New sports facilities, clubs, hotels, airports, theme parks, broadcasting stations, and entertainment venues are springing up right across the country, creating strong demand for pro-sound, lighting and entertainment products. This is demonstrated by the fact that over 12,000 professional visitors - including retailers, dealers, distributors, technicians, engineering contractors and stage & lighting designers - attended the show in 2006.
China has allocated some US$17 billion in funds to build 42 new airports over the next five years, and to upgrade existing transportation infrastructure. Other entertainment and cultural projects, like the World Expo 2010, and the new Walt Disney Theme Park, scheduled to open in Shanghai in 2012, will serve to push demand for high quality AV and communications technology even higher.
• Foreign manufacturers who have concerns over copyists at fairs in China will be heartened by China's new initiatives to clamp down on product piracy at exhibitions.The Chinese Ministry of Commerce, State Administration of Industry & Commerce, State Copyright Bureau and State Intellectual Property Office have jointly released a paper entitled "Measures for the Protection of Intellectual Property Rights During Exhibitions". This paper places a responsibility on the shoulders of the exhibition organisers to increase efforts to ensure copied products will not be exhibited. An onsite office for the handling of any IPR complaints or queries will be set-up at Prolight + Sound Shanghai 2007 to offer exhibitors and visitors advice and guidance on legal and IPR-related issues.
(Jim Evans)
