Gokis Kiosk Self-Service

Interview - Jens Schindler of Digital Signage Expo 2008 Europe

Interview with Jens Schindler of Digital Signage Expo of Europe + press release describing the upcoming show. Looks like 170 exhibitors.

source article

This week the Minicom Interview speaks to Jens Schindler, Managing Director of Digital Signage Expo 2008. With the show coming up soon, thought it would be good to speak to Jens.

A philosopher by degree, Jens founded hf media & events in 2002 after having worked in sales and marketing roles for major trade publishing and events companies in the UK and Germany. He has focused on high-tech markets such as electronics, automation, airports and digital customer communication.

Minicom Blog: Hi Jens. Thank you for joining us.
Jens Schindler: My pleasure.

MB: What do you think the highlights of the show will be?
JS: The center of the show is going to be devoted to content in the shape of the Digital Signage content center. After discussions with POPAI and our other partners, we felt that while a lot of traditional focus is placed on technology and networking, the real make or break issue is content and we wanted the floorplan to reflect that by making it our centerpiece. We want to highlight what can be done application wise with content and also want to show people how digital signage is different content-wise from TV and other audio-visual mediums.

MB: How did the show come to be?
JS: We started the Kiosk Europe magazine about five 5 years ago. It is a quarterly magazine and after a year we had feedback from clients and readers say that we should do a show and we agreed. We had a Self service interactive show last year and there was a thought that Digital Signage should be a part of it, but many from Digital Signage didn’t want to be part of another show – they wanted their own. So we got together with POPAI and that’s how it came to be. Essen is near the big retail center in Dusseldorf and this is a central area in Europe where no-one is more than an hour away which makes it convenient for everyone.

MB: Is there a theme?
JS: The left side of the floor is for interactivity and interactive devices while the right side is digital signage-related. We had the idea of wanting to showcase how digital signage and self service complement each other as well as showing people how to use digital signage as an interactive medium with which to communicate dynamically. If people have instant feedback on how successful their message is at a kiosk/touchscreen they can change it instantly which is huge.

MB: What has been the response of the Digital Signage community to the show?
JS: We will have 70 exhibitors on the Digital Signage side and 100 on the kiosk side. If we would have had 30 on the digital signage side, we would have been more than happy with that.

MB: While your show is Euro-centric, what sort of response have you had from the rest of the world?
JS: It’s been good. Most shows are heavily represented by the host country but this one has an even split from Germany and the rest of Europe. Additionally we have had some interest from the rest of the world from the likes of the USA, Asia and Australia.

MB: Besides the booths there is an extensive program of panel workshops and forums?
JS: You don’t need three days to see all the booths so the workshops and forums provide something else for the visitors to do as well as an invaluable way to learn more about the industry. The workshops are in the morning and payment is charged for those while the forums will be in the afternoon and are free of charge. The speakers are some of the top people in the industry and should make for some interesting discussions.

MB: You have any plans in store or innovations for the future shows?
JS: Yes but they can’t be announced yet. You’ll have to wait for the press conference for that.

MB: Nice speaking with you Jens and good luck with the show.
JS: Thank you

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recent press release about the show

PRESS RELEASE

Experts in self-service solutions and digital customer information
meet from 6 to 8 May 2008 in Essen

More visitors than last year will be showcasing their self-service solutions at KIOSK EUROPE EXPO 2008. DIGITAL SIGNAGE EXPO 2008 will be held in parallel.

After the success of KIOSK EUROPE EXPO 2007 last year, the international trade fair for self-service kiosks, technologies and solutions for all industries is again being held in Essen this year. In cooperation with POPAI, hf media & events is also organising DIGITAL SIGNAGE EXPO 2008 that will run in parallel; this is dedicated to in-store TV, digital media, ad screens and content-management solutions. Messe Essen will open the doors to halls 1 and 2 (entrance via the Messehaus Süd) for the two exhibitions and associated workshops from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on 6 to 8 May 2008. More than 170 exhibitors have already registered, including big-name companies, such as 3M, IBM, Samsung, Sony and Wincor Nixdorf.

KIOSK EUROPE EXPO 2008 and DIGITAL SIGNAGE EXPO 2008 will together occupy 50 percent more exhibit space than last year and will showcase current solutions that are already available on the market alongside prototypes and concepts from research institutes. Exhibitors include European companies from Germany, Italy, France, Spain and several Eastern European countries, as well as suppliers operating at international level. More than 170 exhibitors have registered so far, which is 30 percent more than last year.

“This year, visitors can look forward to a new concept that will showcase both self-service solutions and those for digital customer communication. At a joint fair, trade visitors can find solutions for a diverse range of industries, including retail, financial services, tourism and entertainment, as well as for the public sector, and can thus benefit from the experience of all industries. “We are confident that we’ll be able to build on last year’s success and impress both visitors and exhibitors alike with our new, exciting concept. For the first time, the world’s largest self-service trade event and Europe’s largest fair for digital signage will be held under one roof”, says Jens Schindler, MD of the event organiser.

KIOSK EUROPE EXPO 2008, which will be held in halls 1 and 2, is Europe’s only trade fair dedicated exclusively to self-service solutions. Exhibitors will include 3M, Epson, Friendlyway, Hergos Sistemas, IBM, Sagem, Star Micronics, Thales, Verifone and Wincor Nixdorf. DIGITAL SIGNAGE EXPO 2008 is organised in cooperation with POPAI, the global trade association for retail marketing. In hall 1, exhibitors such as Fujitsu Services, JVC, Panasonic, Samsung, Scala, Sharp, Sony and T-Systems will showcase their solutions for in-store TV, ad screens and content management.
In order to place the solutions exhibited within a wider context, the organiser is holding two workshops on each day of the fair to take place in parallel with the exhibitions. These workshops will focus on self-service and digital customer communication and will take place from 10 a.m. to 12.30 p.m. in two auditoria in hall 1. They will offer insights by experts in their respective fields and will also introduce applications and, in particular, provide an opportunity for discussion. In each workshop, a panel of four experts that changes daily will be available to offer advice and answer participants’ questions.

