhibition gathered a lot of industry professionals from different product categories, so it is a good opportunity for us to expand our business.”
Stephanie Liu, Marketing Manager, Guangzhou Soundtrix Electronics Co Ltd said: “At PLSG we are unveiling our new Protrix brand for the first time, targeting industry professionals such as wholesalers and engineering companies who are in the karaoke business. Taking into account the large number of celebrity live streams, and the popularity of home karaoke and video recording, our personalised and cost effective products are perfectly adapted to the current market. PLSG plays a pivotal role in the industry. As an international platform, it enables new users to understand our brand and build new partnerships. Through the fair, we are able to seek feedback from industry professionals. This helps us to develop a better range of products.”
David Lu, Senior Sales Director and DGM, Harman Professional Solutions China commented: “We hope to provide a one-stop experience for our clients at this edition of the fair. Our booth is 720 sqm with Harman at the centre and our partners’ surrounding us. Many sectors including entertainment and KTV have been affected by the pandemic, so we decided to change our business strategy six months ago. We have added more multi-functional and intelligent products for audio and video conferencing, as well as entertainment, education and more to our portfolio here in China. We hope clients can experience our new products both through the online and offline platforms.”
One of the speakers, DongLiang Sheng, General Manager, Beijing Dasheng Tianyi Culture Communication Co Ltd commented: “The integration of audio, lighting and video in China is developing at a fast pace. This can be seen at shows that combine lighting and music as well as visual performances that combine lighting, music and video projection. Recently the integration of cultural performances with visual media has become more popular too. During the pandemic, the organisers of PLSG provided online services to increase promotion and publicity for our brand. The topics of offline training courses were niche and sophisticated, so discussion could be done in depth. PLSG is the industry event that brings everyone together from different regions and industry professions. At the fair we are able to discuss the common difficulties we encounter and share new inspirations and solutions with the industry.”
DaiYuan Wang, CEO/CTO, Pandora Audio & Video Technology Serve Co Ltd a buyer said: “This is my 10th visit to PLSG. I continue to come because the exhibition is a great place to find out about industry trends. At every edition there are new products, systems, ideas, training courses and presentations from industry experts. Guangdong is a large production base of audio and lighting. Thanks to its location, the fair is not only the largest fair in China, but also the most professional one. You can find a lot of innovative high quality products from Guangdong, which cannot be seen in other places. Although the fair scale has been impacted by the pandemic, it was a bold decision by the organisers to hold the exhibition this year. The fair has provided me with the opportunity to communicate in-depth with new and old industry peers, allowing everyone to re-build their connections and exchange information and find new avenues for business.”
The organisers strictly followed the local government’s protection guidelines and implemented additional safety measures to ensure the health and safety of every participant. This included: real identity pre-registration, entry checkpoints to verify the digital health code of all participants, and onsite temperature scans. Frequent sanitisation of facilities and distancing measures were also implemented.
The 19th edition of Prolight + Sound Guangzhou will be held from 16 – 19 May 2021 at China Import and Export Fair Complex in Guangzhou, China.
