An Interview with Grace Kuo

Sales Director at ROE Visual

AVL TIMES had the exclusive opportunity to an interview with Grace Kuo, Sales Director at ROE Visual, as she shares valuable insights of the company, and especially what’s next for ROE Visual, a globally leading LED display manufacturer.

Founded in 2006, ROE Visual started the journey of making the best LED display platforms. Not just any LED panel, but the best. Carefully selected high‐end components, the latest technology, in‐depth knowledge and a lot of passion go into ROE Visual’s LED products. Being familiar with the challenges of the market, the company offers the best possible solution for the creatives, designers, and technicians that rely on ROE Visual’s LED products for a flawless installation, shoot or performance.

Dedicated to the philosophy of delivering the latest display technology with a lot of passion, now we have the global presence to ensure our exceptional services. Headquartered in Shenzhen, ROE Visual has grown into a globally operating company with sales and service operations based in the USA, the Netherlands, Japan and the UK, serving over 500 customers in more than 90 countries.

Foremost, ROE Visual is a collection of people who are open in their engagement with customers and partners. Based on these profound partnerships, transformations are allowed. This ability to listen and adapt is what defines companies like ROE Visual.

How much growth for your industry do you see in the next 2 years for the Middle East and APAC territories.

1. Do you see sales growth in Middle East for 2023 the same as 2022, or will be stronger by 15%, 25%, etc.

2. Do you see sales growth in APAC for 2023 the same as 2022, or will be stronger by 15%, 25%, etc.

Looking ahead, the future of the Pro AV industry as a whole is promising. With its vast range of applications, this is a lucrative sector valued at over USD 200 billion. Furthermore, the Pro AV market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 7.9% between 2022 and 2027, with the Middle East and Africa region's market size projected to increase by USD 113.26 billion. (From Khalid’s interview)

Which industry sectors within the Middle East market make ROE Visual products and video technology a growing industry to be involved in?

ROE Visual products and video technology are poised for growth and increasing demand across various industry sectors within the Middle East market.

Entertainment and Events: The Middle East is known for its vibrant entertainment and events industry, which includes concerts, festivals, corporate events, and exhibitions. ROE Visual products, such as high‐ resolution LED displays, LED video walls, and creative visual solutions, are extensively used to create immersive and captivating visual experiences, enhancing the overall event atmosphere and ensuring an unforgettable audience experience.

Furthermore, the broadcasting and media sector in the Middle East has been rapidly evolving with the emergence of new television channels and production houses. ROE Visual products play a crucial role in this industry, providing high‐quality LED video walls, studio displays, and virtual production solutions that enhance the visual appeal of news broadcasts, TV shows, sports events, and other media productions.

These industry sectors collectively make ROE Visual products and video technology a growing industry in the Middle East market, driven by the increasing need for visually captivating experiences, practical communication tools, and enhanced brand promotion.

Are there differences (type of applications, quantity of products, scale of projects) between the Middle East and the APAC market segments for video solutions?

Yes, there are differences between the Middle East and the APAC (Asia‐Pacific) market segments for video solutions in terms of application types, quantity of products, and scale of projects. Let me explain these differences:

Application Types: While both regions have a diverse range of applications for video solutions, there are variations in the specific industries and use cases. In the Middle East, as mentioned earlier, the focus is on sectors such as entertainment and events, broadcast and media, retail and corporate. These industries heavily utilize video solutions for immersive experiences, brand promotion, visual communication, and interactive displays. In the APAC region, in addition to these sectors, there is a strong emphasis on industries like transportation, control rooms government.

Quantity of Products: The Middle East market has witnessed a rapid increase in the demand for video solutions, driven by the region's growing

economy, rising population, and thriving industries. However, due to the relatively smaller geographical size and population of the Middle East compared to the APAC region, the quantity of video products required may be comparatively lower. The APAC market, on the other hand, encompasses a vast and diverse range of countries, including China, India, Japan, South Korea, and Southeast Asian nations, with larger populations and a higher demand for video solutions across multiple industries.

