DSE Mixer Sponsor Profiles: Spectrio Using DSE To Showcase The Company And Where It Fits

November 14, 2022 by Dave Haynes

Just a couple of sleeps now until the big annual Sixteen:Nine Mixer, and just a couple of sponsor profiles to go before the event on Wednesday.

I’m already in LV to be ready for and deal with any shit-happens stuff, because it does … If you are heading this way, it is sunny as usual, but bring a jacket. Think layers. It is only high 50s, low 60s here – glorious T-shirt weather for Canadians like me, and northern US folks, but I have seen people here with gloves on and toques (knit hats/beanies/whatever others call them).

The city seems awfully busy for mid-November, perhaps owing to the cannabis industry conference, which is 30K plus attendees, also at the LVCC.

Now, to this sponsor profile …

About 14 months ago, it was announced that Spectrio had acquired Sixteen:Nine. So this online news site and companion podcast are now both published by the Tampa-based digital signage solutions company. I now edit this site and produce the podcast for Spectrio.

People have asked me – and I am sure those questions will come up this week, as well – how this  relationship is working out. I can say, without hesitation, it’s been terrific. The leadership totally “gets” the value of Sixteen:Nine and the importance of editorial autonomy, but at the same time, the Spectrio folks have welcomed me into the company family, so to speak.

One of the benefits to me is that I now know a lot more about the company, and its people, and what it is up to … which is a lot.

The industry impression in recent years might have been, at least in some circles, of a private equity-backed entity whose main activity has been rolling up the industry via M&A activity. But having got to know them much more, there’s a lot going on and a lot of really solid people driving new business.

Probably the biggest thing I learned is the depth and breadth of content and creative work being done by internal teams.

It’s hard to summarize what verticals Spectrio is focused on, as the company kind of covers the waterfront. But there are particular new strengths, via acquisition, in markets like food services, after acquiring PingHD, and car dealers, after adding the Automotive Broadcast Network to its company portfolio. 

The other thing I believe will be evident to a lot of the industry is profile. Spectrio is significantly more “present” in the industry than it was the last time DSE was run, pre-COVID. The company is much more active at and around industry events. Along with being a mixer sponsor, also has its own event going on Thursday.

Tamara Bebb, Spectrio’s CEO, is part of what should be a great panel on Wednesday at 4:30 at the Sixteen:Nine mixer venue, just ahead of the networking reception. If you are ticketed for the mixer, you are ticketed for this. Smart woman. She’ll be joined by Rick Mills of Creative Realities (another sponsor, thank you!) and Kevin Carbone of Scala.

Q: You have a big 20 by 30 stand on the exhibit hall floor. What can attendees expect to see if they wander in or book a meeting?

They will see a mix of Spectrio’s technology and services on display including our content services and consumer engagement technologies. Visitors will be able to try out our self-order kiosk solutions for QSR and learn more about Spectrio’s capabilities and product roadmap.

We will have a large team at the show this year including our senior leadership team. This will be a great opportunity for partners and customers to spend time with our team and discuss how we can partner more closely to create true win-win relationships..

Q: Spectrio has been very active in acquiring CMS software companies in recent years. How does the company integrate the technology and people talent into the overall Spectrio offer?

Is Spectrio continuing to actively look at further acquisitions?

Spectrio is always looking for smart acquisitions that further our capabilities, increase our market share, and allow us to continue to innovate and enhance our customer’s ability to deliver meaningful communications to their target audience.

Q: What key trends are you seeing in the marketplace? 

We have seen a growing requirement for encrypted IPTV solutions and fully managed digital signage services. We’re finding that as organizations expand their use of digital signage, there is a strong demand for hands free support of not just network maintenance but also the content that drives it.

Q: Are buyer profiles shifting and evolving?

We are seeing more buyers prioritizing signage for business critical use-cases with defined goals for how signage must enhance efficiencies and help them communicate messaging that inspires action from the audience.

