DSA announces new digital signage awards program

February 10, 2011 by Dave Haynes

The Digital Screenmedia Association has announced it is launching an industry awards program – with the honors to be handed out at the CET World show this spring in San Francisco.

The DSA’s executive director, in a blog post on the DSA site has wisely got out ahead of this and proactively posed and answered the inevitable questions about the need for another set of awards.

From 2003 through 2009, writes David Drain, the Self-Service & Kiosk Association (one of the DSA predecessor organizations), inducted individuals into its Self-Service Kiosk Hall of Fame. Meanwhile, KioskCom presented its Self-Service Excellence Awards for outstanding deployments in various vertical market segments.

Since the Digital Signage Association’s inception in late 2007, there was talk about whether the Association should have its own awards program for digital signage, but recognized that several already existed in the industry.

As you may know, the SSKA and DSA merged in April to form the Digital Screenmedia Association and then announced an agreement in October that would make Customer Engagement Technology World its official show. As the show’s partner, DSA was pleased to assume the awards program previously operated by the show organizer.

If you think about it, it makes sense that the industry’s largest non-profit association should present the industry’s awards. And since our mission is to “advance the growth and excellence of the global digital signage, interactive kiosk and mobile community,” a credible awards program is a great way to do this, shining the spotlight on the best implementations of these technologies.

Sean Andersen of Six Flags is chairing the DSA awards program committee, which explains the dubious appearance of Best Digital Screen Content at Hurricane Harbor.

Kidding.

The real awards categories break down are vertical market-based and will recognize the best digital signage, self-service kiosk and mobile deployments in:

For example, Drain explains, there will be a Best Digital Signage Deployment at Retail, a Best Self-Service Deployment in Financial Services and so on. Projects that use two or more of the technologies also have an opportunity to win an award called Best Screenmedia Integration.

There is an Industry Deployer of the Year honor for an end-user, as well as Network Operator of the Year (for DOOH networks). Anyone can nominate in these categories.

Drain adds: Award winners will be announced prior to Customer Engagement Technology World in San Francisco in April. While we will not have a formal awards ceremony at the show, we will recognize winners during the opening keynote session and on screens during the show. And of course there will be recognition in the press.

All award submissions will be required to submit a five-minute video demonstration. Videos of the award winning entries will be posted on our site and will serve as a great industry resource.

No word on the criteria for judges, and I just hope they are been-there-done-that types, and not just observers.

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