DSA to meet at DSE about BM
DSA is the Digital Signage Assocation, a new trade group announced recently.
DSE is Digital Signage Expo, the annual trade show in Las Vegas, which is coming not too soon considering all this freakin’ snow we’re getting up here in the Frozen Wasteland of Toronto.
BM is Beats Me.
According to a story, the Digital Signage Association will hold its first advisory board meeting in Las Vegas in conjunction with the Digital Signage Expo. The meeting will be held Tuesday, Feb. 26, from 2 p.m. until 4 p.m. in room N247 of the Las Vegas Convention Center. At 4 p.m., the meeting will open to all DSA members, as well as those interested in learning more about DSA and its plans.
The membership is a lot more fleshed out than it was in November, when this was announced, and now actually includes a number of companies who are directly involved in the game, like AdFlow (dark, evil cabal located disturbing close to my home), EnQii (old masters) and BroadSign (my new masters).
Given that, I guess I am supposed to shake my poms-poms and bounce up and down, all excited. But I still don’t think this is much more than an optics thing for paying members (we’re members = we’re legitimate) and a sideline for the publishers of Digital Signage Today and a few other affiliated trade publications and websites.
Formed in November, DSA now has more than 50 member companies. David Drain, executive director of DSA, says the association’s purpose is to increase digital signage awareness and understanding, advance the effectiveness and professionalism of those who participate in the industry, and to serve as a resource of information about digital signage.
At the meeting, DSA’s stated goals are to create value for digital-signage companies to belong to DSA and to be the most effective representative of the digital-signage industry. The association also aims to bring together those who would benefit from digital-signage technology and those who offer and support such technology, as well as facilitate networking among the many companies and individuals working in digital signage.
Well, the website suggests these are the benefits for the sofware and gear crowd:
* Establish your credibility and leadership
* Get sales leads
* Build powerful strategic partnerships
* Save on industry resources
How that advances the industry, I’m not sure. Network operators are promised expert advice and critical know-how, which I think are the same thing, but earned two bullets.
Mostly, I think you get exposure and access to swap cards at meetings.
But as I wrote when this thing was first announced, it’s just started and there’s always the chance this thing will be useful. It’s in my interest to see this industry boosted any which way, but trade associations that are money-making enterprises for the people behind them leave me a little skeptical.
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sixteen:nine - the digital signage blog 
February 13, 2008 at 1:46 pm
The meeting will be held Tuesday, Feb. 26, from 2 – 4 p.m. in room N247 of the Las Vegas Convention Center.
February 14, 2008 at 9:52 am
“But I still don’t think this is much more than an optics thing for paying members (we’re members = we’re legitimate) and a sideline for the publishers of Digital Signage Today ”
I could not agree more with your assessment of the DSA. I think this is a power play by the folks at Digital Signage Today to say that they own the market for news and information regarding this industry. This is about advertising dollars, not about growing the industry. In creating the DSA— Digital Signage Today is saying that all the other older, more established organizations that are currently working so hard to grow the digital signage industry are not valid. The real purpose for having an association for any industry is to influence local and federal government to act favorably toward your industry’s agenda, increase awareness, create self-regulation, and education. We already have associations that do this… and a lot more:
POPAI – Includes digital signage
POPAI Digital – Digital Signage
OMAC – Digital Signage (USA)
In-Store Marketing Institute – Includes Digital Signage
CODA – Digital Signage (Canada)
APCAD – Digital Signage (France)
OAAA – Outdoor Advertising Association
OMAC – Out-of-Home Association of Canada
So again, exactly why do we need the DSA?
If the DSA were formed by independent members of the industry, I would be less skeptical. I would be very skeptical of any media company that acts as an agent for an any industry.
It’s as if Rupert Murdock said that NewsCorp is “the association for all of the news media”. Is that what we need? Who’s interests are being represented here?
” * Establish your credibility and leadership” – Huh? Are we being judged by the DSA? YIKES!