Review: DIGITAL SIGNAGE EXPO 2010

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DIGITAL SIGNAGE EXPO 2010 reaffirmed its status as the leading exhibition concerned with digital signage and demonstrated that innovation in this industry is fast continuing.
 
With over 3,250 visitors and over 140 international exhibitors, DIGITAL SIGNAGE EXPO 2010 and KIOSK EUROPE EXPO 2010 attracted an even higher quality of visitors, who were real decision makers from an even more international field.
 
Innovation in interactivity and intuition were key themes of this year’s exhibitions and Forums. Emerging technologies such as facial recognition kiosks, 3D displays, mobile interactivity, augmented reality and advanced multi-touch and gesture interactivity were seen to be starting to move away from prototypes with real-life installations of some of these emerging technologies for international brands.
 
The event was even more interactive this year, with a dedicated mobile application from metaio which enabled visitors to explore and experience the event with the aid of their smart phone, which pointed them in the direction of key attractions, provided further information on special exhibits and also abstracts on upcoming talks in the Forum.
 
In the Open Forum, experts from within the digital signage industry, including JCDecaux, Futuramedia, Metro AG-Media Markt and Saturn, Harrods, Monopoly Media and IMTV, discussed the challenges and opportunities of out-of-home networks, presented retail case studies from Harrods and MediaMarkt, discussed content demands of effective digital signage and closed with a European and US outlook for digital signage. Visitors looking for an insight into the global markets for self-service and digital signage were able to gain this knowledge at this popular Forum. Further specialised Workshops focusing on Mobile Interactivity and Museum Installations were also appreciated by visitors.
 
As part of the celebration of Essen and the surrounding Ruhr area being European Capital of Culture 2010, the exhibitions’ very own “Interactive Museum” was a great success. Interactive exhibits from 3D kiosks, gesture-based digital book readers to outdoor informational kiosks and holographic works of art all proved that museums across the world need to incorporate interactive solutions to appeal to the modern day visitor.
 
In the Futures Parlour, universities and other research bodies presented prototypes for the future of interactivity, from mobile interactivity, facial recognition kiosks, to real-time augmented reality and other live customer interaction scenarios.
 
Testimony to the success of the two events is the rebooking onsite during the exhibitions. Jens Schindler, Managing Director of the organiser, hf media & events, explains, “We have had very good feedback from our exhibitors: they were pleased both by the quality of the visitors and the international spread of them, as well as the number of leads and orders they brought. Many of our exhibitors have already rebooked stands for 2011 and many of these are actually upgrading to take double the space next year on the basis of the outstanding results of this year’s events.”
 
The more than 140 exhibitors included companies operating at an international level, such as Samsung, Optoma, Epson, Hyundai and LG. Sponsors were Bell Microproducts, impuls.TV, Provisio and Star Micronics.
 
DIGITAL SIGNAGE EXPO 2011 and KIOSK EUROPE EXPO 2011 will take place at Messe Essen, Essen, Germany, from the 24th to the 26th May 2011.