Rob Sherman takes visitors through some of the latest products in the audio-visual segment.

By Anand Holla

It was a glimpse into the future of the audio-visual possibilities, an event devised to involve the local community in Qatar and present to them first-hand information on some of the finest audio-visual professional solutions in the market.
At the first-ever two-day Sony Technology Event for Professionals (STEP) conference in Doha, held recently at The St. Regis Doha, Sony Professional Solutions MEA, Fifty One East and Darwish Technology, its local partner, united a broad range of stakeholders including key system integrators, consultants, broadcast professionals, faculty and students of applied media and mass communication to experience the future of AV.
Featuring dedicated consultants who showcased the best of solutions for various segments ranging from auditoriums, classrooms, boardrooms, security control rooms, video studios and home cinema, the conference offered interesting alternatives.
Rob Sherman, Managing Director, Sony Professional Solutions MEA, has spent most of his early life in the Gulf region; he was born in Baghdad and moved to Kuwait then to Dubai in 1967. Following his early schooling in Kuwait and Dubai, he commuted to boarding school in the UK to complete his education, and eventually joined the Royal Navy before entering the arena of helming electronics companies.
Community spoke with Sherman to know more about the audio-visual scenario and customer demands:

What is the significance of the STEP conference in Doha?
Qatar’s audio visual community has been rapidly evolving over the recent phase. In response to this dynamic change, Sony Professional Solutions MEA, Fifty One East and Darwish Technology, our local partner, teamed up to host the first-ever Sony Technology Event for Professionals (STEP) conference in Doha. As a leading company in providing professional audio visual solutions we wanted to gain a better understanding of the market requirements and ensure that our solutions add value to every aspect of our customers business. STEP is just one of the exciting ways that Sony engaged with all stakeholders and help shape the future of audio visual solutions in Qatar.

In what way did the conference connect with its audience?
At STEP, we showcased a sample of the breadth of our product range and demonstrated our position as industry-leading innovators in technologies in broadcast, security and professional display solutions. We also connected and spoke directly to our customers and understood how we can better support and work with them.

What could you make of the demands or requirements of Qatar’s audio-visual enthusiasts?
Qatar has leap-frogged over the years in terms of leading business, innovations and knowledge and we believe that this trend will continue to grow. And from our perspective as a leading broadcast, projector and video security solutions provider, we are keen to continue researching and expanding our presence in the Qatar to meet growing user demand and expectations. The Qatar market is very promising and we are very enthusiastic about the potential the various application areas for our solutions can contribute in this market.

How challenging is it for Sony to keep up with the constant and fast-paced evolution of technology, and more so, in the Gulf market?
Fifty One East and Darwish Technology have been proudly distributing Sony products for over 50 years in Qatar and have been closely associated with all the innovative products that Sony has launched over the years. Together we have made remarkable achievements in different areas such as broadcasting, education, hospitality and we do have the biggest market share. Due to our strong heritage and presence in the market, we fully understand the pulse and requirements of the market. The trend now is for customers wanting an entire solution as opposed to stand alone products being sold. Sony works hand-in-hand with several system integrators and consultants to deliver a complete solution with various partners to the end customer.