The Infocomm event brings together different industry sectors such as digital signage, audiovisual, production and video broadcasting (i.e., streaming) as well as video capture and production. Every year, this technology event attracts thousands of stakeholders from these industries who are on the lookout for the latest trends and who want to discuss them together.
One of the main focuses of this event was hybrid communication. Today, many solution providers offer various solutions to enable companies to easily communicate with their employees, whether at the office or remotely. Omnichannel internal communication tools are a feature that has attracted the most attention. Sharing information with employees by using their favorite communication channel (through screensavers, Microsoft Teams, digital signage, intranet or web links) makes it easier for companies to send their messages. And, by receiving messages in a consistent way through various channels, employees are sure to access information sent to them.
Different types of information can be displayed on screens placed in front of rooms: the name of the room, its status (available or occupied), the time, the name of the event inside the room or a QR code containing information relevant to the event (e.g., the schedule). New screen formats specifically designed for room management are now available on the market.
We noticed that there was an important focus on communicating with public transport users, whether in bus shelters, in airports or in train or metro stations. Users are able to know the occupancy rate of buses and trains, the time to wait before the next arrival, information about the next stops and safety guidelines – and all of this information is shared on screens in real time. Users have therefore all the information they need to make informed decisions about their trip and reach their destination as easily and quickly as possible.
The Wayfinding signage feature is well-known and already widely used by organizations (convention centres, hotels, universities, etc.), but it is still becoming more and more popular thanks to its ability to direct visitors and free up employees’ time. We have noted two trends for interactive signage: the first one is the “accessibility” mode: it lets users bring the displayed content closer to them and improves visibility and navigation, which is especially useful for people with impaired mobility. The second trend is putting an ad banner at the bottom of the screen; in this case, the entire display (including the navigation menu) is placed higher, which might make it less user-friendly if the screen is in an elevated position.
QR codes, which first initiated their comeback in restaurants during COVID, have also become very popular in the digital signage sector. QR codes can be shown on displays, and users can scan them using their mobile device to download directly on their phone the same content appearing on the screen or even additional content. For example, they can take with them schedules for public transportation, find their itinerary through a building (Wayfinding feature), read the rest of the article on their phone, register to the advertised activity, etc. Using their phone, visitors can benefit from the same experience as the one offered by the screen. In short, it’s a new way of sharing information with people directly on their phones and of making it accessible at all times.
We couldn’t ignore the technological advances for displays – after all, the event took place in Las Vegas, and its famous Strip was itself a demonstration in the latest breakthroughs in LED screens. However, the newest advances could be found in the event booths, such as pixel pitches that have never been closer together and impressive new display shapes. As for LCD displays, they are bigger and brighter than ever before, and remain the best solution for exterior displays (i.e., bus shelters).
Our key takeaway from this year’s Infocomm is the technology used to improve communications with many different types of audiences: employees, public transport users, visitors, customers, and many others. Communications must remain simple and effective for industries as well as for their target audiences.