Category: Broadcast

Entertainment Expo Hong Kong returns

  • 8 events of film, TV, music and digital entertainment promote Hong Kong as centre for cultural exchange

The 19th Entertainment Expo Hong Kong is being held from 2 March to 16 April, showcasing the many facets of film, TV, music and digital entertainment. This year’s Expo will feature eight exciting industry events during the month-long entertainment extravaganza.

Mr Leon Lai continues to serve as Hong Kong Entertainment Ambassador for the 11th year.
FILMART is Asia’s largest cross-media and cross-industry entertainment content trade expo. This year’s 27th edition has attracted 700 exhibitors from more than 25 countries and regions.
The ifva includes many exciting programmes, such as an exhibition “CINEMA 2.0: Illuminating Vaccum”, VR Cinema, two-day conferenceon VR, and screening of films made by ethnic minority youth.

The Entertainment Expo has been held since 2005 with the Hong Kong Trade Development Council as the overall facilitator and in cooperation with different entertainment bodies. It is fully supported by the Create Hong Kong’s Film Development Fund. Mr Leon Lai continues to serve as the Hong Kong Entertainment Ambassador.

The Expo’s kick-off ceremony will take place on 13 March, the first day of the HKTDC Hong Kong International Film and TV Market (FILMART), at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, gathering Hong Kong and global entertainment industry heavyweights.

HKTDC Hong Kong International Film and TV Market (FILMART), 13-16 March
FILMART is Asia’s largest cross-media and cross-industry entertainment content trade expo. This year’s 27th edition, held at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC), has attracted 700 exhibitors from more than 25 countries and regions. In addition to Hong Kong’s major film and television companies, more than 20 pavilions from, Japan, Mainland China, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Italy, the United States and more are featured at FILMART.

There will be a record-breaking number of Mainland Chinese exhibitors. Participating mainland provinces include Beijing, Fujian, Guangdong, Hunan, Jiangsu, Shaanxi, Shandong, Shanghai and more. Additionally, the three major Mainland streaming platforms iQIYI, Tencent and Youku as well as renowned content producers and distributors, such as Zhejiang Huace Film & TV, Daylight Entertainment, Fantawild, Beijing Yiding Legend Culture Co., Ltd, Linmon Media, and more, will showcase their work.

Furthermore, local filmmakers, including Edko Films, Emperor Motion Pictures, Golden Scene, Mandarin, Media Asia, One Cool Pictures, PCCW Media, Universal Films and more, will release and introduce their films.

Aside from the exhibition, FILMART features a series of events, such as press conferences, showcases, summits, seminars, market screenings and more, enabling participants from around the world to exchange ideas and build connections.

EntertainmentPulse, 13-16 March
EntertainmentPulse, the concurrent conference series of FILMART, will feature leading industry speakers who will discuss a variety of topics, including the hype behind dating and romance reality shows, application of Web3 in entertainment industry and Chinese donghua as soft power. Speakers include Jiang De Fu, COO of Bona Film Group, whose 2021 release The Battle at Lake Changjin grossed in excess of RMB 5.7 billion and became the highest grossing film in Mainland China. Other speakers include Hou Hong Liang, President and Producer of Daylight Entertainment, which curated famous drama series, such as Nirvana in Fire and The Story of Ming Lan, and Sebastian Kim, Director of International Content Sales and Acquisition, CJ ENM from Korea, who has successfully promoted tvN’s popular Korean dramas, such as 25, 21 in 2022 that became a popular drama globally through online streaming.

Moreover, EntertainmentPulse also welcomes Sanmesh Thakur, Executive Vice President and Territory Head – APAC of ZEE Entertainment and Ziraviss Vindhanapisuth, Vice President of International Business from BEC World, to explore the future of the Asian entertainment market.

Hong Kong International Film Festival (HKIFF), 30 March-10 April
Founded in 1976, HKIFF is the oldest film festival in Asia and the largest cultural event in Hong Kong. This year, the festival will be held in both physical and online format, with Golden Horse and Golden Statue winner Aaron Kwok as the festival’s ambassador.

To commemorate the passing of the godfather of France’s New Wave cinema, Jean-Luc Godard, this year’s HKIFF presents a retrospective of eight of his films with his ex-wife and muse Hanne Karin Bayer. The films include The Little Soldier (1963), on which the two collaborated for the first time, A Women Is a Women (1961), for which Hanne received the Silver Bear Award for Best Actress at the Berlin Film Festival, and To Live Her Life (1962), for which Jean-Luc won the Venice Film Festival’s Grand Jury Prize.

The Hong Kong Film Awards (HKFA), 16 April

Entering its 41st year, the HKFA ceremony will be held at the Grand Theatre of Hong Kong Cultural Centre. Gathering the hottest actors, directors and celebrities from around the world, the event will crown winners in 19 categories, including the Professional Achievement Award and Lifetime Achievement Award.

ifva Festival, 2-11 March
Organised by the Hong Kong Arts Centre, ifva has established itself as Asia’s leading force in short film, animation and media arts, providing a platform for Hong Kong and Asian creative talents to promote their work. The 28th ifva Festival kicked off on 2 March with the opening of media arts exhibition CINEMA 2.0: Illuminating Vacuum, alongside works of finalists of the ifva Awards Media Art category. Programmes include All About Us student creative film showcase, pop-up VR cinema, conversations on VR and media arts exhibition Wend a Way by Lau Ching-wa Jess. The ifva Awards winners will be announced on 11 March at the awards presentation ceremony.

Asian Film Awards (AFA), 12 March
After being held in Busan, South Korea for the past two editions, AFA returns to Hong Kong for its 16th edition, with support from Create Hong Kong and Film Development Fund at Hong Kong Palace Museum. This year, the Academy has put together a star-studded guest list of nominees and presenters. They include internationally renowned filmmakers Zhang Yimou, Kore-eda Hirokazu, Hamaguchi Ryusuke, Lav Diaz, Darezhan Omirbaev, Peter Chan and Anthony Chen; star actors Sammo Hung, Abe Hiroshi, Carina Lau, Do Do Cheng, Sandra Ng, Nishijima Hidetoshi, Park Hae-il, Suzuki Ryohei, Zhang Yi, Happy Salma, Ji Chang-wook and Chrissie Chau. The best and brightest of the Asian film industry will gather in Hong Kong to witness this grand event.

Hong Kong – Asia Film Financing Forum (HAF), 13-15 March
A major financing platform in Asia, HAF connects filmmakers, investors, producers and distributors. Many well-known industry talents have previously participated in the forum, including Jia Zhangke, Jiang Wen, Lu Chuan and Ning Hao from Mainland China, Peter Chan Ho Sun, Stanley Kwan Kam Pang, Ann Hui On Wah, Fruit Chan and Pang Ho Cheung from Hong Kong, Tsai Ming Liang, Wei Te Sheng, Chung Mong Hong and Leon Dai from Taiwan, Kore-eda Hirokazu, Kurosawa Kiyoshi, Kawase Naomi and Iwai Shunji from Japan, Park Chan Wook, Kim Jee Woon, Bong Joon Ho and Im Sang Soo from Korea, as well as Apichatpong Weerasethakul, Ekachai Uekrongtham, Nonzee Nimibutr and Pen-ek Ratanaruang from Thailand.