Consequently, the APAC market typically involves a larger quantity of video products.

Scale of Projects: The scale of video solution projects can vary between the Middle East and the APAC region. In the Middle East, where luxury and grandeur are often prioritized, there is a tendency for large‐scale projects that require high‐resolution LED displays, extensive video walls, and immersive visual installations. This is evident in the construction of extravagant shopping malls, iconic landmarks, and entertainment complexes.

In contrast, while there are also large‐ scale projects in the APAC region, there is a broader spectrum of project sizes, ranging from small to medium to large, depending on the specific industry and application requirements.

It is important to note that these differences are not absolute and can vary based on specific countries, cities, and market conditions within the Middle East and the APAC region.

Market dynamics, cultural preferences, economic factors, and technological advancements can influence the variations observed in the types of applications, quantity of products, and scale of projects related to video solutions in each region.

Which markets are currently of most interest to you: rental, commercial install, worship, education, broadcast, studio, etc.

ROE Visual’s products are used for a wide scope of applications. Having a very strong position in the rental and film market, also for the broadcast markets etc., we also see a lot of cross‐over between markets, so typically, our products find their way to all of these market horizontals. With a drive for product innovation, we’re always quick to adapt to changing market demand, developing products tailored to specific needs.

What are the newest market trends in video technology that have emerged over the last 24 months?

As a LED manufacturer, we can see the rise of virtual production technology, flip‐chip in production, and COB techniques.

For the virtual production field, the emergency of GhostFrame technology improves the production workflow efficiency. As a powerful suite of features, GhostFrame creates simplified, faster workflows in the application of virtual production technology for film and broadcast productions.

When it comes to the LED production process, the flip chip technique is worth mentioning. Offering a very efficient heat dissipation, flip‐chip LEDs have a high luminous efficiency, which caters for the market demand for higher brightness and contrast.

Next to that, COB technology becomes more mature. Product performance and quality are improving, and costs begin to decline, making it more suitable for wider‐scale applications. It is believed that the COB process will become the backbone of the display market in the future.

At InfoComm 2023, ROE Visual will showcase new product lines positioned for this market in addition to standards in their LED creative display arsenal for XR applications. New products will include the new chip‐on‐board (COB) LED display, Coral series and ArtMorph from the ROE‐powered brand, CECOCECO.

Which recently completed or currently ongoing projects using your products are you most proud of?

Ed Sheeran’s Mathematics Tour has shown an unconventional and innovative in the round concept, accompanied by eye‐catching LED elements. ROE Visual LED products, provided by Colonel Tom Touring, were used for several video elements in the show. ROE Visual Vanish V8T for the central HALO, Carbon CB5 for the mast hoop structure and plectrum screens, and Black Marble for the stage floor.

With the most advanced equipment, NantStudios built an LED virtual studio with an area of about 2400m² in Stage 1 of Docklands Studios in Melbourne, Australia, which is now the largest virtual studio in the world. Stage 1 uses 4,704pcs ROE Visual’s BP2V2 LED panels as the main background wall of the virtual studio, and 1,083pcs CB5 LED panels as the ceiling, which is specially used for large‐scale film and TV shooting.

On November 20, the opening ceremony of the 2022 Qatar World Cup was held at the Gulf Stadium. Nearly 60,000 fans were present, and millions of viewers watched the opening ceremony. For the opening ceremony of the Qatar World Cup, Middle East CT also provided ROE Visual’s Vanish 8T LED as the main display device, presenting wonderful live performances to the audience.

Please tell us what you personally find exciting and/or challenging about being involved as a key participant in the growth of video technology for newer and future applications.

Every time we support a great project or studio setup, we are motivated to explore and discover more advanced display techniques. In this way, we can help the users of ROE Visual panels create immersive digital backdrops when shooting, improving production efficiency. With no complacency, we are always on the way to combine visual art and cutting‐edge techniques so that the users can achieve the ideal viewing experiences.

www.roevisual.com