The industry’s first virtual trade event, Digital Signage 2010, produced by NewBay Media, took place April 28 with a very successful turnout. Over 2500 industry professionals and end users registered to attend. At any one time, there were as many as 400+ people in attendance (several Exhibitors had 200+ people in their booths at one time). Those who did log-on on that date were able to attend presentations by myself, Lyle Bunn, Randy Lemke, Laura Davis Taylor, Greg Patrick, and Chris Connery, with updates and in-depth information on everything from Digital signage content management software selection to content best practices, to display sales analysis, and more. What made the event a real “conference” at not just a webinar on steroids was the live, interactive nature of the chat functions: the ability to chat in the Lounge, to find and chat with any other attendee, and to chat with booth personnel in the exhibitors’ booths.

The chats were real time, and have indeed wrapped. But here’s the good news: this was a virtual event after all, so in fact you can still “attend” online, and view the presentations, the keynote, and a variety of other things, ongoing, by logging onto: www.digitalsignage2010.com

And we really didn’t have to write up post-show reviews of the presentations, and the keynote because you can still see all that content. It’s available now for post-event viewing. Whatever you do, don’t miss the “Keynote Roundtable.” I hosted a “virtual” roundtable with some of the best, cutting-edge players on the media landscape because, yes, “digital signage” is not just another “AV” vertical. The most compelling and promising trends are part of a media and video revolution that is changing everything about content delivery.

Shelly Palmer shared his unique insight as part of the Keynote Roundtable. Palmer is arguably this country’s top thinker and analyst regarding the changes in mass media that are revolutionizing the way information is conveyed, and how the former “owners” of content and technology — broadcasters, networks, and all the video and audio industry “aristocracy” — now face radical shifts of power as consumers and customers can now architect their own technology platforms, their own content, and their own price to pay for it all (the stuff they don’t expect for free that is).

Fair warning: Shelly Palmer’s remarks are not for the squeamish, or for anyone looking for feel-good messages and assurance that there are only blue skies ahead. And it may take a second look at his clip to decipher what it is he’s getting at when he ties together social media trends with high-end AV. Trust me, he’s five years ahead of the rest of us, and I advise anyone who thinks the high-end installed AV market is immune from the media revolution to attend.

Plus, logging in now will you give you a taste for Digital Signage 2010, and have you looking forward to our next digital signage virtual event, taking place in late October.