The 21st HAF selected 28 in-development projects (IDP) and 15 work-in-progress projects (WIP) from 350 submissions from 38 countries and regions, covering a variety of genres, including comedy, horror, fantasy, romance, suspense, drama and animation. Alongside projects from acclaimed filmmakers and producers, such as Arsalan Amiri, Anthony Chen, Fruit Chan, Stanley Kwan, Teddy Robin, Lin Yu Hsien, Tian Zhuangzhuang, Nai An, Jakrawal Nilthamrong, Nader Saeivar as well as venerable festival director Marco Muller as producer. 22 directors are making their feature debut and 10 film projects from Hong Kong are among the highlights.

Digital Entertainment Summit, 15 March

Together with the Hong Kong Digital Entertainment Association, the HKTDC hosts the 13th Digital Entertainment Summit, with this year’s theme being Uncovering the Application of Web3 in Entertainment Industry. Evan Auyang, Group President of Animoca Brands, Jenefer Brown, EVP and Head of Global Products & Experiences of Lionsgate, Lucas Cheung, Managing Partner of Gusto Collective, and Jaeson Ma, Co-Founder & CEO of OP3N, will share how technologies change the future of entertainment industry.

HKTDC Media Room: https://mediaroom.hktdc.com/en
Photo Download: https://bit.ly/3kSSCKk

About HKTDC
The Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) is a statutory body established in 1966 to promote, assist and develop Hong Kong’s trade. With 50 offices globally, including 13 in Mainland China, the HKTDC promotes Hong Kong as a two-way global investment and business hub. The HKTDC organises international exhibitions, conferences and business missions to create business opportunities for companies, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), in the mainland and international markets. The HKTDC also provides up-to-date market insights and product information via research reports and digital news channels. For more information, please visit: www.hktdc.com/aboutus. Follow us on Twitter @hktdc and LinkedIn

Media Enquiries:
The 27th HKTDC Hong Kong International Film and TV Market (FILMART), 13 March to 16 March, http://www.hktdc.com/hkfilmart
Ogilvy PR: Hon Man Li, Tel: +852 9638 1208, Email: honman.li@ogilvy.com

HKTDC’s Communication and Public Affairs Department:
Katy Wong, Tel: +852 2584 4524, Email: katy.ky.wong@hktdc.org
Kate Chan, Tel: +852 2584 4239, Email: kate.hy.chan@hktdc.org
Clayton Lauw, Tel: +852 2584 4472, Email: clayton.y.lauw@hktdc.org

The 2nd EntertainmentPulse, 13 March to 16 March, https://entertainmentpulse.hktdc.com/
Ogilvy PR: Hon Man Li, Tel: +852 9638 1208, Email: honman.li@ogilvy.com

HKTDC’s Communication and Public Affairs Department:
Katy Wong, Tel: +852 2584 4524, Email: katy.ky.wong@hktdc.org
Kate Chan, Tel: +852 2584 4239, Email: kate.hy.chan@hktdc.org
Clayton Lau, Tel: +852 2584 4472, Email: clayton.y.lauw@hktdc.org

The 47th Hong Kong International Film Festival, 30 March to 10 April, http://www.hkiff.org.hk
Tel: +852 2970 3300, Email: info@hkiff.org.hk

The 41st The Hong Kong Film Awards (HKFA), 16 April, https://www.hkfaa.com
Tel: +852 2367 7892, Email: hkfaa@hkfaa.com

The 28th Incubator for Film and Visual Media in Asia (IFVA), 2 March to 11 March, http://www.ifva.com
Tel: +852 2824 5329, Email: ifva@hkac.org.hk

The 16th Asian Film Awards, 12 March, https://www.afa-academy.com/
Tel: +852 3195 0607, Email: info@afa-academy.com

The 21st Hong Kong – Asia Film Financing Forum (HAF), 13 March to 16 March, https://industry.hkiff.org.hk/
Tel: +852 2970 3300, Email: haf@hkiff.org.hk

The 13th Digital Entertainment Summit, 15 March, https://www.hktdc.com/hkfilmart
Tel: +852 1830 668, Email: filmart@hktdc.org

Axiata Joins Global Telcos to Deploy GSMA Open Gateway at MWC Barcelona 2023

The culmination of MWC Barcelona 2023 on 2 March saw Axiata Group Berhad positioned to take the lead in Asia in deploying GSMA Open Gateway, joining other leading telcos to herald a new wave of digital services and apps at the mobile telecommunications convention.

Representatives from Axiata Group Berhad, Axiata Enterprise and Rakuten Symphony meeting at MWC Barcelona 2023: Thomas Hundt, Group Chief Strategy & Technology Officer, Axiata (3rd-L); Dr Hans Wijayasuriya, Joint Acting Group CEO, Axiata (4th-L); Dr Gopi Kurup, CEO, Axiata Enterprise (4th-R); and Rabih Dabboussi, Chief Business Officer, Rakuten Symphony (Center).
Vikram Rao, Head of Enterprise, ASEAN, AWS; Jayanth Nagarajan, Head, Telecommunications Industry, Asia Pacific & Japan, AWS; Haris Izmee, Managing Director, ASEAN Growth Markets, AWS (Back L-R); Namal Jayathilake, Chief Technology Officer, Axiata Digital Labs; Thushera Kawdawatta, Chief Executive Officer, Axiata Digital Labs (Front L-R)
Dr Hans Wijayasuriya, Joint Acting Group CEO of Axiata (R) inks MOU with Ryu Young-sang, CEO of SKT (L) in partnership for the ifland metaverse platform.
Tan Sri Shahril Ridza Ridzuan, Chairman, Axiata Group Berhad (4th-L) is welcomed by Thushera Kawdawatta, Chief Executive Officer, Axiata Digital Labs (5th-R) at the Axiata Digital Labs showcase during MWC23 in Barcelona.

GSMA’s Open Gateway initiative was launched on the opening day of MWC on 27 February 2023. Supported by 21 Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) globally, the framework of universal network Application Programmable Interfaces (APIs) is designed to provide universal access to operator networks for developers. The GSMA-led initiative is a federated approach to harmonise the industry around Open APIs and represents a paradigm shift in the way the telecoms industry designs and delivers services in an API economy.

At the GSMA Pavillion, Axiata showcased the Axiata Digital Concert Platform, featuring MetaStage, the Group’s first ever metaverse concert powered by Axiata Digital Labs’ (ADL) Axonect, and hosted by Sri Lanka’s Dialog Axiata and Indonesia’s XL Axiata. The immersive musical fest showcased GSMA’s Open Gateway APIs for Number Verification (SMS 2FA), Device Location and Carrier Billing.

Enabling Digital Transformation
ADL, a telco-focused software and solutions provider, delivered MetaStage through its Axonect Enterprise Enabler Product Suite. This proof-of-concept showcased the suite of services available to MNOs to enhance existing services and deploy new ones to its customers. ADL’s demonstration of the GSMA Open Gateway-compliant Axonect Product Suite highlighted its potential as a powerful tool for digital innovation and transformation.

This was further underscored by its collaboration with Amazon Web Services (AWS) announced on 1 March 2023, whereby ADL will begin providing Axonect Product Suite running on AWS. With this collaboration, ADL will be able to provide customers with its suite of systems and tools, such as its Digital Business Support System (BSS), 5G and cloud optimized business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-consumer (B2C) platforms, and multi-domain orchestrators on AWS. ADL’s customers will have access to AWS’s global infrastructure and the breadth and depth of cloud capabilities.