Q: Are there aspects to Spectrio that the industry is just starting to learn? I didn’t, for example, know that Spectrio has a big creative team and does a LOT of original creative production.

Many would be surprised to see how expansive Spectrio’s capabilities actually are. For instance, support for the Samsung Kiosk and the ability to deliver end to end self service ordering with transaction processing and order posting to the clients POS platform.  The data can also be used for Order Confirmation and Order Status displays.

Q: What do you see as the main reason to be at DSE?

We feel that there is tremendous value in a truly digital signage focused event.  DSE provides an opportunity to stay connected with our partners and network with industry leaders. Spectrio is proud to have a part in this show’s reboot and we are excited for what’s to come.

We’re excited about DSE for a multitude of reasons.

First, DSE provides a tremendous platform to demonstrate who Spectrio is and where we fit within larger Digital Signage eco-sphere. As a company that has made significant acquisitions over the past few years, we are eager to show off our product roadmap and G2M strategy.

Second, we’re thrilled for the opportunity to spend time in person with our amazing partners and clients..

Lastly, we’re honored to be a part of this revamped event and invest time, energy and resources into DSE and Questex as they work tirelessly to get the event back on the map!

Q: Can you summarize what Spectrio does and the main markets it serves?

Spectrio provides innovative customer engagement technology for modern businesses. With proven success at over 150,000 physical locations ranging from local enterprises to Fortune 500 companies, Spectrio’s cloud platform improves customer and employee engagement with branded experiences.  Our offerings include Digital Signage, On-Hold Marketing and On-Premise Messaging all of which can be customized to meet brand guidelines and updated at the click of a button.
As a company of our size, we have clients in pretty much every vertical. However, our primary markets include Automotive, Retail, Retail Banking QSR, Convenience, Corporate and Healthcare.

Q: You have a meeting space on the exhibit hall floor. Why should attendees book a meeting?

If you’re interested in learning more about our exciting new launches for 2023, the value of partnering with Spectrio, or improving engagement within your business, book your booth visit with Spectrio.

Jimmy Hunt
SVP Channel Sales & Business Development

Discover how partnering with Spectrio will increase revenue for you and your clients through our innovative digital signage solutions!

Christian Armstrong
Director of Business Development

Discover Spectrio’s NEW support for Zoom and the Brightsign 5 Series, coming in early 2023.

Shawn Grady
Director of Sales

Explore the NEW ways Spectrio helps Partners and Customers upgrade their facilities, including partnerships with Install, Pro-AV and Distributors.

Vic Bowers
Director of Sales Enablement

Learn why to partner with Spectrio! We’re here for you every step of the way including onboarding, integration, training, continuing education, quarterly business reviews, and strategic planning.

Kevin Goldsmith
Large Venues Product Manager

Explore how we can enhance fan engagement, simplify event content management and unlock more sponsorship opportunities with Spectrio’s digital signage, IPTV and audio solutions.

Q: You acquired PingHD, adding on to some earlier acquisitions. How has that company been integrated and what does it add to the overall Spectrio offer? 

The addition of Ping HD has strengthen our product portfolio by adding breadth to Large Venue and QSR/Fast Casual verticals  Ping HD’s impressive integration with over 50 POS and EMS platforms provide tremendous flexibility to our customers.  Ping HD’s use of SOC based screens is driving down the total cost of ownership for our customers.

Q: You have a meeting space on the exhibit hall floor. Why should attendees book a meeting?

If you’re interested in learning more about our exciting new launches for 2023, the value of partnering with Spectrio, or improving engagement within your business, book your booth visit with Spectrio.

The mixer happens because of eight great sponsors who help cover the considerable costs. I like to thank and recognize sponsors by running company profiles. Profiles have been posted on SignageOS, Creative Realities, TSItouch, Screenfeed, Seneca, and SNA Displays.

Our 2022 Sponsors: