MIDDLE EAST REGIONAL FOCUS <
EM-TEC Alex Bracken of Dubai-based Em-Tec echoes these sentiments, stating: “The market has developed due to the quality and frequency of internationally recognised artists appearing within the region. This is something that has accelerated over the last few years and shows no sign of abating. The artists themselves expect first-rate production and the audience within the region have become more sophisticated in their taste and appreciation of both the quality of the artists performing and the production at these events. This has led to audiences expecting high quality production and a superior audio experience.” Launched with UK loudspeaker manufacturer Funktion-One three years ago in UAE, Em-Tec is active in all the area’s pro audio markets. Its first project, Alpha nightclub at Le Meridian Hotel, Dubai, was a successful venture that led to projects at 360-degree Jumeirah Beach Hotel and Funktion-One installs at Trilogy at the Madinat Jumeirah, Armani at the Burj Khalifa and Skylite Bar Yas Hotel Abu Dhabi. Bracken furthers: “The strong demand for high- end audio and production within a market which has more venues opening and more and more high-profile artists performing in the region continues to provide a wonderful opportunity for Funktion- One to further expand its market share.” Although Bracken feels that customers’ needs in the region are not dissimilar to any other area in the world, he asserts that after- sales support is a key to EM-Tec’s success: “We offer a bespoke consultation service and the essence of the project at hand is paramount. Our company has several divisions from interior design, fabrication, recruitment and consultation enabling us to offer turnkey solutions to the entertainment industry. We also work very closely with Funktion-One in the UK who offer a high level of support throughout all stages of a project and together we offer valuable problem solving expertise.”
He concedes that Dubai is a very broad cosmopolitan area that has attracted talented people from around the globe: “The quality and production of the events in the region has attracted and continues to attract highly skilled technical individuals from across the globe, which has also led to good practise being developed between individuals within companies from different nationalities, enabling us to draw from a wide spectrum of ideas and experiences. This is an exciting evolving process.”
NMK ELECTRONICS
NMK has supplied pro audio and video gear to some of the region’s biggest projects. Recent new endeavours with Claire Brothers and Roland Systems Group and long-term relationship with top shelf brands such as Electro-Voice, Midas, Shure and ClearCom has cemented the firm’s position in the region. Founded in Dubai in 1987 by Nicolas Kyvernitis, NMK has
experienced the ebb and flow of the area’s economy, as Kyvernitis explains: “The Middle East market is unique in the sense that the area has vast capital to invest, however the market still has
to catch up in terms of the number of people with the skill sets to operate the latest solutions efficiently or to its fullest potential. Various initiatives are helping to improve this such as the MECIA organisation with their affiliation with InfoComm and the courses they offer. However, the fact that the Middle East is a transient society makes it difficult for organisations to keep resources once they have equipped themselves with greater knowledge and experience; this results in a catch 22 situation. Real estate was hit hard in Dubai after the recession, which stopped or delayed projects, some without settlement. Kyvernitis reflects on the effect this had on installers in the area: “Many of the installers in Dubai were forced to let go of resources and others had to close up shop entirely. Many of these firms have looked outside the borders of Dubai, such as Abu Dhabi or Doha, for example. “Some of the newcomers closed down and some that grew too big too fast had to consolidate. However, things have taken a turn and the past few months have seen a number of events keeping rental companies busy.” Despite the weakness of some of the area’s key industries,
Kyvernitis feels there is hope for the future if the mistakes of the past are not repeated. As a company, NMK has made major investments in the past year to ensure that it maintains its reputation and sustain growth and value to its customers and suppliers. “We are looking forward to the future. Clearly, everyone is eyeing developments in areas like Abu Dhabi and, especially, Qatar. However, these are long-term projects and it will benefit everyone if firms in the Middle East do not look at just making quick deals.”
The MDSS report shows growth in a majority of professional audio sectors in the Middle East
NMK’s Kyvernitis sees growth in the Middle East but still feels it requires skilled audio professionals
The AV is shown to be one of the fastest growing markets of the ME’s pro audio sectors
www.audioprointernational.com
There is increased demand for enhanced Audio systems for videoconferencing applications
Audio/Videoconferencing is shown as the least affected by the economic downturn
audioPRO May 2011 27
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