Communication Service Providers (CSPs) will also be better supported as they embark on the transformational journey along the Telco to TechCo continuum, moving beyond traditional connectivity to platform-based products and services as part of an ecosystem, thereby reaping benefits such as improved performance, a competitive advantage in big data, and new revenue streams.

Partnership with SK Telecom for ‘ifland’
At MWC Barcelona 2023, Axiata also signaled its strong interest in bringing the metaverse platform ‘ifland’ developed by South Korea’s SK Telecom (SKT) to its markets. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the two telco giants on 28 February 2023, enabling Axiata’s subsidiaries the ability to develop metaverse platform business models and support AI-based opportunities that are market competitive.

The signing, represented by SKT’s CEO, Ryu Young-Sang and Axiata’s Joint Acting Group CEOs, Dr Hans Wijayasuriya and Vivek Sood, is part of Axiata’s digital transformation and inclusivity strategy.

“As part of the Group’s vision to be The Next Generation Digital Champion, we are deeply committed to leveraging emerging technologies towards the inclusive advancement of Societies and Economies across Asia,” said Dr Hans Wijayasuriya, who is also Axiata’s CEO of Telecommunications Business and Group Executive Vice President. “We are proud to partner with SKT and the ifland platform and consider the partnership a significant component of our participation in the metaverse going forward.”

All in all, this week at Barcelona was pivotal in Axiata’s journey towards becoming The Next Generation Digital Champion, putting in place the building blocks to enable the ecosystem for digital telcos to move into their new future.

About Axiata
In pursuit of its vision to be The Next Generation Digital Champion, Axiata is a diversified telecommunications and digital conglomerate operating Digital Telcos, Digital Businesses and Infrastructure businesses across a footprint spanning ASEAN and South Asia.

The Group has controlling stakes in market-leading mobile and fixed operators in the region including ‘XL’ and ‘Link Net’ in Indonesia, ‘Dialog’ in Sri Lanka, ‘Robi’ in Bangladesh, ‘Smart’ in Cambodia and ‘Ncell’ in Nepal while ‘CelcomDigi’ in Malaysia is a Key Associate Company. Axiata’s regional digital business verticals comprise ‘Boost’ a fintech company, and ‘ADA’, a digital analytics and AI company. ‘EDOTCO’ is among the top 10 independent TowerCos globally, operating in nine countries to deliver telecommunications infrastructure services.

As a committed and long-term investor, the Group actively supports and drives young talent development; community outreach; as well as climate change initiatives. Axiata’s broader goal of Advancing Asia aims to piece together the best in the region in terms of innovation, connectivity and talent to drive digital inclusion and sustainable progress across our markets. Find out more at www.axiata.com

Axiata Group Berhad [XKLS: 6888][RIC: AXIA:KL ][BBG: AXIATA:MK][OTC: AXXTF]

Axiata Digital Labs (ADL) to collaborate with AWS to drive Telco Industry TechCo Evolution

Axiata Digital Labs (ADL) has announced a collaboration with Amazon Web Services (AWS) to provide its cutting-edge Digital Telco services to AWS customers. The collaboration will benefit the telco industry by providing a seamless and enhanced experience with ADL’s innovative Axonect Product Suite running on AWS.

Back row (L-R): Vikram Rao, Head of Enterprise, ASEAN, AWS; Jayanth Nagarajn, Head, Telecommunications Industry, Asia Pacific & Japan, AWS; Haris Izmee, Managing Director, ASEAN Growth Markets, AWS – Front row (L-R): Namal Jayathilake, Chief Technology Officer, Axiata Digital Labs; Thushera Kawdawatta, Chief Executive Officer, Axiata Digital Labs

ADL will provide customers with its suite of systems and tools, such as its Digital Business Support System (BSS), 5G and cloud optimized business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-consumer (B2C) platforms, and multi-domain orchestrators on AWS. By collaborating with AWS, ADL’s customers will have access to AWS’s global infrastructure and breadth and depth of cloud capabilities.

Communication Service Providers (CSPs) will also be better supported as they embark on the transformational journey along the Telco to TechCo continuum, moving beyond traditional connectivity to platform-based products and services as part of an ecosystem, thereby reaping benefits such as improved performance, competitive advantage in big data, and new revenue streams. As a result, telcos can reduce costs and resources, and provide customers with an enhanced digital experience and improved time to market for their end customers.

This collaboration marks an important milestone for ADL as it continues to innovate in the Digital Telco space and pioneer new technologies that will pave the way for telcos to become more agile, innovative, efficient, and profitable. As member of the AWS Partner Network, as well as the AWS Select Tier and AWS Solution Provider programs, ADL will continue to invest in new technologies to help telcos drive their transformation objectives.

As part of this collaboration, ADL’s product suite passed the AWS Foundational Technical Review This certification, involving rigorous testing and evaluation, demonstrates that Axiata Digital Labs’ innovative middleware platforms and products can seamlessly integrate with and be deployed on AWS, and conforms with AWS’s cloud-native best practices and frameworks. Customers can now confidently use Axonect products to build and deploy their applications using AWS services, including Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (Amazon EC2), which provides secure, resizable compute in the cloud; Amazon Elastic Kubernetes Service (Amazon EKS), a managed service and certified Kubernetes conformant to run Kubernetes on AWS and on- premises; Amazon Relational Database Service (Amazon RDS), a distributed relational database service; and native security services, making them fully optimized for the cloud environment.

“We are thrilled to collaborate with AWS and help our customers bring a digital telco experience like never before to consumers,” said Thushera Kawdawatta, CEO of Axiata Digital Labs. “This further solidifies our commitment to providing our customers with the best and most advanced technology solutions available on the market today. Our collaboration with AWS will enable us to leverage their expertise and technology to provide customers with the services they need to meet their changing needs and expectations.”

Axiata Digital Labs launched the Axonect Product Suite as a robust, full-stack product suite that supports rapid service delivery, improves agility, accelerates partnerships, and transforms the enterprise landscape. With the added compatibility of AWS, customers will experience improved global reach, performance, scalability, and reliability.

About Axiata Digital Labs
Axiata Digital Labs (ADL) is an innovative software services and solutions provider, helping businesses globally advance in the digital era. Our convergent digital design experiences, innovative platforms and reusable assets connect numerous technologies to deliver tangible business value and experience. The technology hub of Axiata Group Bhd Malaysia, with 1300 professionals across Malaysia, Indonesia and Sri Lanka, ADL helps customers in telecommunications, digital and financial services. For more information visit https://axiatadigitallabs.com.

Web 3 streaming platform myco secures rights for HBL PSL 8 cricket coverage across MENA

myco (formerly known as MContent), a leading entertainment and sports streaming platform, today announced it will stream the Pakistan Super League (HBL PSL Season 8) through CricLife 2 on its Web 3 streaming platform in the MENA region for free, offering viewers the chance to watch the live stream of PSL matches in high quality and participate in the unique “watch and earn” mechanism that rewards them for the time they spend watching the matches.

