- November's editions of the KioskCom Self Service Expo and The Digital Signage Show, co-located at the Jacob Javits Convention Center in New York City, are set to offer a slate of content that includes new educational opportunities and two significant keynote speeches.
- "This is the year of new everything," said Lawrence Dvorchik, general manager of the two shows, which are organized by Connecticut-based JD Events. "It's been busy. It's going to be a really exciting event."
- The "new everything" Dvorchik describes includes a competition for entrepreneurs in the kiosk and self-service space that is the first of its kind for the event. In its "Next Big Idea" Contest Coinstar Inc. will give $10,000 to the entrant with the best new concept in retail-based kiosks. Coinstar also may consider investing in the winning concept.
- "There are a lot of people out there with a lot of good ideas who either don't have access to funding, especially now, or don't have access to the people that can make that happen," he said. "And this gives them an opportunity to be in front of executives at a company like Coinstar, who can do all of the above, if they believe the idea is worth rolling out, and really take it to the next level."
- Entries must be submitted by Oct. 8 on the contest's Web site.
- On the digital signage side of the show, attendees can view a content-creation demonstration, "Cooking up Content: From Concept to Screen." Digital signage industry expert Lyle Bunn will host the demonstration, and Dvorchik says three companies will participate in creating individual digital messaging campaigns in a "fishbowl" environment, with attendees literally watching the process in action.
- "It will be a really, really good demonstration of the content-creation process, the content-management process, from the creative briefing all the way to the play loop being created and broadcast," he said.
- Dvorchik said the participating companies aren't yet confirmed. The demonstration, which will span the two-day event, is another part of show organizers' goal of constant education.
