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For Immediate Press Release

The Media Wall Network Another World-First in Dubai  

11^th June 2007. Dubai. The Dubai Shopping Festival and ARCA, Arabian Renaissance Commercial Advertisement, Dubai, have signed a contract to leverage on their collective strengths to launch a city-wide visual merchandising network.

Utilizing appropriate multimedia & display technologies the network consists of individual display hardware dubbed “Media Walls’ at select locations in Dubai, networked to enable a centralized content management system. Using a multi-port display format 10ft wide, the Media Wall is to function as an oasis of information to shoppers to Dubai as it welcomes & guides visitors as it details events & sales promotions across Dubai.

This network of Media Walls will also enable retailers in Dubai to showcase their wares and advertise their goods/services like a city-wide electronic shop window. When completed, this multimedia merchandising network across the city of Dubai would be the first ever city-wide, large-format network in the world. ARCA, part of the Bin Butti Group of Establishments under the Chairmanship of H.E. Sheikh Hamed Bin Khadem Bin Butti Al Hamed has plans for a pan -Arabian merchandising network via satellite by 2010 at select retails outlets across the GCC. 

According to Arun KP, CEO, Future Advertising Technologies (FAT), such a networked multimedia signage system across the city is a necessity more than a luxury given the growth of Dubai as a shopping destination expected to host 15 million tourists by 2010. Media wall will be different, Big is Better. Advertisers will get more mileage with Media Walls

“These Media Walls can be expected to stand out prominently given the predominantly still-image visual merchandising environment of retail venues in Dubai today “ says Joseph NR, Technical Director  at ARCA. “ They will be the throbbing focal points at food courts and lobbies that can seriously alter spending patterns for the better”

“Given the different cultures, languages and literacy levels of the shopper from 4 different continents that flock to Dubai, the moving image format that uses digital Video & animation is the only language that can be used to communicate to this lot effectively” says Arun. He further adds      “unlike individual plasma screens at malls, the content on the 10ft wide Media Wall is readable at 5 ft and also from 150 ft given the viewing distances in the Malls”

Joseph adds on “Phase One of the project will see the installation of 25 such Media Walls at select locations to be functional by DSF2008. ARCA plans to install a total of 50 Media Walls linked either via VSAT or broadband Internet using Video over Internet Protocol (VOIP) with support from in-house content development to provide retailers in Dubai with a state-of-the-art, point of purchase medium to further improve retail sales.”

Each Media Wall features a four port display format. While the largest port, 10ft wide, will display advertisements, the three smaller ports will display tourism promotional materials, useful information in Textual format in 15 different languages and other useful multimedia messages to shoppers in Dubai. When completed, this multimedia merchandising network across the city of Dubai would be the first –large format network in the world.

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ARUN KP

Consortium Operating Officer (COO)

Future Advertising Technologies

PO Box : 24093

Dubai – United Arab Emirates