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Education to take center stage at Digital Signage Expo 2009

Annual show adds content and mobile digital signage seminars; continues to grow despite economy.  

January 11, 2009

Before the doors open, this show - the largest DSE to date - will host four educational sessions focused on interactive technology, self-service and digital signage devices. The sessions are set for Tuesday, Feb. 24.

"We wanted to offer more pre-show tracks this year and really give attendees a choice of where to go on Tuesday before the show," said Chris Gibbs, executive vice president of Exponation, host of DSE. "The education component of our event is definitely stepping up to the next level, and I think it's our duty to do so."

One of those sessions is Content Day, where attendees will hear from representatives of companies such as 2Hemispheres, Samsung, AT&T and Scala about what works and what doesn't when it comes to creating on-screen graphics and video.

Also running all day Tuesday will be a mobile and gesture-based digital signage summit, formally titled "Revolutionizing Interactive Marketing in Public Places: The Mobile and Gestural Imperative." Experts from Avenue A/Razorfish, YDreams, GestureTek and others will look at successful case studies involving some big brands, and discuss ideas for new ways to engage customers.

"Interactive technology dramatically changes the context of digital signage from a passive, more one-dimensional medium to a multidimensional medium that more fully engages users, significantly expands the audience," said Michael Mascioni, program director for the Mobile and Gestural Digital Signage Day.

Beyond interactive technology

Other topics for the day include building brand power, social networking and designing content for interactive screens.

"I think interactivity and experiential technology is really going to be where a lot of these companies see the effects of what these signs can do to enhance the experience for the customer and the consumer," Gibbs said. "It is really going to create a lot of 'a-ha' moments for a lot of people. Hopefully they'll say 'Yes, this is exactly what we need in our museum or in our hotel.'"

For the first time ever, DSE will host the Digital Signage Certified Expert program, put on by the Digital Signage Experts Group and Brawn Consulting. Attendees to the day-long program will be educated on topics such as digital signage hardware, networking, ROI, content and selling digital signage. Those who pass a test at the end of the day will earn the certification.

"Most of the thought leaders in this space gather at DSE every year and we want to take advantage of that and get them to share their experiences and knowledge so the industry can continue to grow," Gibbs said.

There are also two areas on the floor where presentations will be held throughout the Expo. One is in the new Content Pavilion, surrounded by companies that create or repurpose content specific to digital signage. There will be a small stage where companies in the pavilion can showcase their content in brief 20-minute presentations.

"Last year we heard a lot of people ask for content creation companies. This year we decided that we really needed a place to showcase that," Gibbs said.

The other on-floor demo area will be located in the Out-of-home Network Show, a part of the floor carved out for networks looking to attract advertisers and brand marketers. Networks such as CBS Outernet, Care Media and PRN will be showcasing their networks, including their audience demographics, locations and recent projects in a specialized presentation area.

Cautiously optimistic

While tradeshow attendance across all markets has taken a hit due to the economy (it was rumored that this year's CES had a third of the attendance from last year), Gibbs says he isn't worried about DSE.

"Digital signage is not just focused on retail, or hotels, or restaurants. We have a very wide range of verticals that attendees could come from," he said.