KIOSK EUROPE EXPO 2008 and DIGITAL SIGNAGE EXPO 2008 show solutions, not technology
Self-service kiosks can be used to improve customer service and increase turnover at the same time as reduce costs. Digital signage installations feature content that can be controlled dynamically to improve communication with the customer and thus offer individual messages and services.

Self-service information and transaction terminals can be used for a variety of different processes, such as paying for goods or applying to an employer for holiday. Enabling consumers to perform these processes themselves gives them better control and, in many cases, also greater flexibility. Wincor Nixdorf demonstrates this on the basis of solutions for the retail trade and for production companies.

Digital signage solutions are suitable for presentations in different scenarios, such as waiting and reception areas, conference rooms and for use at the point of sale. Companies such as JVC, Panasonic, Samsung, Sony and Sharp will showcase a large selection of displays in various sizes, which also allow interaction with the customers. Software suppliers that will be present at the show include Dimedis, JVC and Scala; their products can be used for the flexible operation of entire networks. Fujitsu Services will present complete solutions, including services for digital customer communication.

A glimpse of the future: Self-Service Futures Parlour and Content Centre
The Futures Parlour will provide an insight into the future of self-service solutions. It will be located near the main entrance in hall 1 in a specially designated area of KIOSK EUROPE EXPO 2008.

At DIGITAL SIGNAGE EXPO 2008, the spotlight will be on the Content Centre on a round stand 12 metres in diameter located in the middle of hall 1 under the motto “content is king”. Hardware and software require customer-relevant content in order, as complete solution, to offer customers and users added value. In the Content Centre, suppliers of digital content from all over the world will be showing trailers and campaigns.

Workshops:
During question-and-answer sessions, experts from research institutes, universities, public institutions and industry will be available for discussion and to offer advice to participants. The workshops will take place form 10 a.m. to 12.30 p.m. on 6, 7 and 8 May in two auditoria in hall 1.

The three KIOSK EUROPE EXPO 2008 workshops will be held under the heading, “The future of customer service”. The individual topics and experts will be as follows:

- Tuesday, 6 May 2008: “How to manage a successful Self-Service project – or how to save 24 % selling cost”
The panel of speakers includes Prof. Simonetta Carbonaro, CEO of REAL_ISE. She is an expert in the field of consumer psychology, innovation management and strategic design management and carries out research into consumer behaviour and social and cultural change in our society.

- Wednesday, 7 May 2008:“How to Self-Service my business – or how to add 18% sales“
The panel of speakers includes Dr. Moira Clark and Joachim Pinhammer. Clark is professor of Strategic Marketing at Henley Management College in Great Britain, as well as Director of The Henley Centre for Customer Management. She researches and is a consultant in the fields of customer relationship management, customer retention and internal marketing. Pinhammer is Director Marketing Retail at Wincor Nixdorf.

- Thursday, 8 May 2008: “How to face future challenges – or how Self-Service will add value in the future”
This workshop focuses on self-service solutions for the public sector. The panel of speakers includes Dr. Paul Timmers from the European Commission, Dirk Drees from Gematik, the German Society for Telematic Applications of the Healthcare Card, Dr. Kai van Luck, Professor at the University of Hamburg and Dr. Dietmar G. Wiedemann from the University of Augsburg.

The three DIGITAL SIGNAGE EXPO 2008 workshops will be held under the heading “Put your message into motion”. The individual topics and experts will be as follows:

- Tuesday, 6 May 2008: “How to deploy a successful digital signage project”
The panel of speakers includes Jasmin Top from BASF and Frédéric Groussolles from Cisco Europe.

- Wednesday, 7 May 2008: “How to use digital signage in my business”
This workshop will provide the first comprehensive presentation of the Global Digital Signage study conducted by POPAI. The panel of speakers includes Stefan Telschow, Director of the POS Research Centre of Expertise at the Gesellschaft für Innovative Marktforschung (GIM).

- Thursday, 8 May 2008: “Digital Signage and interactivity – the consumer of tomorrow”
The panel of speakers includes Steven Platt, the founder and director of the Platt Retail Institute.
Entrance to the exhibitions is free of charge for pre-registered visitors. A charge will be made for participation in the workshops. It is possible to register for the exhibitions and for the workshops at www.kioskeurope-expo.com and at www.digitalsignageexpo.eu.

For further information:

Dr. Brigitte Knittlmayer
PR Consultant for International Public Relations
Am Heerdter Hof 24 Tel.: 0049 (0)211 569 22 44
40549 Düsseldorf Mobile: 0049 (0)172 8238 867
Deutschland Email: [email protected]

Anne Warner
hf media & events Tel: 0044 (0) 1223 410901
The Quorum Fax: 0044 (0) 1223 241600
Barnwell Road E: [email protected]
Cambridge www.kioskeurope-expo.com
CB5 8RE UK www.digitalsignageexpo.eu

About KIOSK EUROPE EXPO 2008 and DIGITAL SIGNAGE EXPO 2008: KIOSK EUROPE EXPO 2008 is organised by hf media & events, publishers of KIOSK EUROPE, Europe’s leading trade publication on kiosk terminals, technologies and solutions. DIGITAL SIGNAGE EXPO 2008 is organised in conjunction with POPAI, the global association for retail marketing.

About hf media & events: hf media & events was founded in 2001, focusing on high-quality international B2B communication. It is based in Cambridge, UK.

Posted by staff at April 28, 2008 02:26 PM