Diminishing tradeshow attendance has been one of the many byproducts of the global recession. But the show must go on, as they say, and Phil Hunter, director of the European installment of KioskCom's Self Service Expo and The Digital Signage Show, says now it's more important than ever to get the word out.
Europe's kiosk installed base was 321,000 in 2008, versus 1.2 million in North America, according to Summit Research Associates' latest report, "Kiosk and Interactive Technology, Global Statistics and Trends." But Hunter says that, as some areas of Europe seemingly begin to come out of the recession, the self-service and kiosk market there has a real opportunity to flourish.
He expects that potential for growth to be the theme of this year's show, held at Olympia in London, Sept. 30 through Oct. 1. And even though things may be looking up, Hunter says, scarred business operators will continue to search for ways to save money, possibly leading to a new acceptance of self-service technology.
"Even though that's on the cusp of happening now, I think people are still going to be very conscious about saving money, about cutting costs." Hunter said. "With these kinds of opportunities, with a sea change in things like the economy, it makes people review things, it makes people look at things in different ways and, hopefully, precipitates a change in their attitudes."
Hunter also says the show's organizers feel a responsibility to help educate European businesses about the benefits of self-service, as the region's traditional lag behind North America suggests a limited understanding of the business case for kiosks.
"Not only is adoption over here lower than in the U.S., but I think also the perception isn't good either," Hunter said. "I think there is a need to raise the perception levels of the benefits of self-service. So, I think there's a job to be done there."
Exhibitors, sessions
Hunter says most of the exhibitors at KioskCom Europe are from that region, providing an opportunity for U.S. attendees to connect with solutions providers they might not otherwise meet. But some U.S.-based companies will make the trek, as well, offering attendees a diverse picture of what the global self-service and digital signage industries have to offer.
| Sessions and speakers Some of KioskCom Europe's notable sessions and speakers include: "Digital out-of-home — The state of the industry today and tomorrow" — Bill Yackey, DigitalSignageToday.com "Multichannel retailers — How self-service kiosks are increasing sales revenues" — Rohit Patni, YesPay "Cisco Digital Media System — Digital signage in action" — David Scott, Cisco Digital Media Solutions "Showcase Cinemas — A complete solution from start to finish" — Barry Thurston, Showcase Cinemas |
A few notable exhibitors at the Europe show include:
• ArcaTech Systems, a U.S.-based maker of cash dispensers, cash recyclers, check image scanners, encrypting PIN pads and coin-dispensing systems. • Credit Call, a PCI DSS-certified credit card-payment gateway that specializes in allowing kiosks, Web sites and most other unattended terminals to securely accept credit and debit cards. • Eurocoin, a European supplier of hardware and peripherals to kiosk manufacturers. Eurocoin's product range includes TFT displays, 3M Touchscreens, Motorola barcode scanners, thermal printers and more. • Ingenico U.K., a leader in payment solutions with more than 15 million terminals deployed worldwide. • Media Tile, a U.S.-based provider of digital signage platforms and cellular-based solutions. • Nexcom, a provider of digital signage platforms, ranging from low-cost, entry-level products to high-end solutions. • Protouch Manufacturing Ltd., a supplier of touchscreen kiosks, monitors and PCs, EPoS systems and large-format digital signage. • Verifone, a provider of payments solutions, including customer-facing terminals, PIN pads, unattended and contactless peripherals, kiosks and PAYware software.
Also among KioskCom Europe's programming is a new feature for the digital signage audience, Hunter says. Minicom, which also will exhibit at the show, is set to host a "digital signage tour," which will offer attendees a look at "hand-picked" exhibitors to gain insight on the digital signage supply chain and issues like content creation and traffic management. Minicom also hosted the tour at London's Screenmedia Expo and Orlando's Infocomm conferences this year.
**In a previous version of this article, it was incorrectly reported that there were 321,000 kiosks installed in Europe in 2008. To clarify, the installed base of kiosks in Europe was 321,000 in 2008.
