Global Digital Signage Awards Handed Out In Amsterdam

February 13, 2020 by Dave Haynes

The global Digital Signage Awards – which Sixteen:Nine has been supporting for the last few years – had its big annual night Wednesday evening at a beautiful old theatre and hall in central Amsterdam.

I don’t have a full winners’ list – because that would have been smart of me to seek out and prepare – but will have within a day or two.

What I can tell you:

• Second Story (a Sapient agency) was the big winner for the giant video wall and experiential creative it did for the lobby of an office tower in Charlotte, NC;
• Burr Smith, CEO of Broadsign, was cited as the outstanding individual in the industry. That’s an honor I have, as head judge, the final say on, and while the other individuals (and companies) were noteworthy, Smith invested in a company that was on life support 10 years ago, became CEO, and has built it into a dominant force in its vertical, started doing acquisitions, and pretty much single-handedly took out a patent troll plaguing the industry.

There were roughly 100 people there for dinner and drinks, and the presenter was Alan Dedicoat, the silky voiced announcer for the big celebrity dancing shows in the UK and US. I had no idea who he was (watching ballroom dancing is not a thing around World HQ), but he was terrific. Very funny, and snarky.

That is him between Beth Warren (CRI) and I.

I have written many times about the value of awards, and the jubilation among smaller companies who beat out big, deep-pocketed companies, reinforces how making the effort is worth it. There were winners from Poland, Canada and all the way to Australia.

Next year, the awards shift to Barcelona, coinciding again with ISE.

Thanks to the sponsors – Gable, Mvix, Nanolumens and IAdea. And congratulations to the winners!