A whole new world

If you are thinking about dipping your toe into the digital signage sector any time soon, then you will unfortunately find that the UK is now without a dedicated exhibition to service this sector. Following the passing of Screen Media Expo, the only show organisers to seriously tip its hat at this sector is FESPA and Retail Design Expo, which both have digital signage-orientated satellite areas. If you want something in Europe that has a large overview of the sector and exhibitors that have set themselves up to sell fully integrated hardware and software solutions, then your choices are still fairly narrow. Other than a few mini-exhibitions, ISE in Amsterdam is one of the only key names in this regard, but is still quite hard going for the sign-maker. Although a massive multi-hall international event, its focus is more on system integrators and audio visual (AV) specialists that will buy hardware from one supplier, software from another, and pull it together themselves—normally the preserve of large AV specialists. So, you have to look to our cousins across the pond and the glitzy city of Las Vegas before you will find an event that has been set up to cater for industries such as ours more directly.
 
Kicking off on March 15th for its conference programme before the halls open on the 16th, Digital Signage Expo (DSE) is the world’s largest and longest running trade show and conference exclusively dedicated to showcasing innovative digital communications and interactive technology solutions. In its twelfth year, DSE has grown to over 75,000 net square feet of exhibition space and attracts thousands of visitors from all over the world.

“Attendees come from 18 end-user verticals including corporate, education, restaurant, retail, and systems integration,” says show director for Digital Signage Expo, Andrea Varrone, who adds: “DSE also offers the largest and most diversified digital signage and DOOH educational program anywhere in the world.”



Jason Stuehmer, IT product manager at Dunkin’ Brands, a visitor to the 2015 show comments: “The best part of the show for me was the EXPO hall. It’s amazing to see the new technology that the exhibitors have on display and all of the innovation that this industry is realising.”


Jeremy Gavin, head content chef of ScreenFeed, adds: “The fact that DSE has almost everyone who is someone in the industry on the show floor is amazing. DSE is the best show, and the only show we’ll do this year.”

Varrone notes that there are a few ‘must-see’ aspects to the show: “The Innovator Zone is where first time exhibitors will be showcasing the latest and greatest technology to hit the market; the New Product Showcase features many of the new products to be unveiled at DSE 2016; the Digital Content Show is a specific area where content producers are showing off their capabilities; and new for 2016 is a Self Service Pavilion where kiosk manufacturers will be displaying products.



“We are seeing continued growth in OLED transparent displays, projection mapping, content management software, kiosks, and thin displays.”

From the mouths of experts

DSE 2016 will feature 125 speakers, presenting 40 seminar sessions, 24 round table discussions, and 28 free on-floor workshops. A keynote presentation by internationally acclaimed sales and marketing strategist David Meerman Scott, titled Real-time Marketing, a New Approach to Expand the Power of Digital Signage, will outline meaningful, measurable, and low or no-cost strategies that can instantly reach digital signage audiences directly.



He will demonstrate how large and small companies and organisations can leverage digital signage content to get the right information to the right people at the right time, for a fraction of the cost of big-budget campaigns.



DSE also offers a variety of opportunities to learn more about the industry or specific technologies, with seminars presented by leading industry experts and specialists. These are targeted for the full range of visitors’ expertise, from basic to advanced.

To give a flavour of what is on offer, here are just three examples. In Dog Whistles to Kool-Aid: Avoiding Business Technology Mistakes, Margaret Kittridge, vice president of Intersection and Ken Goldberg, chief executive officer of Real Digital Media, will examine how to calmly assess your business model and technology options in order to make smart business decisions that will help in responding to a changing environment.

Introduction to Digital Signage: A Roadmap for Success, presented by Nick DeCarlo, director, restaurant solutions at Wendy’s and Alan Brawn, principal and co-owner of Brawn Consulting, will provide a basic roadmap of the key elements of digital signage and a step-by-step process that can be used as a continuing reference to fully understand what needs to be done and in what order to ensure the success of a project.

Focusing on systems integration/installation, in Capitalising on your Opportunities: Dynamic Signage for Integrators, Richard Morris, director, global hotel and resort operations systems at Hilton Worldwide and Lyle Bunn, The BUNN Company’s principal and strategy architect, will help integrators understand the medium and how demand from end-users can be properly harnessed.

