Sony takes on digital signage in Middle East market

The event will gather decision makers from the public and the private sectors to discuss the evolution of digital signage market in the Middle East and the need for greater innovation and effective deployment of communication media.

According to a media report, the digital signage market is set to grow by 125% in the UAE in 2009 alone.

"As economic instability has been driving organizations across all industry sectors to cut cost, marketing professionals are turning to alternative methods such as e-marketing, direct marketing and digital signage to communicate their messages more effectively,"

said David Bush, director of marketing for Sony Professional in Europe.

"Like the Internet, digital signage as a medium has existed for years. But it has evolved significantly and the technological developments we have delivered today can allow organizations, varying from universities to retailers, to gain much more from it, and use it to generate solid ROI from target audiences."

In the retail sector, according to a study by POPAI/ARF entitled "In-store Advertising Becomes a Measured Medium", 74% of all purchasing decisions are made in the stores where consumers are met with a host of digital and audiovisual messages.

During MENA Rail 2009 experts estimated that ambitious rail projects in MENA regions will boost demands for digital signage by over 500%. The Dubai Metro alone is tipped to invest over Dhs10m in digital signage hardware at its stations across the city.

"This conference will enable us to open a direct dialogue with our key audiences to discuss the latest trends in the market, reasons behind this growth and available business opportunities.," added Bush. "Visitors to our conference will leave with a greater understanding of how our products and solutions can add value to business by turning images into assets to deliver what we call Visual Wealth."

During the conference Sony Professional will be showcasing some of its latest HD visualization solutions which include, Ziris Canvas, the new series of portable projectors, home theatre projectors and much more.

Sony Professional Displays Technology Conference will be held for two days on the 2nd and 3rd of June at The Westin Dubai Mina Seyahi Beach Resort & Marina.