Following the cancellation of the 25th anniversary edition of Prolight + Sound, Messe Frankfurt and the sector are now looking ahead to 2021. In a key year for the event industry, the aim is to boost the purchasing propensity in this badly affected sector and help the industry retain its former strength. Large parts of the formats originally planned for 2020 will be implemented in modified form with special attention being paid to bringing together companies with top decision makers.
“Hardly any other sector has suffered so much from the current restrictions. And this makes Prolight + Sound 2021 more important than ever before. Following a long lean spell, the desire for events and entertainment will be greater than at virtually any time before. We want to take advantage of this momentum, to spread optimism and to send positive signals to the sector. Together with our partners and exhibitors, we are doing everything possible to lay the foundations for a successful restart of the sector”, said Prolight + Sound Director, Mira Wölfel.
Prolight + Sound 2021 will be based on the concept of the anniversary edition planned for this year, which had been given a very warm reception in the sector. Accordingly, the way is clear to join forces with partners and exhibitors and to breathe life into the plans. At the same time, the concept offers sufficient flexibility to implement any hygiene regulations existing at the time the fair is held.
Prolight + Sound is positioned as a powerful, independent platform for the sector, covering all facets of the entertainment-technology industry. It is held entirely in the western section of Frankfurt Fair and Exhibition Centre, which ensures short walking distances for both exhibitors and visitors. The trade fair embraces a broad and clearly defined spectrum of products. It is split into five main sections, ProAudio, ProLight, ProStage, ProMedia and ProEvent, with individual programmes and presentation areas offered for the different themes.
One of the main objectives for 2021 is a further increase in the level of visitor quality. Therefore, Messe Frankfurt aims to attract new top buyers from around the world to the fair with a special Hosted Buyer Programme: the buyers will be selected in cooperation with major exhibitors and offered free flights and hotel accommodation. Additionally, professionals with responsibility for large budgets will be given admission to the Tulip Club, the VIP lounge at Prolight + Sound. There will also be guided tours for international visitors in a variety of product segments. As well, exhibitors can invite important customers and business partners to the event free of charge. Messe Frankfurt’s promise to the sector: to bring companies together with important decision makers and to speed up the exit from the crisis through new, high-grade business relationships!
Expertise, connections and fresh impulses are essential for a successful restart of the industry. The training programme of Prolight + Sound 2021 provides direct contact areas for manufacturers and users, and puts the spotlight on both technical and economic trends.
Accordingly, there will be three fully equipped, themed lecture stages in the halls. Naturally, exhibitors will be able to contribute to the individual stage programmes. The lecture stages are the Audio + Event Stage (Hall 8.0), the Media + Future Stage (Hall 11.0) and the Theatre + Light Stage (Hall 12.0). There, experts from the companies will present new technologies and applications, as well as best-practice examples for post-corona business. Supplementing the expert lectures will be talks by world-famous keynote speakers and representatives for institutes and educational facilities.
Also part of the show will be the long-established seminar blocks. The Prolight + Sound Conference organised by the German Media and Event Technology Association (VPLT) is now more important than ever before. An information hub by the sector for the sector, it sketches the status quo of the industry and provides a preview of the future. The International Event Safety Conference (I-ESC) will also be oriented towards the special tasks facing the event industry. Additionally, there will be a new edition of the Manufacturers’ Forum where companies present technical solutions for tomorrow’s events. The seminars will be held in the conference rooms of Hall 11.0.
Even in challenging times, Prolight + Sound aims to create a pulsating trade-fair experience and offer numerous special attractions and events. For example, there will be an exciting ‘experience zone’ with interactive activity areas revolving around music production and live performance. To be called ProDJ SMF, the zone is being organised in cooperation with the Sample Music Festival. The Vintage Concert Audio Show in Hall 8.0 presents milestones of four decades of concert PA systems and, in an exclusive special exhibition, brings to life the live sounds of the sixties, seventies, eighties and nineties. But that’s not all: visitors can also delve into the world of immersive sound in several Audio Demo Rooms.
The desire for events and entertainment will return – and with it the demand for well-trained personnel and fresh ideas. Against this background, Prolight + Sound invites students and trainees to the Future Talents’ Day on the Tuesday of the fair (13 April 2021). There, they will find a special programme of lectures on career scenarios in the event industry.
A year later than planned, the new Future Hub will make its debut at Prolight + Sound 2021 and bring together offers of particular significance to young companies and professionals. Part of the space is a Start-up Area where new and innovative enterprises can make presentations under special conditions. At the Campus, universities and other institutes of further education present courses of study focusing on events. Also part of the Future Hub is the Career Centre. Organised in cooperation the VPLT, this is the optimum venue where companies with positions to fill can make contact with skilled personnel looking for new challenges. The Future Hub is distinguished by the use of resource-friendly materials throughout and will be powered by green electricity – completely in the spirit of the ‘green event’ trend.
With all these special shows and flexible presentation options, Prolight + Sound provides the optimum setting for the great event-industry reunion. Exhibitors are invited to register for the fair now. Further information and registration forms can be found at www.prolight-sound.com.