The winter installment of The Self-Service & Kiosk Show opened today at the Doubletree Hotel at Universal Orlando. More than 40 exhibitors brought their latest and greatest wares, from check-cashing and financial services to digital signage and a fast-food giant's successful DVD rental program.
Anchor partners for the show include Palm Desert National Bank, St. Clair Interactive Communications, KIOSK Information Systems and Source Technologies.
The early morning hours were devoted to pre-conference workshops, including Greg Swistak's primer on kiosk technology; Doug Peter (St. Clair) discussing integration; Sylvia Berens (Apunix Computer Services) on ROI; Peter Honebein (author, "Creating Do-It-Yourself Customers") on improving the customer's shopping experience; and Alex Richardson (Selling Machine Partners) with case studies and best practices on ROI.
Richardson also spoke later in the day, in a seminar titled "Trends in Assisted Selling Applications at Major Retail," which touched on companies like Home Depot and Starbucks and how they are using self-service. (Click here to read more about this seminar.)
Afternoon sessions also included Forrester Research senior analyst Kerry Bodine offering strategies on environment planning and device placement. More than 400 attend the winter Self-Service & Kiosk Show held in Orlando, Fla.
Bob Fincher, NetWorld Alliance executive vice president of sales and marketing, wrapped up the afternoon with his overview of the state-of-the-art in the self-service industry. (Click here for a complete roster of speakers and topics.) 
Then it was time to open the show floor. Buzz built quickly around the Immersion booth, where vice president Michael Levin demonstrated his company's touchscreen monitor with tactile and audio feedback. Heads also turned toward the Redbox DVD rental kiosk, which has been a success for McDonald's. (Click here to learn more about Redbox.)
On tap for Tuesday: the keynote address from branding expert Janelle Barlow, Ph.D., plus a seminar on the "grocery store of the future," Giant Food in Camp Hill, Pa.
