OUTPUT

Chun Yip Man shares his overview of the forthcoming Viscom Germany event, to be held from October 25th to 27th in Frankfurt, with Kimberley Swift in her series of interviews focused on this year's exhibitions.

You can also read Kimberley's interviews around EcoPrint, Sign and Digital UK and Cross Media from the same series.

You joined the Viscom Germany team in December 2011. How are preparations going for this year's show?

The plans are in full swing. Our show is over 85 percent booked right now – we do not have a lot of space left. We are particularly pleased about the high percentage of international exhibitors: over 35 percent come from abroad. At Viscom 2011, for example, we had over 30 percent international exhibitors. However, this is still a lot for a German show.

To reach our aim of 11,000 visitors we also have some promotional activities, for example a Europe-wide visitor promotion in all customer markets relevant to the visual communication industry. To improve the understanding of Viscom, we communicate the trade fair in six theme worlds and the two 'fairs within the fair', the Digital Signage World and the Display/PoS Expo. The assignment of products and services illustrates the broad range covered by the trade fair and provides a clearer structure.

How does it compare to the other three European Viscom events?

Germany is well positioned in the European and international market. The Viscom in Germany is the trade fair with the highest international attendance and the strongest growth in Europe. We always stay close to the market and develop the fair every year with new topics, exhibitors and special areas. For example, in the Digital Signage World and the Display/PoS Expo we are forerunners compared to other Viscoms in Europe. The recent strong increase in the number of trade visitors encourages us and shows that this is the right way to go.

Is there greater demand for digital signage exhibition space and in-show events this year?

We are in a good way. In the last five years we have established a certain number of exhibitors who always come back. Nevertheless we are trying to get new ones every day, so we are going to other shows to talk with them and to show them that the Viscom digital signage event is a fair where people have more possibilities to show their new products. This is bearing fruit: this year the Digital Signage World space has been expanded.

The Digital Signage Best Practice Awards will return for 2012; how does the awards scheme reflect the current market?

A large number of genuine showcase projects are created every year which impress with their high information or advertising value – flexible, target group-appropriate and fast systems of the highest technical standard, delivering the appropriate content depending on the time of day. The Digital Signage Best Practice Awards are now regarded by many as the most valuable awards for digital signage projects in Europe. Besides multinational companies such as Lufthansa, Deutsche Telekom, Coca-Cola and Audi, increasing numbers of less well-known newcomers have also won an award on the basis of their promising ideas.

The awards should be a mirror of the digital signage market, so projects from all application areas are eligible to enter the competition. Companies can apply to participate in five different categories: Retail Signage; Guiding Signage; Information Signage; Interactive Signage and Multichannel. Furthermore, only current projects have the chance to be nominated.

Are there any changes or updates from last year?

Our main innovation is the Viscom World of Inspiration and with it a supermarket in the trade fair hall. Here, all the threads of visual communication come together. Whether it is outdoor advertising, digital printing, POS or digital signage, this is where applications and examples of best practice are displayed, presentations given and theme discussions offered. Components are the 'Individual Design meets Materials' and 'Paper Heroes' materials exhibitions, the Speakers Corner, the Lunch and Learn area, the Inspiration Lounge, the Digital Signage Best Practice Award and the designmaker award. It is of interest to all Viscom visitors. The core is a supermarket with an area of some 200sq m. Here the manufacturers' latest product highlights can be viewed in a real POS environment.  

Output readers are invited to attend Viscom Frankfurt 2012 free of charge. Use this code when registering online: 8ag7-s929-p9yu-x5mi