“The best part of the show was the seminars,” asserted Paul Fleuranges, senior director, corporate and internal communications, New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority, after visiting DSE 2015, adding: “Each one was chock full of actionable information which I intend to share with my colleagues.”

O Factoid: DSE is a four-times winner of the Tradeshow Week ‘Fastest 50’ award, which is given to the 50 fastest growing trade and consumer shows annually. O

Taking the floor On the exhibition floor itself, free workshops cover an equally wide range of topics across the full spectrum of the digital signage industry, providing tips and hints, how-to information, technical guidance, and marketing and customer communications expertise.

To mention just a few, Creativity in LED Video Design by Jeff Everson, applications engineer at Daktronics, will discuss the latest screen technology and show how LED video, when used creatively, can impact experiential design.

Josh Hoffert, director of professional services, Cast Net will also present Integrating Data to Boost Digital Signage Engagement, and will demonstrate how internal and external data can be integrated to make the most of digital signage deployment.

In her presentation Smart Town, Smart City, Smart World: The Future of the Connected Community, Jessie Kim, chief strategy officer of Enplug will talk about how cities and governments have embraced technology to make their communities more efficient and interconnected than ever before, with examples of real-world implementations and the benefits of the ‘Smart City’ concept.

Other workshops include 3D Digital Contact Landscape, Mad About Mobile: How Personal Screens Drive the Success of Your Public Displays, Disruptive Technologies that will Drive Digital Signage, the intriguingly titled Snackable Content for an Omni-channel World, and Creative Direction for Non-creatives: How to Unleash your Designers Toward Digital Signage Immortality.

And there’s more…

Additionally, on Tuesday March 15th there will be a full day of pre-show event options including the Guided Installation Coach Tour, DOOH Strategy Summit,  Digital Retailing Forum, and two Digital Signage Certified Expert Programs. On Friday there are also two additional Digital Signage Certified Network Programs.

The six-hour pre-show Guided Installation Tour will provide customer-facing views and behind-the-scenes insights into some of the best digital signage installations in Las Vegas, highlighting a variety of installations, both on and off the famous Las Vegas Boulevard ‘strip’. Spokespeople representing the venues and technology will be on hand to answer questions and speak to about the challenges they faced in concept, design and implementation, as well as providing insights into their solutions and results. Featured locations include the Aria Resort and Casino, Fashion Show Mall, and Omnia Nightclub. And if you need any further reason to attend DSE 2016, Varrone says that 246 exhibiting companies joined DSE in 2015, with 56 exhibiting for the first time and 44 from international markets.



“DSE hosts attendees from around the world. The 2015 show welcomed 1,067 international attendees and exhibitors from 60 countries outside of the US. The reason this number keeps climbing is because there simply is no other event worldwide that offers what we do,” concludes Varrone.



A final endorsement

A resounding endorsement of the benefits of attending DSE as a UK exhibitor comes from Tyne and Wear-based touch technology specialists Zytronic Displays, which will be exhibiting at DSE for the fourth time this year.

Zytronic produces a range of projected capacitive technology touch interactive products in which the sending element is embedded behind the first surface of the touch substrate. The projected capacitive sensing solution supports displays up to 85” and can detect up to 40 touch points. The company’s award winning touch technology products are used in a range of industries and public access and service applications, such as information and financial kiosks, ticketing, gaming and vending machines, as well as by military, computer, telematics, and medical devices.



“At DSE 2016 we’re showcasing our ultra large size projected capacitive sensors, with a 40-point multi-touch screen mounted on a 4K display,” says sales and marketing director, Ian Crosby, adding: “In addition we’ll have a 55’ multi-touch sensor in a table, demonstrating how durable our technology is in the format. And finally, we’ll be showing another 55-inch sensor—this time a film type, which is ideal for retailers wanting to make ‘window shopping’ a reality.



“DSE is a great event for meeting with customers, new and existing, and keeping them abreast of our latest touch screen product developments.”

Digital Signage Expo 2016 is clearly the place to be, whatever your interest or market sector, if you want to see all the latest products and trends under one roof. And the whole range of educational opportunities that run both within and alongside the main show only adds to the benefits to be gained from visiting this show. So, while it may be quite a hop across to Las Vegas, if you are serious about getting into digital signage, then it seems well worth the investment and time out of the office.

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