Key Highlights:
– myco acquires the distribution rights for Pakistan Super League and will show live streams of all matches through CricLife 2 on www.myco.io
– The platform’s unique watch and earn mechanism will allow cricket enthusiasts to earn rewards from watching their favorite sports content.
– The newly formed partnership with the Quetta Gladiators makes myco the first Web3 company to ever sponsor a professional cricket team in PSL

“We are excited to offer the PSL matches on our Web 3 streaming platform in the MENA region,” said Umair Masoom, founder and managing partner at myco. “Our viewers will enjoy the high-quality streaming experience and the chance to earn rewards while watching the matches.”

Approximately US$50,000 will be distributed amongst the viewers of HBL PSL Season 8 on myco. The matches can be streamed on www.myco.io or the app which can be downloaded from https://bit.ly/3w3BLpX.

Acquiring the streaming rights for cricket competitions like the HBL PSL is only one element of myco’s strategic move into sports. The company has also recently announced its partnership with one of the leading teams in the PSL, the Quetta Gladiators which makes it the first Web3 company to ever sponsor a professional cricket team in the PSL. Additionally, myco has an original production in the works which is directed by Emmy award winning film-maker Mo Ali, which will provide viewers with a unique insight into the interesting history and future of the Quetta Gladiators team, featuring the stars of Quetta Gladiators and the founders.

“We are delighted to partner with a visionary company like myco,” said Nadeem Omar, Owner of the Quetta Gladiators. “As a leading team in the PSL, we are always looking for ways to innovate and engage with our fans. We look forward to seeing what the future holds with myco as our partner.”

myco’s focus on user engagement and the use of Web 3 technology has allowed the company to quickly establish itself as a leading platform in the region. In December 2022, the company had a major success with the exclusive rights to stream the India tour of Bangladesh series, distributing rewards worth over US$26,000 to viewers.

The addition of the PSL to myco’s Web 3 streaming platform is a significant step forward in the company’s efforts to offer innovative and engaging sports content to viewers. myco’s “watch and earn” mechanism, which allows viewers to accumulate rewards for the time they spend watching matches, has been a popular feature on the platform.

About myco

myco (formerly known as MContent), is a web3 video streaming platform where SVOD and AVOD capabilities have been vertically integrated in a decentralized environment. The myco platform empowers viewers and creators in a fully decentralized video eco-system with live monetization, crowdfunding, gating NFTs and fractional ownership of content.

The myco platform has almost 1.3 million registered users from across the globe with major footprint in MENA and North America, 500 leading content creator channels, and more than 100,000 user generated videos, as well as a collection of 50 myco original productions and 1000 hours of premium exclusive content. The myco platform is run through its native cryptocurrency (MContent), which is available on the BNB Smart Chain (BEP20), and is trading on multiple exchanges since 2021.

Recently myco disrupted the sports streaming space by become the first in MENA region to offer exclusive live sports in a watch&earn model with participation from 9 top UAE brands as advertising partners. myco also pioneers an elevated content experience through the creation of the Cineverse (cinema in the metaverse).

Watch it. Earn it. Own it – with myco
www.myco.io
Download now: https://bit.ly/3w3BLpX
YouTube: https://youtu.be/FDoshHmjIQM

For media enquiries please contact:
Tariq Jaser, Digital Marketing Manager, tariqj@mcontent.net : myco

Truescope Acquires US Firm Universal Information Services

  • Todd Murphy to Lead North American Business

Australian media intelligence company, Truescope, has strengthened its position in North America by acquiring leading agency, Universal Information Services (UIS).

Todd Murphy, Truescope President, North America & John Croll, Truescope Co-founder and CEO

Founded in 2019 and now operating in Singapore, New Zealand, and North America, Truescope is experiencing rapid growth in all markets – a commercial response to the company’s advanced SaaS platform, product innovation and experienced people. The acquisition of UIS will immediately welcome many hundreds of clients to the Truescope solution, with the integration of services presently underway.

UIS is led by industry authority, Todd Murphy based in Omaha, Nebraska. The competitive media intelligence agency has a rich heritage and proud reputation for its service-first approach, and as a trusted partner to businesses and communication professionals across the United States.

Truescope co-founder and CEO, John Croll, said the acquisition was a significant move to accelerate growth in the large US media intelligence market, which he believes has been underserved for some time and is ready to evolve through innovation.

“Truescope has been active in the US for almost a year and the response we have had to our platform has been overwhelmingly positive” he said. “Todd’s leadership, the Universal team’s decades long local expertise and loyal client base, coupled with Truescope’s technology, will enable us to deliver a powerful and truly unparalleled service that will help better inform communications,” said John.

Following the departure of Meg Crumbine in late 2022, Todd Murphy will take on the role of Truescope President, North America, effective immediately, with his first strategic priority being to oversee the UIS integration.

Todd is enthusiastic about the opportunities ahead for the new alliance saying, “John’s vision and ability to build game-changing tech is the perfect alignment for the evolution of not only Universal’s clients but the media intelligence industry, broadly. I’m thrilled to be leading the company and delivering a truly superior service never before seen,” he said.

Migration of UIS clients to the Truescope platform is currently underway, with the merger of the UIS brand and business to Truescope to take place over the coming months.

For media information or to interview John Croll and/or Todd Murphy, contact:
Shelley Hammond | shelley@oneroofagency.com.au | +61 427 547 898

About Truescope
Truescope was founded in Australia to better inform communications. Our people and technology deliver real-time, actionable media intelligence and information to clients across Asia, New Zealand, and the United States. Visit www.truescope.com for more.

GHY and Curtin University Sign MOU to Jointly Shape the Next Generation of Media & Film Talents in the Region

G.H.Y Culture & Media Holding Co., Limited (“GHY”, and together with its subsidiaries and its PRC Affiliated Entities, the “Group”), a leading diversified group in Asia’s media and entertainment industry, is pleased to announce that G.H.Y Culture & Media (Singapore) Pte. Ltd., a subsidiary of GHY, has signed a non-binding memorandum of understanding (“MOU”) with a world-renowned education establishment, Curtin University, for an academic collaboration in higher education programs in Asia related to media and film studies.

Under the MOU, both parties have agreed to (i) discuss opportunities for education-industry collaboration and work- integrated learning programs, (ii) explore development of a global major and cross-campus industry-integrated learning programs, (iii) exchange information relating to activities in fields of mutual interest and (iv) provide the students of Curtin with mobility opportunities.

Curtin University is an innovative, global university known for its high-impact research, strong industry partnerships and commitment to preparing students for jobs of the future. Curtin University is one of the top universities worldwide and it has campuses in Western Australia, Singapore, Malaysia, Dubai and Mauritius.

Since its establishment, GHY has placed a strong emphasis on identifying, nurturing and promoting talent in the media and film industry across Southeast Asia. While providing access and valuable exposure of its end-to-end production capabilities, GHY has also initiated various tie-ups with industry leaders and education institutions to provide more opportunities for aspiring talents to directly learn from industry professionals and gain practical experience in this niche industry.

In addition, the Group has been expanding its portfolio of entertainment content and products, with diversification into new growth adjacencies such as musicals and its first-ever immersive live action game based on GHY’s “Strange Tales of Tang Dynasty” drama series.

Supported by a robust balance sheet with a net working capital of approximately S$130.1 million as at 30 June 2022, the Group is well-positioned to capture organic and inorganic growth initiatives, to capture the recovery and to bring sustainable long-term returns to shareholders.

