DSSE Wrap-Up – Headcount, Awards And Key Takeaways

July 24, 2023 by Dave Haynes

The team behind the recent Digital Signage Summit Europe (DSS Europe) in Munich has pushed out a wrap-up that sums up the headcount, awards and key takeaways from what I personally thought was a terrific event and a blueprint for a North American version.

The long-running conference and micro trade show is a joint venture between Integrated Systems Events and invidis consulting. This year it pulled about 350 people for the two days that took over a set of meeting rooms, hallways and the airy atrium lobby of the Munich Airport Hilton.

That count may seem small when compared to pro AV industry mega shows like ISE, but it is the small and intimate nature of the event that makes it work so well.

Here’s the invidis wrap-up:

The summit attracted digital signage leaders from across Europe to explore this year’s theme: Engaging Experiences – Concepts, Creation & Content.  Sponsored by Google Chrome Enterprise, DSS Europe welcomed over 350 delegates, exhibitors and speakers to enjoy two days of thought-leadership, insightful panel discussions, industry overviews and the latest innovations from exhibiting brands.

Inspiring Speaker Line-up

This year’s stellar line up of speakers, including experts from First Impression, Futuresource, Google, M-Cube, Trison, Visual Art and ZetaDisplay and spanning a wide range of sectors such as media, retail, and corporate, addressed the current market outlook and the impact of major trends. 

Highlights included Dave Haynes, editor of Sixteen:Nine, and Mark McDermott, CEO at ScreenCloud, discussing ‘How to get the message across to your employees’ and why agnostic software solutions that integrate with other systems are helping to streamline internal communications.

While Daan Berends, Creative Director at First Impression Audiovisual, explored ‘Why digital solutions lack success without spot-on content’ with practical advice on how ordinary content can be just as engaging as digital spectaculars.

Market Trends and Engaging Content

During day one of the summit, Florian Rotberg, Chair of DSS Europe and Managing Director of invidis consulting, presented a comprehensive market overview in which he revealed that global advertising markets have increased by 6% year on year, driven by a DooH growth of 26%. Florian also revealed that the overall market forecast for 2024 is looking to be flat.

Further insights revealed that market growth in Europe is tracking ahead of the US and Asia, thanks to a wider implementation of smart digital signage and experiences. The creation of unique, immersive experiences in a physical space is increasing with ‘Pop Up’ and concept stores growing in popularity.

Content, canvas, and location are key elements in creating a distinctive physical journey that differentiates from an online retail experience. Factors generating successful implementation include content being relevant and memorable.

“There needs to be a balance between the things you want to present and the stories you want to tell.” Hubert van Doorne, Nexmosphere – on the ideal placement of screens and sensors in the retail space.

Other themes driving industry development include Generative AI such as Adobe Firefly, Sustainability, Carbon Credits and Cyber Security. These topics formed the basis for many of the conversations, both on the main stage and at the networking sessions, during the summit. 

“Digital signage must bring something new and deliver added value to companies. Not just videos that play on a loop.” commented Christophe Billaud, Telelogos.

Best Practice and Key Take-aways

On day two, the invidis team opened with a ‘Wake Up Call’ keynote, highlighting the best and worst practices in digital signage, with examples from their recent global tour. These included common pitfalls, including content that doesn’t inspire (blank and poorly calibrated screens should be avoided), poor visibility, 24-hour power consumption, light pollution, and installation failures such as visible cables. Plus, a plea to use standardized APIs only.

Delegates were also the first to receive a copy of the new 2023 invidis Yearbook, widely regarded as the go-to industry reference point for exclusive insights and market trends. The latest issue features key topics; Engaging Experiences and Green Signage.

Celebrating the Best

invidis also hosted its annual Strategy Awards, celebrating excellence in the digital signage industry. Florian Rotberg and Stefan Schieker of invidis consulting GmbH presented the awards to companies that are leading the way in digital signage strategy.

The winners are:

“This year’s edition with over 500 visits was a resounding success with a wealth of market leaders and industry experts addressing the state of experiences and discussing trends and drivers for the year ahead,” says Rotberg. “These valuable discussions pave the way for unlocking the potential of digital signage and DooH still to be explored. DSS Europe is a great opportunity for the industry to come together, explore and collaborate in a creative and effective way for a more sustainable future – see you next year!”

The 2024 version is again in early July, at the same venue. Interesting note for football (soccer) fans – the EURO 2024 men’s is on in Germany during that period, and Munich is among host cities. Most attendees for DSSE are EU and UK-based anyway, but for footy fans like me, it’s another reason to think about making the trip.

I noted at the top that this event feels like a blueprint for North America – really dialling down the trade show aspect and dialling up on networking and education, and respecting time. Locating at an airport means people can fly in and out without the hassles and complications of getting into and out of a city, and highway access is fast and easy. It’s not so great for tourists, as Munich’s airport is waaaaay the hell out, but there are trains that get people to the old town in about 25 minutes.

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