Writing in an opinion piece, Racape says that while sign-makers and any related businesses must embrace the new normal, and that the initial impact of Covid-19 is likely to harm the AV sector, there will be huge opportunity for growth here.

Racape comments that there are already signs of recovery in the AV market as countries and regions continue to relax their Covid-19 measures, and both AV and digital signage technologies will have key roles to play in this recovery.

“As a manufacturer, we believe it’s our duty to support our system integrators and installation partners through this; together we represent a passionate AV community and we sustain a great deal of employment that must be protected,” Racape says.

“The need for technology for many industries is quickly moving from a ‘would like to have’ to a ‘must have’ as they are forced to adapt. These forced changes represent significant new opportunities for the AV industry to step up and make a difference.

“We believe digital signage will play an intrinsic role in maintaining social distancing in public settings and that it will become an increasingly used and accepted medium for communicating messaging and instruction.”

Racape goes on to say that in addition to adapting digital technologies for the “new normal”, he says the industry should seek to enhance its skillsets in order to cope with this new demand.

He says that the market should strengthen its knowledge and awareness so that suppliers and manufacturers can confidently approach and provide customers with the tools they need to get back to some level of normality.

“This is bigger than one manufacturer,” Racape says, adding: “It is about helping the AV industry truly understand the opportunities available to us, as a collective, to provide and create true transformational change for our high streets and, indeed, any public setting with a regular footfall.”

If you have an interesting story or a view on this news, then please e-mail news@signlink.co.uk

Follow Rob on: