ABU @ INTERBEE 2017
Report by Mr Anthony Roebeck, Samoa Broadcasting Corporation
The 53rd International Broadcast Equipment Exhibition, a professional exhibition of audio, video and communications equipment, was held at Makuhari Messe in Chiba, Japan from 15 to 17 November 2017. The event was organised by The Japan Electronics and Information Technology Industries Association (JEITA) with the support of various partners.
A record high of 1,139 exhibiting companies and organizations participated in the Inter BEE 2017, which is a 4.5 percent participation increase compared to the previous year.
Inter BEE brought together under one roof state-of-the-art video and audio production, compression/transmission and display technologies, including 4K/8K shooting/editing technologies as well as high dynamic range (HDR) and high frame rate (HFR). In particular, there was an increase in the number of exhibitors offering 8K technologies.
IT-related companies also attended Inter BEE to utilize clouds toward increasing the efficiency of broadcasting operations or Internet distribution and to capture the Internet protocol (IP) market. These companies showcased content distribution networks (CDN) for the first time. Moreover, new trends not previously seen at Inter BEE were unfolded such as the holding of a fifth generation mobile communication system (5G) session in the keynote speech in addition to running the IP Showcase that compile themes in IP live transmission.
An experience demo of speakers used for live events and other applications was one of the main attraction of Inter BEE. This brought together a record high of 15 products in the largest arena of the Makuhari Messe Event Hall to allow visitors to experience the quality of loud sound. This provided the invaluable opportunity to see a line-up of high quality products for which there are few chances to listen and compare.
It was an opportunity to experience the media communications and entertainment world of the near future at Inter BEE through exhibitions and
presentations of the latest products by companies exhibiting from Japan and overseas, as well as conference sessions and events with various themes. A showcase for the world’s most advanced technologies, Inter BEE continues to respond to the needs of professionals in the field. By incorporating both Japanese and international markets, the exhibition has become a steady channel of industry information to its target audience. For exhibitors and visitors alike, Inter BEE continues to be a forum for effective exchange of meaningful information and the creation of business opportunities.
Attending Inter BEE 2017 was one of the highlights of my career. It provided the opportunity to be part of a state of the art exhibition, provided access to the most advanced technology in the broadcast industry, allowed an invaluable network with top professionals in the field, and renewed and boosted motivation to better our service. The experience further brought emphasis on the fast paced advancing technology that is readily available to the developed world. Although this technology may be a challenge for us, a small Pacific Island broadcaster, to attain given our limited resources, we try our very best to keep up and not be left behind.
My heartfelt gratitude to ABU and JEITA for this wonderful opportunity and hope more capacity building opportunities come our way.