SATIS 2002

Meeting with the Organiser

Véronique MARKARIAN, the administrator of SATIS met with Cinenow during the event. She explained the background to this annual expo dedicated to sound and image technologies, bringing together not only traditional professionals of the sector, but also those involved in corporate communication.

Could you please present SATIS for us?
V.M: SATIS (Le Salon des Technologies de l’Image et du Son) is this year celebrating it’s 20th anniversary. This European event, followed by a certain number of professionals, is considered today as the reference in France in its domain. Effectively, SATIS, hosting a majority of players when it comes to professional AV, and is the only event of its kind in France.
SATIS, which was previously dedicated more particularly to Broadcast and Cinema, this year opened up to the Corporate and Institutional markets, due to demand by the exhibitors.
In any case, as one can’t overlook the general consumers, we’ve also noted an infatuation by certain enthusiasts to come and visit the show. It has to be recognised that today, thanks to the onset of digital, many people don’t hesitate to spend several thousand euros for their personal equipment. SATIS allows them to look and compare with a view to purchasing.

Why this reorientation?
V.M: Trends we’ve noted in previous editions as well as in the market itself have allowed us to understand that the sectors of broadcast and cinema have been going through difficult times, due to the economic situation. Each player is becoming more spendthrift, for example, several years ago, a TV report required a cameraman, a sound engineer and a journalist. Today, it can be done by one person. The latter becomes the key to this economy, because it’s he who realises the whole report. It was important for us, as organisers, to allow our exhibitors to develop their business by presenting the players in the more active markets.
By reorienting SATIS, we aimed to attract a new clientele composed essentially of corporations: study offices, architects, shopping centres, department stores, hotels, restaurants, conference centres, councils, marketing organisations, etc. SATIS intervenes to inform these sectors of the different AV solutions in the market. Finally, we believe that today it is these businesses that have the economic potential that will allow this stagnant market to find a new dynamic.

Who are the main exhibitors this year?
V.M: SATIS offers a large and exhaustive panorama of solutions, products and services in the areas of audio and video destined to the broadcast, corporate and internet markets. There are 280 exhibitors at the show representing almost 750 brands. Those presenting Home Cinema proeucts include: Toshiba, Barco, Epson, Infocus, Mitsubishi, Sanyo, Fujitsu, Hitachi, etc. They’re here mainly to unveil their latest products to the public.

In parallel to the expo, you also organise a series of conferences dedicated to multi-channel sound?
V.M: Yes… as we’ve done for the past five years, we propose to visitors to come and watch as series of conferences – debates dedicated to the complex world of multi-channel sound. They’re a kind of Multi-Channel sound observatory… a meeting place between the main players in the sector, the AV professionals who pass on the benefit of their experience in the field.

How are you celebrating the 20th anniversary of SATIS ?
V.M: Two major exhibitions are taking place during the show. Firstly, the audio area is hosting an exhibition on the theme, "60 years of magnetic recording" – the history of the first stereo tape-recording devices, evoking the fabulous adventure of tape. The second exhibition presents a retrospective of colour cameras from the private collection of Bernard Tichit. It covers the past 40 years and contains some rare models.

Official site of SATIS