Why Do We Still Call it Digital Signage?

SXSW Interactive (to be held March 2013 in Austin) is soliciting proposals– in a way that’s pure SXSW i.e. in a messy democratic fashion– for Panel sessions. Now’s your chance to jump into what the 99.9999% of the country that does not attend DSE, NAB, CETW, or InfoComm defines as Interactive technology.

I’d love to go to SXSW Interactive in March, and actually hear a reference to “digital signage” or “DOOH” from one of the hundreds of panelists. Wishful thinking perhaps. (…note to self: not just for a panel proposal, but for marketing in general: maybe it’s time to start calling interactive technology something other than “signage”?)

Here's the drill: South by Southwest (SXSW) Conferences and Festivals are now accepting programming proposals for the 2013 event with the launch of the PanelPicker. The PanelPicker interface is an innovative online tool that allows the SXSW community to have a significant voice in programming Music, Film, and Interactive conference activities through an open proposal and voting process. SXSW 2013 takes place March 8 - 17, 2013 in Austin, Texas. PanelPicker is a two-step online system. Step One encourages the community to submit proposals for programming at SXSW at http://panelpicker.sxsw.com

  • Step Two allows the community to browse all of these ideas and rate which of these proposals they think are the best fit for the March events. Community voting begins Monday, August 13, 2012 and will continue through Friday, August 31, 2012. Votes from the community, along with feedback from SXSW Advisory Boards and the SXSW staff, will help determine programming for the 2013 event.
David Keene is a publishing executive and editorial leader with extensive business development and content marketing experience for top industry players on all sides of the media divide: publishers, brands, and service providers. Keene is the former content director of Digital Signage Magazine.