Mr. Guo Jingyu, Executive Chairman and Group CEO, said, “New media consumers in Asia are dominated by younger demographics and the method of their media consumption is shifting from the big screen to their mobile phones with various forms of personalisation.

To better prepare and equip students for the future trends in the media and film industry, both GHY and Curtin University share a common vision to provide a structured higher-learning platform so as to develop Asia’s talent pool and technology in the media and film industry to become one of the best in the world.

With GHY’s strong in-house production capabilities and established industry network, there will be more opportunities for industry exchanges and on-the-job training programs for students under this academic collaboration.

For GHY, this is part of our initiatives to have an increasingly regional relationship and impact, strengthening our linkages with Asia through education and technology that are interconnected with our diversified business model within Asia’s media and entertainment industry.”

Professor Richard Blythe, Pro Vice-Chancellor, Faculty of Humanities, Curtin University, said, “The MOU would offer new opportunities for students to gain invaluable real-world experience. This exciting new industry-education collaboration will bring together Curtin’s long-standing and successful screen arts expertise with GHY’s strong in- house production skills and clear industry connections.”

Professor Blythe added, “We are delighted to be working with GHY Culture and Media to help develop and foster the next generation of media and film industry stars across Asia.”

About G.H.Y Culture & Media Holding Co. Ltd. (SGX: XJB; Bloomberg: GHY:SP)

Listed on the Mainboard of the Singapore Exchange, G.H.Y Culture & Media Holding Co., Limited (“GHY” or the “Group”) is a leading diversified group within Asia’s media and entertainment industry. GHY has produced several dramas and films in the People’s Republic of China (“PRC”), Singapore and Malaysia that have been broadcasted and/or distributed on major TV networks and leading video streaming platforms in the PRC. The Group has also undertaken the production of concerts for well-known international artistes in Singapore, with upcoming concerts to be held in Singapore, Malaysia and Australia.

GHY has strong in-house production teams, with scriptwriters, directors and producers who have been involved in various notable dramas and films. The production teams have consistently produced quality dramas and films and the Group also possesses expertise and capabilities across the business value chain.

Currently headquartered in Singapore and the PRC with over 170 employees, the Group also engages in concert production, talent management services, and costumes, props and make-up services.

For more information, please visit https://ghyculturemedia.com/

About Curtin University

Curtin University is Western Australia’s largest university, with close to 60,000 students. In addition to the University’s main campus in Perth, Curtin also has a major regional campus in Kalgoorlie, and a campus in Midland, as well as four global campuses in Malaysia, Singapore, Dubai and Mauritius. Curtin staff and students come from Australia and over 120 other countries around the world, with half its international students studying at Curtin’s offshore campuses.

Curtin is ranked between 9th to 18th in Australia according to the Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU) 2022 and has achieved a QS Five Stars Plus rating, the highest available for a tertiary institution, and one of only eight to do so in Australia.

The University has built a reputation around innovation and an entrepreneurial spirit, being at the forefront of many high-profile research projects in astronomy, biosciences, economics, mining and information technology. It is also recognised globally for its strong connections with the industry, and for its commitment to preparing students for the jobs of the future.

For further information, visit curtin.edu.au.

This press release should be read in conjunction with the announcement uploaded on SGXNet on 8 December 2022.

DBS Bank Ltd. and UOB Kay Hian Private Limited are the joint issue managers and global coordinators (the “Joint Issue Managers and Global Coordinators”) for the initial public offering of shares in, and listing of, G.H.Y Culture & Media Holding Co., Limited on the Main Board of the Singapore Exchange Securities Trading Limited. The Joint Issue Managers and Global Coordinators assume no responsibility for the contents of this announcement.

For media and analysts’ queries, please contact: 8PR ASIA Pte Ltd
Alex Tan
T: +65 9451 5252
E: alex.tan@8prasia.com

In-person InfoComm Southeast Asia 2022 in Bangkok, Thailand Ups the Game for All in the New Business Landscape

The 3-day InfoComm Southeast Asia 2022 at the Bangkok International Trade and Exhibition Centre (BITEC) came to a close on 4 November 2022. Returning in-person for the first time since its launch in 2019, Asia’s premier Professional AudioVisual (Pro-AV) and Transformative Technology Exhibition and Summit saw exhibitors, visitors and delegates from 22 countries. It was non-stop action across the Exhibition show floor and the various Summit session venues.

“The enthusiasm we saw among our exhibitors and visitors was striking,” said Richard Tan, Executive Director of InfoCommAsia. “Amidst the impressive array of technological developments were intensive personal conversations and exciting forward-looking collaborations. The Pro-AV industry continues to undergo vast transformation and rapid development, and InfoComm Southeast Asia is one of the key marketplaces to make new connections.”

6,593 visitors came to InfoComm Southeast Asia 2022, with the majority arriving from Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. The Show also welcomed visitors from the rest of Asia, including China, India, Japan and South Korea. It was clear that the whole of Asia is ready to transform and seize the unprecedented opportunities in this post-pandemic era. And they were in for a treat with this year’s event highlights – many of which would not have been possible without the support from our 138 partners, including government agencies as well as industry and technology associations.

INSPIRATIONS ON THE SHOW FLOOR

130 exhibiting companies from 18 participating countries showcased a wide array of innovative AV-driven technologies and solutions that businesses could tap on to transform, gain lead and be ready for marketplace trends. 41 exhibiting companies participated in the Show for the first time, including brands like Adder Technology, Black Box, Bose, Christie Digital Systems, Jabra, Microsoft Teams, Riedel, Vega Global, and more. Among the cutting-edge innovations on show, there were 174 new product launches.

Solution-seekers in industries ranging from education to transportation, hospitality to healthcare, retail to enterprise, could find the answers they need at InfoComm Southeast Asia 2022.

Exhibitor Claude Sabourin, Business Development Director, SCHOT, beamed as he shared, “We had many consultants and owners of businesses visit our booth – the people who are really decision-makers or influencers, and that’s very good. These visitors were from Korea, Japan, Vietnam, Cambodia, Indonesia – different parts of Asia. The wide reach we achieved was good.”

PRO-AV SOLUTIONS LIVE IN ACTION – THE SHOW HIGHLIGHTS

The Future of Immersive Experiences added a multi-sensory dimension to the visitor experience. This 15×5- square-metre walk-though gave visitors a glimpse into the future of visual and immersive storytelling, which converges art, technology and sensory experiences. “The Gateway to the Metaverse” featured real- time generative effects based on user interaction; “The Next-level of Projection Mapping” brought a car- like object to life with effects and animation; and “A New Holographic Experience” showcased the Pro-AV technology that is increasingly applied in the Location Based Experience (LBX) industry, such as experience centers, theme parks, theatres and live performances. This entire space was fully designed, system-built and integrated by Vega Global, in partnership with disguise, and with equipment contributions from Christie, Panasonic, BenQ and Lighting & Equipment.

The off-site AV Technical Tour on Day 2 – fully-booked weeks before the Show opened – offered a first- hand experience to see AV technology at work. Dozens of visitors were given the valuable opportunity to visit the Expressway Authority of Thailand (EXAT). The “Smart Traffic Systems – Expressway Traffic Management Centre and Control Rooms” tour took them into the very heart of command-and-control scenarios, to see how advanced technologies and control systems have enabled the EXAT to effectively and efficiently provide the best experience for expressway users.

