You can find out how technical teams turned Danny Boyle’s vision into the London 2012 Opening Ceremonies as part of The Olympics Uncovered programme at the PLASA Show, at London’s Earls Court on 9-12 Sept.

More than 120,000 people saw some of Boyle’s £27 million production, called Isles of Wonder, during two dress rehearsals this week, and more than 1 billion may have watched the broadcast.

After the Olympics (i.e, during PLASA), technical director, Piers Shepperd will chair a session where the full tech team present an overview of the mega special effects in stage, lighting, audio and AV behind the London 2012 Olympic Ceremonies.

IMS Research estimates hardware supporting digital signage (media players, PCs, displays and LED Video arrays) generated nearly $5.5 billion in revenue during 2011.

The new IMS Research study, The World Market for Digital Signage – 2012 Edition, also forecasts continued growth for this equipment at a combined compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8.5% through 2016.

Displays continue to drive the majority of shipments and revenues for the industry when cinema projectors are excluded. IMS Research estimates that during 2011, LCD and plasma displays shipping worldwide for digital signage generated revenues of nearly $2.7 billion, representing 22.5% growth over 2010.

Contributing to this strong growth was an increase in shipments for screens smaller than 30”, replacement of CCFL with LED backlit and thin bezel displays, as well as an increased demand for touchscreens. LED Video display (or module) revenue grew due to increased investment in sporting venues and outdoor digital advertising.

EXPO magazine now ranks ISE as the 3rd fastest-growing trade show in the world (up from 9th position last year).

The annual ISE Press Event (held this week) always offers a statistical re-cap: after 2012, ISE shows a track record that most athletic departments would blame on steroids.

Attendance (up 17.2% in 2012 to 40,869) is outpacing the growth in exhibition space (825 exhibitors occupied 11 halls).

Now ISE 2013 will expand its exhibition space to take up the last remaining Hall at the RAI, adding Hall 8 (oddly enough the first hall ISE ever used at the RAI.)

On the eve of the 10th event, Mike Blackman, MD, Integrated Systems Events, says “We knew from our very first show that we had a winner but no one imagined the rate of success.”

UK and Germany each brought more than 5000 attendees to ISE 2012. Almost every European country (and UAE) sent more attendees to 2012 (except Portugal and Greece who are getting so much bad economic press we probably shouldn’t add any more.)

Are we moving inexorably to a world of integrated solutions, where neither software nor hardware can afford to go it alone in the digital signage marketplace?

YCD Multimedia and Elo Touch Solutions will partner to provide advanced interactive digital signage solutions. By combining YCD's digital media software products and Elo Touch Solutions' family of Interactive Digital Signage (IDS) displays, the joint offering meets the increasing demand for interactive displays.

Retailers now want to involve and engage their customers in an active dialogue, while creating a better shopping experience. In-store solutions vary widely and include a range of interactive technologies and content, including information on products and services, entertainment and ordering information.

Effective use of interactive displays not only attracts and engages the customer, but provides a cost-conscious tool for retailers to create a unique brand experience with the ease-of-use of digital marketing for updates to ad campaigns, product promotions and pricing.

But this retail “Field of Dreams,” where you “build it and they will come”…the store’s answer to “showrooming”…requires more interactive solutions that the original digital signage software which was broadcast-only. Today’s retailers need to cope with the twin impact of smartphones and social media.

Go YCD Multimedia

Go Elo Touch Solutions