(openPR) - Philadelphia, PA –Digital Signage Expo East (DSE East) and Interactive Technology Expo East (ITEE), the regional versions of the international Digital Signage Expo and Interactive Technology Expo, today announced that qualified attendees to the show surpassed expectations and numbered in excess of 900! (Final and more comprehensive attendance statistics are pending).”

The new regional event delivered on its promise to attract a more regional audience, of end-users, brand and advertising executives who don’t want to, or don’t have the budget to travel to the industry’s premier international event, Digital Signage Expo, which is staged annually in Las Vegas in February.

Chris Gibbs, Executive Vice President of Exponation, LLC, which owns and produces the event, said, “The show exceeded everyone’s expectations. Thanks to the support of forty visionary exhibitors, we were able to help the industry make another ‘giant sales call’ on potential new customers bringing the exciting technology our industry offers to a more regional information-hungry audience. Exhibitors reported high levels of satisfaction with the quality and the quantity of the event’s attendees, as well as the new educational features.”

The two new and unique education features that marked the point of difference at this new event were the “Lunch & Learn Roundtable Program” and the “Free On-floor Workshops.” Both were hosted by exhibitors, were heavily attended, and provided a more intimate learning experience. Gibbs added, “This was a great start and we have high expectations for the next “East” event in Washington, DC in 2009.”

Event attendees included, among others, executives from Aetna, Aramark, AT&T, Benjamin Moore, Best Buy, City of Alexandria, Clear Channel, Comcast, Gaylord Entertainment, Georgia Aquarium, Lowe’s Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Mayo Clinic, National Park Service, Lockheed Martin, Pennsylvania Historical Museum, Princeton University, Reuters, Regal Entertainment, Royal Bank of America, Sears, The Smithsonian Institute, The Space Telescope Science Institute, Sprint, The Staples Center, State Museum of Pennsylvania, State University of New York, Swiss Farm Stores, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Titan Worldwide, University of Pennsylvania, Verizon Wireless and Villanova University, Wal-Mart, and Wyndham Vacation Ownership.

Both events move to the Washington Convention Center in Washington, DC, September 23-24, 2009. Exhibit space for both 2009 events are on sale now. Contact Jeanne Phillips at jeanne@exponation.net, or Molly Branch at mbranch@exponation.net, or call 770-649-0300. Additional show information can also be found at www.digitalsignageexpo.net.

The mission of Digital Signage Expo and Digital Signage Expo East is to promote the growth of the digital signage, interactive technology and out-of-home media network industry. It is the premier industry show where people come to learn what they need to know about existing and new technologies, budgeting and ROI, how to get started and create a digital signage plan in order to move their organizations into the digital communications age and better facilitate and maintain relationships with their customers and employees. People come to do business and retain the expertise they need to safeguard the investments that they are about to make.

Market Works International, Inc., 6 Fairhill Lane, Palm Coast, FL 32137, PH: 386-447-0018; em: gwolff@market-works.com; Contact: Geri Wolff

(openPR) - Digital Signage Expo East (DSE East), the regional debut of Digital Signage Expo, the largest and only International Conference Summit & Trade Show exclusively dedicated to digital signage, interactive technologies and out-of-home media networks, today announced the winners of its Content Awards for 2008. This year five winners were named from a field of 43 entrants chosen by an independent consumer panel on the basis of the following criteria:

1. Whether or not the content delivered the intended message,
2. Overall production quality, and
3. Creativity in the use of new or unique content elements and/or technology.

The five winners were:
1. Digital Display and Communications for Rogers NexGen Store – For a three-part installation that included unique interactive content for core target markets with specific channel messaging that met consumer experience objectives.

2. PSAV/X20 Media for Hyatt Regency O’Hare – 13 – 46” touch-screen way-finders with interactive content that gave guests control of information.

3. Premier Retail Networks (PRN) for Wal-Mart – For Earth Month Campaign which let consumers know that “When you make one small purchase at Wal-Mart, you’re part of 200 million Wal-Mart shoppers making a big difference for the Earth and our Children’s future.”

4. Wireless Ronin Technologies for Gabberts – For an interactive application that served as an information tool for events and seminars, aiding in the up selling of customers in a sales support capacity, and incorporated way finding across two levels of the store.

5. Wireless Ronin Technologies for Las Vegas Convention Center & Visitors Association (LVCVA) – For a template-based content solution that incorporated dynamic way-finding available to visitors via a touch-screen kisosk; meeting room application via customized .asp internet page so meeting planners could update their events calendars; and a variety of no-touch displays deployed throughout the facility with both static and animated content.

Digital Signage Expo and Interactive Technology Expo will be co-located at the Las Vegas Convention Center February 25-26, 2009. Digital Signage Expo East and Interactive Technology Expo East move to the Washington Convention Center in Washington, DC, September 23-24, 2009. To exhibit or attend either Conference & Trade Show, contact Chris Gibbs at (770) 649-0300 ext. 17, or for more information, visit www.digitalsignageexpo.net.

Digital Signage Expo is the largest and only International Conference Summit and Trade Show exclusively dedicated to digital signage, interactive technologies and out-of-home media networks. The purpose of the show is to promote industry growth through education. This is the premier industry show where people come to learn what they need to know about existing and evolving technologies to move their organizations into the digital communications age and better facilitate and maintain relationships with their customers and employees.

Client Contact: Digital Signage Expo, 1405 Old Alabama Rd., Roswell, GA 30076, Chris Gibbs Executive Vice President 770-649-0300 x17.
Press Contact: Market Works International, 6 Fairhill Lane, Palm Coast, FL 32137, Geri Wolff, President, 386-447-0018

PHILADELPHIA, Pa. — The Digital Signage Association hosted its second Advisory Board meeting of 2008 yesterday, in conjunction with Digital Signage Expo East in Philadelphia. As part of the proceedings, the Board discussed heavily the involvement of users — those who install and manage digital signage in their businesses.

The association, made up primarily of digital signage vendors, serves as a collective voice for the digital signage industry and represents both vendors and users of the technology. However, with six user members, the Association has set its main goal to grow in that area.

“The vision of this association is to be user-centric,” said Dick Good, chairman of the Digital Signage Association. “We need to show them the value of the expertise here.”

As a solution, the association is launching an initiative to build user involvement. Starting immediately and lasting through 2009, the Association will offer one year of free membership to users. In addition to offering free membership to users, the Association plans to schedule of a series of web conferences and other means of information exchange for users.

“I would love to have more users to work with,” said Margot Myers of the U.S. Postal Service, one of the six user members. “The critical mass brings value to us.”

To date, the association, which has grown to over 100 members in just under a year of operation, has been working to recruit new members through its LinkedIn group and presence at tradeshows, such as Digital Signage Expo. Representatives from NetWorld Alliance, which operates the association, announced that social networking and interactivity will be part of a new version of the DSA Web site, to be launched early next year.

The group also discussed targeting tradeshows in specific verticals in order to “rifle in” on qualified user members. Currently, the DSA has a presence at Digital Signage Expo, The Digital Signage Show (U.S. and Europe), NRF, GlobalShop, the In-Store Marketing Expo and Screen Expo Europe.

Also during the meeting, the DSA offered its Advisory Board members a preview of its upcoming best practices report, “Best Practices: Digital Signage Content,” which it announced earlier this week.

The report was written by Keith Kelsen of MediaTile and a team of others on the association’s Best Practices for Content Committee, comprised of Charles Ansley of Symon, Jimmy Dun of DynaSign, Linda Hofflander of Wireless Ronin, Nancy Radermecher of John Ryan and Greg Weaver of Microspace.