Time flies and we’re already at the end of another year. 2024 has given us much to reflect on, as you’ll see in this month’s news post. We also look to the future and examine what challenges 2025 will bring to the digital signage world. Apart from that, there was some exciting news in the tech world involving utilizing projection mapping in the reopening of Notre-Dame cathedral, but more on that later!
The challenges of 2025 for the digital signage industry
The invidis Executive Lounge, an annual invite-only meeting of digital signage business leaders, this year explored global concerns in the industry, such as AI adoption, market growth, and political uncertainties. The 13 leaders who met also discussed their expectations for 2025.
For a start, a common topic of 2024, AI in digital signage is expected to grow, however, there is yet to be a clear digital signage AI use case which spans the entire industry. There have, of course, been singular occurrences which provided a faster road to content creation. Yet, we shall have to wait and see what becomes the norm in the coming years. AI is still in its infancy, of course, and many things are uncertain about the concept as a whole, let alone its use for a particular industry.
For 2025, experts expect an increase in demand for digital signage, but are worried about upcoming tariffs and their impact on the import of hardware. Other topics discussed were the rise of managed services, sustainability initiatives, and the booming demand for retail media networks. If you’re interested in an insider’s look at the event, Dave Haynes shared his impressions of the invidis Executive Lounge.
DSE 2025 will be different
The Digital Signage Experience (DSE) in 2024 featured keynotes, exhibits, awards, and many networking opportunities within the industry. The event also showcases innovations in technology, market applications, and creative educational content. The 2024 event took place this month. Meanwhile, for 2025 organizers saw room for improvement. The event will run in a different format, location, and timing. According to the official statement by Questex:
“The new event format offers an intimate and immersive setting designed to foster meaningful connections, deliver cutting-edge education, curated 1:1 meetings, and showcase the latest advancements in digital signage technology.”
DSE 2025 will take place between October 19 and 21st, 2025, at the Hilton San Diego Bayfront. As we approach the event and discover more news on any big changes or announcements, we’ll let you know!
What OOH buyers wish sales reps knew
To sell Out-of-Home requires knowing precisely what ad buyers want. Billboard Insider has been doing a series of posts which cover this exact topic, and answering what ad buyers wish sales reps knew. Some issues are quickly evident on the buyer side, while others aren’t too noticeable but affect the outcome considerably. One such example is urgency fatigue where every request is deemed urgent and as a result sales reps lose a sense of priority.
New sales reps also need to be given time to learn and adapt to the workflow. If a client has specific needs and demands, as they have experience, they may make requests that demand adaptation. Some things come with experience. “More experienced reps are more likely going to be the ones that stand up to management and advocate more for us versus somebody who’s been in the job for a month,” said Matt Broders, VP of Media at ODN.
Another big issue is fragmented communication which can lead to overlooking the broader goals and expectations a client may have. Take a look at the full post for some more mistakes that might improve your workflow.
Notre-Dame cathedral reopens with projection mapping!
In April of 2019, a major fire partially destroyed the upper part of Notre-Dame de Paris cathedral. After years of restoration, the famous monument reopened its doors on 8th of December, 2024. The cathedral was formally reopened by French president Emmanuel Macron.
The reopening of the cathedral included a large-scale projection mapping show, utilizing 30 Panasonic projectors. Take a look!
Best digital signage campaigns of 2024
As the year draws to a close, we compiled an exciting list of digital signage campaigns from this year which caught our attention. From kinetic digital signage to near-transparent LED waterfalls, 2024 brought us quite a few digital signage marvels worth checking out.
Holidays are another topic that comes with December. As we usually do around this time of the year on the blog, we explored some old and new uses for digital displays during the holiday season. And that wraps up the last news set of the year, from tech uses of projection mapping to predictions and planning for 2025. We’re already looking forward to what January brings us, and to make preparations for the year ahead.
Cover image by Filip Bunkens.
