The DisplaySearch Digital Signage Conference, "Technology, Business Models and Collaboration: Giving Shape to a Fragmented Market," is set for August, according to a company release.

With the global digital signage market forecast to reach 7.4 million units by 2015 (from 400,000 units in 2005), it remains one of the fastest growing segments in the display business, the company said in a recent release. TFT LCD manufacturers are relying on the digital signage market to drive demand for large format displays; however, there is still a need to determine usage models to leverage digital signage for advertising and information dissemination.

Bringing together established market players and emerging companies, the DisplaySearch Digital Signage Conference, scheduled for August 17 in San Jose, Calif., will connect members of the digital signage supply chain. Presentations will focus on both near- and long-term digital signage opportunities in vertical markets such as retail, healthcare, restaurants, education, entertainment, hospitality and transportation, among others.

Many recent investments have been made in FPD production, including the world's largest LCD production facility in Sharp's Gen 10 LCD line, Panasonic's PDP investment with its new Amagasaki facility, and other major investments from Samsung, LG Displays and CMI. The need for these companies to diversify their portfolio beyond the production of FPDs for PCs and TVs is real, and thus, most are looking to the out-of-home digital signage market.

"While digital signage is most commonly associated with retail applications, strong growth in other segments such as healthcare, schools, restaurants and hospitality is forecasted in the coming years," said Chris Connery, vice president of large format commercial displays for DisplaySearch. "This year's Digital Signage Conference will provide an opportunity for executives from display, retail, advertising, software and other key players to learn from the past and gain an understanding of the present and future outlook of the digital signage sector."

Presentations will cover the following topics:

• Challenges and opportunities with mass deployments of digital displays in OOH (out-of-home) as well as outdoor environments
• Comparisons of more mature FPD technologies such as LCD and plasma against other display technologies such as rear-projection variants
• How super-narrow bezel LCDs and plasma products for video walls stack up against LED and other technologies, with special emphasis on "one big display vs. tiled-displays"
• The state-of-the-industry in terms of R&D efforts for new flat-panel digital signage solutions from touch to 3D to e-paper
• The continued emerging role of distribution in digital signage and ways major players there can bring order to a fragmented space previously characterized by multiple AV integrators
• Round table discussions from industry leaders in regards to which sub-vertical markets are currently experiencing the most traction
• Is CAPEX still the leading barrier for the mass-transition from analog poster boards to digital OOH displays?

To view the latest agenda and register for the conference, visit www.displaysearch.com/digitalsignage2010.

The Digital Signage Conference is part of the DisplaySearch August Conference Series, taking place August 17-19 in San Jose, California. The series also includes the following one-day conferences covering the display industry's hottest market segments:

• TV Ecosystem Conference, Wednesday, August 18, 2010
• Emerging Display Technologies Conference: Thursday, August 19, 2010