HOSTED AND PERSONALISED ENGAGEMENT

Through the Invited Guests Program, InfoComm Southeast Asia specially invited and hosted 252 key and senior decision-makers from Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Vietnam. Many came from government agencies involved in education, healthcare, security, defense, transportation and citizen services. Others were key industry leaders in retail, media and advertising, and real estate development. Guided tours around the show floor with personal introduction to leading solution providers paved the way for further engagement thereafter.

“My organization is embarking on a new project that requires new Pro-AV solutions in the next 12 to 24 months, and this visit to InfoComm Southeast Asia was very timely because I was able to obtain all the relevant information I need and also explore the wide selection of products and solutions,” said Mat Amir Bin Yaacob, Senior Engineer, Ministry of Defence, Malaysia.

Elmer Francisco Sarmiento, Undersecretary for Maritime, Department of Transportation, Philippines enthused, “There were many new advanced technologies at the Show that could help drive digital transformation within the government. I’ve also seen many products and solutions embedded with artificial intelligence that would be very useful in ensuring the smooth running of government functions.”

THE SUMMIT FOR INFORMED BUSINESS DECISIONS WITH INVALUABLE INSIGHTS

Free-to-attend learning sessions were delivered under various tracks – Asia AV Leaders Connect, AVIXA Seminars, AV Managers Day, Industry Forums, and Plenary – targeted at different delegate profiles.

Learning sessions under the concurrent 2-day NIXT Summit provided another application perspective as it focuses on end-to-end emerging tech solutions for businesses. A total of 32 sessions were organized, and some were in collaboration with industry associations, including Association of Thai Software Industry and Museum Association of Thailand.

EXTENDED SOLUTION DISCOVERY – POST-SHOW BENEFITS

Months before the InfoComm Southeast Asia 2022, visitors were introduced to the intuitive business matching system, information-rich vBooth (every exhibitor has a one-page microsite to showcase their full and on-show offerings), business card drop facility and appointment scheduler – tools on the Show website that facilitated self-personalized engagement with solution providers.

Solution-seekers who fully utilized these tools found their time at the Show highly productive and efficient. For visitors who missed connecting with solution providers they intended to meet onsite, InfoComm Southeast Asia is availing these tools for another two months post-Show.

The 2022 Show may be over, but the benefits it brings to growing businesses continue.

INFOCOMM ASIA 2023 – A WIDER MARKETPLACE

“Speaking with the InfoComm team, I hear that the Show will be expanded next year to become InfoComm Asia,” Matthew Deayton, Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Vega Global added, “This means we will get even more visitors to our booth coming from northern countries like Japan and South Korea, and South Australia and New Zealand as well. I feel this Show will become a real centerpiece for the Asia-Pacific market.”

InfoComm Asia, as this show will be renamed from 2023, will play an increasingly important role in providing a platform for global manufacturers interested in developing a strong presence in the Asia-Pacific market to congregate at one place where their companies can be introduced or their latest solutions can be revealed, and where they can invite their customers from all over the region to experience their innovations – while enjoying the inexpensive hospitality of Bangkok.

InfoComm Asia 2023 will run from 24-26 May 2023 at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Center (QSNCC), Bangkok, Thailand. Admission is free. For more information and the latest updates, please visit www.infocomm-asia.com.

About InfoCommAsia

InfoCommAsia Pte. Ltd. is the region’s preeminent organizer of tradeshows for the Professional AudioVisual (Pro-AV) and Transformative Solutions industries. Through industry-leading shows in China, India and Thailand, InfoCommAsia connects global and regional solution providers, vertical market end-users and the supply chain with the most important markets of Asia Pacific.

Additional information is available at:
infocomm-china.com | nixt-china.com | infocomm-india.com | infocomm-asia.com

For more information, please contact:

Rest of the World
Angie Eng, Marketing Director
InfoCommAsia Pte Ltd
angieeng@infocommasia.com

Thailand
Kanokwan Sukchaisr,i Managing Director
Expo Inter Co., Ltd
kanokwan.infocommasia@expointer.net

A Focus on Content and the Consumer is the Key Driver for Growth and Sustainability in Asia

The annual marquee event of the Asian video industry, the Asia Video Summit, returned in full swing, hosting over 300 delegates in person and online as a hybrid conference, amidst a time of immense innovation and disruption in the video industry.

The Summit opened with clear views from industry stalwarts, Henry Tan, Group CEO, Astro, Clement Schwebig, Chairman, Asia Video Industry Association (AVIA), and Vivek Couto, Executive Director, Media Partners Asia, that a return to profitability and a focus on revenue was much needed for sustained growth across Asia. Though Asia was a huge but diverse and difficult market, there was no doubt certain markets will continue to grow, said Couto. However, disruption was going to continue for the next few years, added Tan, and all players had to be prepared for a rollercoaster ride.

James Gibbons, President & Managing Director, Western Pacific, Warner Bros. Discovery, also shared his views on the massive changes that the industry had gone through over the last decade. While there used to be a real emphasis on subscriber growth, and the belief that the market for subscription video-on-demand was infinite, a business without an advertising component was no longer meaningful. A wholesale reassessment of how to assess the growth and value of a company was now needed. And content was no longer an individual line of business, but represented an entire franchise opportunity that enabled businesses to build a special relationship with their consumers across all touchpoints.

This focus on content certainly resonated through the Summit. For Donovan Chan, Founding Partner, Beach House Pictures, sticking to premium programming that was efficiently produced at a high quality to deliver on what the audiences want and need was a key part of his strategy to move more content from East to West. Kirana Cheewachuen, Deputy Director, Planning & Business Development, Strategic Content Group, True Corporation, also added that with Korea leading in script development, there was also a need to attract and develop the right talent in order to discover the secret sauce behind the success of Korean content, and hopefully replicate it in other parts of Asia.

However, while content was king, it was not an ‘either or’ situation, it needed to be across content, activation, distribution, and pricing, said Manish Kalra, Chief Business Officer, ZEE5 India. Leading on to rebundling, Ricky Ow, Partner, Quest Ventures, also shared that it was not ‘one size fits all’ and that there was a need to meet personal consumer demand and at a price point that made sense. There was also the need to solve this problem as a benefit to consumers as well as content providers, for less churn and more sustainability. For Clarissa Tanoesoedibjo, Managing Director, Vision+, aggregation was the way moving forward, with more integration across the ecosystem.

The topic of sustainability was certainly one that reiterated with the panellists this year as well. Chris Sewell, Founder, Net Zero Media, felt that more verifications and guidelines were needed around businesses to help people make informed decisions. Similarly, Esther Peh, Associate Director, Public Policy, Asia, Warner Bros. Discovery, also said that while there were industry wide tools to help take the first step towards being more conscious about your footprint and being more aware of the environmental impact, it was still very much at the nascent phase, and it was important for industry stakeholders and partners to come together. For Globe Telecom, Apple Evangelista, Head, Sustainability and Social Responsibility, while it was becoming a standard in the way they did business, there was also a need to reduce value chain emissions, both upstream and downstream, with the next step being customer education after greening the value chain.

