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CETW/KioskCom: A first-timer’s guide

Bill Yackey gives his picks for must-see sessions for first-time visitors to the upcoming CETW show.

November 1, 2010 by Bill Yackey — Manager, West IP Communications

Anyone who has followed my blogs and articles knows that I am an advocate for education in the digital signage industry. The industry is still young, and most people taking the dive into the technology have an understanding of the concepts, but haven’t deeply explored the technology available, project best practices and content strategies. As an industry, we want to avoid having networks fail for any reason, as it casts a negative shadow on the technology in general.

For this reason, I have been encouraged by the ever-increasing push for education, particularly on the entry-level, in the industry. Much of the recent push has stemmed from the creation of two associations within the industry, the existing Digital Screenmedia Association and the newly formed Digital Signage Federation. And while I think this kind of partisanship is a bit ridiculous in an industry as small as this, the air of competition between the two groups has both of them ramping up their efforts for advocacy and education. The benefactor is the end user of the technology – the IT or marketing person that is charged with managing the digital signage project for his or her company.

The upcoming Customer Engagement Technology World (formerly known as KioskCom) show is fertile ground for this type of person to grow their knowledge. This is now the official show for the Digital Screenmedia Association, and from the looks of it the group has done a good job partnering with organizer JD Events to come up with a robust line up of education sessions.

Having been to nearly every KioskCom show since 2007, I wanted to give my picks for must-see sessions designed for the first-time visitor, who is exploring the technology with the intention of a future project. 

You can reference these sessions on the CETW full session list. 

1. Lyle Bunn’s "SPEED” Digital Signage Training Program

SPEED is industry guru Lyle Bunn’s digital signage training course that is offered at several tradeshows throughout the year. The format is based around project management for digital signage projects, taking the user from concept through installation and continuing on with network maintenance and content management. Bunn is the expert in the industry that top companies turn to for consultation, and the Speed program has been widely accepted throughout the industry. Note that this session is for pre-registrants only and you must be conference attendee.

2. Digital Signage: A Venue Operator’s Guide to Implementing, Upgrading, and Maximizing Dynamic Digital Communication

A couple times a year, independent publisher MediaPlanet produces an insert on digital signage and digital out-of-home that is placed in thousands of USA Today’s in major markets. The publication is usually edited by Lyle Bunn. In this presentation, MediaPlanet will review its fourth insert, which is geared toward venue operators, advertisers, and customers. Notable in the presentation will be a case study on the digital signage installation in the Venetian and Palazzo in Vegas. This is one of many Tech Talks, which occur on small theatres on the show floor and are free to all attendees.

3. Beyond Digital Displays: Strategies For Effective Digital Communications

For anyone looking to provide real-time information to digital signage screens (RSS, news feeds, emergency messages, etc.), this session should prove to be valuable. David Wilkins is an expert in content delivery, having developed X20 Media into an award-winning delivery platform.  This session will focus on not only the delivery methods, but what kind of content to use if you plan for it to be updated regularly.

4. Reaching Your Customers: Leveraging Accountability and Analytics To Select DOOH Network Advertising

Users that are planning to integrate advertising into their digital signage project should consider this session, which will focus on measurement of DOOH networks. Like any marketing activity, DOOH needs to provide accountable metrics in order to calculate an ROI and justify the technology and time investment in the network. I like that this session is led by Ken Goldberg, who I consider a foremost expert on DOOH advertising strategy. His panel consists of companies that have all had success in a segment of the industry where many have not.

5. Prepare for Success: Pre-Launch Strategic Planning & Next Steps

For first time digital signage deployers, project management is paramount. If you can’t make the Speed training, I suggest  you consider this one, which is led by consultant Janet Webster. It looks to be a good overview of benefits, pitfalls, goal-setting and financing customer engagement technology, which includes digital signage, kiosks and mobile in this case. Look for case studies from Webster’s former employer, the U.S. Postal Service, as well as Harley-Davidson and Kohler Co.

6. Content Strategies for Engagement: Understanding your Customer’s Mindset

Content is sure to be one of the biggest struggles for deployers – how do you keep it fresh? What type of content do I use and when? Author and industry veteran Keith Kelsen recently wrote a book specifically geared at developing the right content for digital signage networks of all kinds. Especially for first-timers, this session will give you a better understanding of the types of digital signage networks (point of sale, point of wait and point of transit) and what content works best for each.

And last, I wanted to highlight a can’t-miss session for those in the industry. Patrick Quinn of PQ is set to give his annual Digital Out-Of-Home Media Forecast at the show, which is one of the most comprehensive studies done in the industry each year and includes info on market share, growth drivers and forecasts. The group’s findings set the tone for the industry in the upcoming year. Look for key results from the 4th edition of the PQ Media Global Digital Out-of-Home Media Forecast 2011-2015, which will be released at the show.

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