Peavey reinforces presence in Middle East
Published: MEA
MIDDLE EAST: Peavey Commercial Audio recently enjoyed a busy trip to the Middle East to visit customers, deliver training on MediaMatrix and also to visit a number of MediaMatrix/Crest Audio installations.
The importance of the region to Peavey Commercial Audio was recently underlined by a huge MediaMatrix order – in fact, the largest to come from the Middle East to date – based around 82 MediaMatrix Nion n3 DSP platforms destined for the brand new Qatar National Convention Centre in Doha. Currently under construction, the state-of-the-art venue is scheduled to open in March 2011.
‘There’s no doubt that the Middle East represents a very important market for us,’ confirmed PCA’s operations manager, James Kennedy. ‘Many of the world’s biggest and most prestigious projects are based here, so it’s crucial that we support our customers in every way we can.’
Ferrari World in Abu Dhabi is a case in point. As another significant MediaMatrix installation, Mr Kennedy took the opportunity to visit whilst he was there. ‘It’s simply breathtaking,’ he remarked. ‘And not just for Ferrari fans! In MediaMatrix terms, the final phase has yet to be completed, but what has been done so far – on every level – is exceptional.’
Another project that is currently underway is the re-engineering of the PA system in Zayed Sports City stadium in Abu Dhabi. Opened in 1980, Zayed Sports City is the largest stadium in Abu Dhabi and was one of the biggest Crest Audio/MediaMatrix installations of its time. Mr Kennedy met with audio consultant Trevor Cronin to discuss how best to bring the system into line with current standards and technology. ‘This is another huge project for yet another iconic venue and, like Ferrari World, a perfect example of why it’s so important that we provide our customers with the resources they need to handle projects of this scale, and that, of course, includes training.’
To that end, Kennedy visited three distributors throughout the region for training and presentations; Abu Moammar in Jeddah who, as a newly appointed distributor for PCA, received an intensive three-day ‘from the ground up’ training course on MediaMatrix. In addition to Abu Moammar staff, a number of independent systems integrators also participated. In Riyadh, Mr Kennedy provided a one-day session on the latest technologies and company roadmap to local distributor Saudi Media Systems, before heading to UAE distributor, VV & Sons in Dubai for a slightly different approach. ‘This was a fact-finding mission for us to learn more about the market in Dubai,’ explained Mr Kennedy. ‘In addition to our own meetings, VV & Sons also organised for us to give a presentation to Omnix International, one of the biggest A/V systems integration companies in the Middle East, where we focused particularly on the new Nion nE and Digitool Series. It was a highly worthwhile exercise for all concerned – and that goes for the whole trip. Whilst communication is faster and easier in this electronic age, nothing can replace or even come close to the value of a personal visit. My thanks to everyone involved for making it such a success.’