On the advertising front, stakeholders too needed to come together as there was certainly enormous opportunity for growth in the OTT advertising space, which was currently under-indexed in Asia. While OTT was the natural evolution of TV, Elaine Tan, Head of Sales, Southeast Asia, International Business Department – Advertising, iQIYI International, felt that OTT was not quite mainstream as yet and there was still a lot of room to grow in the premium space especially with premium Asian content. “If we bring the content that users want, the growth will follow,” said Tan, with the advertising dollars following suit as well after.

And though TV was evolving to OTT and Connected TV(CTV), for Alex Lowes, Vice President, Client Engagement and Growth, APAC, Finecast, the one commonality was that they were both addressable premium broadcast quality content. And with addressable TV becoming part of an omnichannel strategy, addressable TV was the future. However, a key challenge that still remained for Kanika Manglik, Regional Managing Partner, Investments Strategy, Mindshare, was the adoption of unified measurement.

Despite these challenges, there was still much positivity among the panellists. Vignesh Narayanan, CEO, Airtel Ads, shared his prediction that US$200M was the addressable opportunity in India on the table over the next 2 years. Summing it up, Alysha Dino, Senior Director, Global Business Development, Publica, added that with 50% of viewers in Southeast Asia watching content online, this was a transforming time in the industry in Asia Pacific, to make these challenges into a good opportunity.

The Asia Video Summit is proudly sponsored by Gold Sponsors Brightcove, BytePlus, INVIDI, PubMatic, Tencent Cloud, TV5MONDE, Silver Sponsors AsiaSat, Broadpeak, Dolby, Edgio, Gracenote, InvestHK, Irdeto, Magnite, MEASAT, Mirada, NAGRA, SES, Synamedia, YouTube. Create Hong Kong of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region as the Lead Sponsor supports the Community Outreach Programme that provides complimentary passes for local video and creative industries-related SMEs and tertiary students to participate in the virtual Summit. Complimentary in-person Mentoring Workshops will also be held on 10 November to provide insightful tips about the media industry.

About the Asia Video Industry Association

The Asia Video Industry Association (AVIA) is the trade association for the video industry and ecosystem in Asia Pacific. It serves to make the video industry stronger and healthier through promoting the common interests of its members. AVIA is the interlocutor for the industry with governments across the region, leads the fight against video piracy through its Coalition Against Piracy (CAP) and provides insight into the video industry through reports and conferences aimed to support a vibrant video industry.

About Create Hong Kong

Create Hong Kong (CreateHK) is a dedicated office set up by the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR Government) in June 2009 to spearhead the development of creative industries in Hong Kong. From 1 July 2022 onwards, it is under the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau. Its strategic foci are nurturing talent and facilitating start-ups, exploring markets, and promoting Hong Kong as Asia’s creative capital and fostering a creative atmosphere in the community.

For media enquiries and additional background information on Asia Video Summit 2022, please contact:
Charmaine Kwan
Head of Marketing and Communications
Email: charmaine@avia.org
Website: www.avia.org
|LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/asiavideoia |Twitter: @AsiaVideoIA

Disclaimer: Create Hong Kong of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region provides funding support to the project only, and does not otherwise take part in the project. Any opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in these materials/events (or by members of the project team) are those of the project organisers only and do not reflect the views of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau, Create Hong Kong, the CreateSmart Initiative Secretariat or the CreateSmart Initiative Vetting Committee.

Asia Video Summit Returns in 2022 with a Focus on a Future of Growth and Sustainability in Asia

The annual marquee event of the Asian video industry, the Asia Video Summit (https://asiavideosummit.com), will return as a full hybrid event this year on 1-2 November 2022, with physical events in both Hong Kong and Singapore, as well as a live stream of all sessions to be made available on its interactive event platform.

The Asia Video Summit is organized by Asia Video Industry Association (AVIA) with Create Hong Kong of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region as the Lead Sponsor. The aim of the Asia Video Summit (Summit) is to tell a holistic story of the state of the video industry, looking at all aspects of it and articulated by its decision makers, to provide its delegates with a comprehensive view of the state of the video industry today.

In the post-COVID-19 era, media and entertainment companies have been the darlings of Wall Street. This narrative has recently changed, however, and arguably irrational exuberance has given way to irrational pessimism. But is the streaming business model fundamentally flawed, or is this just a recalibration in an era of inflation and post-pandemic trauma? How do the trajectories of investment vs monetization balance each other? And where does Asia sit compared to other parts of the world? Do subscriber numbers foretell a golden period of growth in Asia that can counter negative narratives from the West?

At this year’s Summit, we will be speaking to the people who are determining the future of the video industry in Asia. Besides the State and Future of the Video Industry, we will also explore the growing role and Advance of Advertising, the technology Behind the Customer Experience, a detailed look at the role of News and Sports today and the burning topic of Environmental Sustainability.

Some of the key speakers of the Summit include:
Saugato Banerjee, Managing Director Asia, A+E Networks
– Johan Buse, Chief, Consumer Business Group, StarHub
– Kirana Chew, Deputy Director, Planning & Business Development, Strategic Content Group, True Corporation
– Vivek Couto, Executive Director, Media Partners Asia
– James Gibbons, President & Managing Director, Western Pacific, Warner Bros. Discovery
Phil Hardman, Senior Vice President & General Manager, Asia, BBC Studios
– Nicholas John, Vice President, Head of Sports, Astro
– Manish Kalra, Chief Business Officer, ZEE5
– Mike Kerr, Managing Director Asia, beIN Asia Pacific
– Sidd Mantri, Head of Product – Developing Markets, Disney Streaming
– Vignesh Narayanan, Chief Executive Officer, Airtel Ads
– Parminder Singh, Chief Commercial Officer & Chief Digital Officer, Mediacorp
– Jay Yang, Chief Executive Officer, TVING
– Nini Yusof, Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Media Prima Television Networks

Join us in person at the Asia Video Summit 2022, where, bull or bear, optimist or pessimist, we will ask those who are making the decisions and deciding the destiny of the Asian video industry the hard questions all of us are thinking. All sessions of the Summit will also be livestreamed on the event platform. For more details of this year’s Summit programme and speakers, visit www.asiavideosummit.com

The Asia Video Summit is proudly sponsored by Gold Sponsors Brightcove, BytePlus, INVIDI, PubMatic, Tencent Cloud, TV5MONDE, Silver Sponsors AsiaSat, Broadpeak, Dolby, Edgio, Google, Gracenote, InvestHK, Irdeto, Magnite, MEASAT, Mirada, Nagra, SES, Synamedia. Create Hong Kong of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region as the Lead Sponsor supports the Community Outreach Programme that provides complimentary passes for local video and creative industries-related SMEs and tertiary students to participate in the virtual Summit. Complimentary in-person Mentoring Workshops will also be held on 10 November to provide insightful tips about the media industry.

About the Asia Video Industry Association

The Asia Video Industry Association (AVIA) is the trade association for the video industry and ecosystem in Asia Pacific. It serves to make the video industry stronger and healthier through promoting the common interests of its members. AVIA is the interlocutor for the industry with governments across the region, leads the fight against video piracy through its Coalition Against Piracy (CAP) and provides insight into the video industry through reports and conferences aimed to support a vibrant video industry.

About Create Hong Kong

Create Hong Kong (CreateHK) is a dedicated office set up by the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR Government) in June 2009 to spearhead the development of creative industries in Hong Kong. From 1 July 2022 onwards, it is under the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau. Its strategic foci are nurturing talent and facilitating start-ups, exploring markets, and promoting Hong Kong as Asia’s creative capital and fostering a creative atmosphere in the community.

For media enquiries and additional background information on Asia Video Summit 2022, please contact:

Charmaine Kwan
Head of Marketing and Communications
Email: charmaine@avia.org
Website: www.avia.org |LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/asiavideoia |Twitter: @AsiaVideoIA

Disclaimer: Create Hong Kong of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region provides funding support to the project only, and does not otherwise take part in the project. Any opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in these materials/events (or by members of the project team) are those of the project organisers only and do not reflect the views of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau, Create Hong Kong, the CreateSmart Initiative Secretariat or the CreateSmart Initiative Vetting Committee.

InfoComm Southeast Asia Back In-person

InfoComm Southeast Asia which debuted in 2019 was a huge success. Now, after the Covid-resultant pause, the Show is back – as an in-person show, with access to new pre-show planning and engagement tools that will enhance the visitor experience. InfoComm Southeast Asia 2022 will take place from 2 to 4 November at the Bangkok International Trade and Exhibition Centre (BITEC).

InfoComm Southeast Asia is the region’s premier Professional AudioVisual (Pro-AV) and Transformative Technology tradeshow, featuring trailblazing international and local solution providers. Powerful solutions on show and insightful learning sessions cater to a spectrum of industries, including the government sectors of transportation, public security and defense, education, healthcare, hospitality, retail, and others.

The Show specially caters to AV industry players as well as embedded technology decision-makers and business end-users. For these stakeholders who are serious about transforming their organization and growing their business in and beyond the post-pandemic landscape, this is a show not to be missed.

“After the 2-year hiatus due to the global pandemic, InfoComm Southeast Asia is happy to once again bring together Pro-AV technology providers and business users; technology experts, industry leaders and open minds ready to learn,” said Richard Tan, Executive Director of InfoCommAsia. “Much has changed in terms of available tech-enhanced solutions and marketplace needs and trends. So, besides the opportunity for all stakeholders to reconnect face-to-face, InfoComm Southeast Asia 2022 is going to be an exciting space for visitors and delegates as they get up close and personal with exhibitors and experts – the drivers of tomorrow’s technology and solutions. The Show is the place to seek out the most advanced Pro-AV ideas to-date, to create and deliver an exceptional customer experience in an increasingly hybrid world.”

THE EXHIBITION
Transformative Solutions for All Industries

The world has just begun to emerge from a painful yet revitalizing lesson. It has learnt the urgency of technology adoption and the importance of constant upgrading along with technological evolution, to be future-ready and disruption-proof. Increased technology implementation and integration lead to greater reliance on artificial intelligence (AI) to mitigate the consequent increase in security risks. This reality is already fast unfolding, driven by Pro-AV technologies, making InfoComm Southeast Asia an important show for AV and IT professionals and business decision-makers.

InfoComm Southeast Asia is where entrepreneurs, business leaders and technical professionals will discover the latest Pro-AV solutions that are transforming every industry. More than 130 exhibiting companies from over 20 participating countries will gather under one roof to showcase their innovations for the post-pandemic marketplace. These include brands like Epson, Lenovo, Microsoft, Panasonic, Philips, and more. Visitors can expect to see:

– Large screen, projection mapping, AR/VR solutions
for live events, museums, education and simulation training
– Security, flood and surveillance monitoring systems for network operations centers
– Control and automation solutions for smart city management
– Room automation and centralized systems for smart homes and offices
– Collaborative conferencing systems for in-person and hybrid meetings
– Smart classrooms
– Digital signage and display solutions for advertising and information
– Virtual and hybrid learning solutions
…and more

DISCOVER SOLUTIONS WITH vBOOTH
Pre-Show Engagement for Better Show Experience

To enhance show experience for visitors, InfoComm Southeast Asia has introduced facilitative tools on the Show website. These tools will allow solution-seekers to identify exhibitors that have those solutions, and connect with them.

– An intuitive business matching system instantaneously presents visitors with a list of exhibitors, based on their industry and the solutions they seek.
– vBooth gives every exhibitor a dedicated page online, where visitors can explore the exhibitor’s solutions via multimedia presentations. Information will include the exhibitor’s range of solutions as well as products and solutions being presented at the Show.
– Business card drop facility lets visitors leave their details for callback by exhibitors, and appointment scheduler allows visitors to pre-arrange meet-ups with exhibitors at the Show.

All these will help visitors organize their visit way before the Show begins. Fully-utilised, visitors can look forward to a productive time at InfoComm Southeast Asia 2022.

THE SUMMIT
Insights into Developments and Trends for Informed Business Decisions

Concurrent to an exciting show floor is the InfoComm Southeast Asia 2022 Summit line-up. Multiple conference tracks cater to different industries and learner profiles. Delegates can look forward to more than 30 free-to-attend learning sessions in the form of keynotes, panel discussion and case studies.

Tracks for Vertical Market Solution-seekers and AV Professionals
– The two-day NIXT Summit focuses on end-to-end emerging tech solutions for businesses. Sessions delve into the successes and challenges of digital transformation practices in industries and enterprises.

Tracks for AV Professionals and Technology Decision-makers
– AVIXA Seminars help AV professionals stay in touch with technical updates, industry practices and trends across various industries and application scenarios.
– Asia AV Leaders Connect (By invite-only) gathers the AV industry’s C-suite and directorate leaders across Asia for the exchange of intelligence; discussions on geopolitical and economic concerns as well as emerging technology trends and disruptions; and identification of growth opportunities.
– AV Managers Day sessions are designed for mid-level AV managers and use real-life case studies to delve into AV project challenges and how to overcome them.

There is also the AV Technical Tour which offers an opportunity to see Pro-AV solutions in situ. The “Smart Traffic Systems — Expressway Traffic Management Centre and Control Rooms” tour will take delegates into the very heart of command and control scenarios, where condition monitoring, situational management, emergency response, etc are critical. Visitors can learn how advanced technologies and control systems enable the Expressway Authority of Thailand to effectively and efficiently provide the best experience for expressway users.

For the full Summit line-up and latest updates, please visit the official Show website at www.infocomm-sea.com.

REGISTRATION IS OPEN
Admission to Exhibition and Summit is Free

InfoComm Southeast Asia 2022 will be at BITEC from 2-4 November (Days 1 and 2: 10am – 6pm; Day 3: 10am – 4pm local time). Visitors can register to visit the Show at www.infocomm-sea.com. Admission is free.

About InfoCommAsia

InfoCommAsia Pte. Ltd. is the region’s preeminent organizer of tradeshows for the Professional AudioVisual (Pro-AV) and Transformative Solutions industries. Through industry-leading shows in China, India and Southeast Asia, InfoCommAsia connects global and regional solution providers, vertical market end-users and the supply chain with the most important markets of Asia Pacific.

Additional information is available at:
infocomm-china.com | nixt-china.com | infocomm-india.com | infocomm-sea.com

For more information, please contact:
Rest of the World
Angie Eng
Marketing Director
InfoCommAsia Pte Ltd
angieeng@infocommasia.com

Thailand
Kanokwan Sukchaisri
Managing Director
Expo Inter Co., Ltd
kanokwan.infocommasia@expointer.net