InfoComm 2025 is coming. Before the Orange County Convention Center welcomes attendees this June 7-13 in Orlando, SCN turned to several InfoComm 2025 exhibitors to talk trends, technology, inspiration, and an exclusive special sneak preview of what they’ll show in their booths.
[Products, Sessions, Insights: InfoComm 2025 on AV Network]
Today, Nick Begleries, Commercial VP, North America, PPDS, talks sustainability, AI, and ePaper solutions.
SCN: What is your company’s main focus at the show this year?
Nick Begleries: InfoComm is one of our most important annual events, providing the ideal stage to showcase our latest and greatest solutions in a single setting. We have a great lineup of activities scheduled, with an overriding focus on delivering extended value, new capabilities (including sustainability), and tailored experiences to an even wider audience, with the range of market verticals being supported.
We’ll be combining stunning AI-infused, art-themed content with interactive displays, business TVs, digital signage, videowalls, ePaper and dvLED, together with Philips Wave, to name a few. Headline announcements will include a new generation of ultra-flexible and durable AIO Philips LED and digital signage displays, bringing all-new creative design and outstanding visual performances to the most challenging environments.
Sustainability will continue to be a major theme, as we continue to educate and support businesses with their goals and ambitions. The latest evolutions from our industry-leading, low energy, and, in some cases, ‘zero power’ solutions will be present throughout, including the Philips Signage 3000 Series EcoDesign and the Philips Tableaux ePaper range.
SCN: What buzzwords do you expect to be the talk of InfoComm 2025?
NB: Buzzwords for this year’s show are expected to largely mirror those seen at ISE 2025 in Barcelona, most notably around sustainability and AI.
Sustainability has been a key pillar in our global business for some time, focusing heavily on delivering low energy products and solutions with extended lifetimes. Sustainability is more than a buzzword, though. It’s a fundamental change, from the manufacturing process, packaging, and shipping to installation, and beyond. It’s great to see others taking the subject more seriously. For any business looking to educate themselves on ways to boost their sustainability credentials, using proven, available technologies, we encourage you to stop by.
Of course, AI is something that cannot be ignored, and we expect those two letters to feature prominently across a growing range of applications. However, it’s important to understand where and how AI is being used and the value it delivers before taking the plunge.
SCN: How does InfoComm inspire you?
NB: We live in a world where technology allows us to communicate with others, be they individuals or entire teams, located almost anywhere in the world, with the touch of a button. However, nothing compares to being able to meet, shake hands, and look people in the eyes at an actual event. Perhaps ironically, the lockdowns in 2020 have only fueled this desire.
Meeting and collaborating with our partners and customers, speaking to the global media, and attending keynotes for industry analysts and experts is an experience that simply cannot be replicated by any other means.
InfoComm is truly a place to inspire and be inspired. As a business, we aim to help businesses achieve their goals and ambitions, to be able to grow and be the best versions of themselves. If that doesn’t inspire you, you’re in the wrong business for the wrong reasons.
SCN: Is ePaper ready for its breakthrough moment as a digital signage solution?
NB: As the world’s first global display manufacturer to introduce a full-sized advanced color ePaper display back in 2023 with the Philips Tableaux, we see some exciting opportunities with the technology. Is it ready for its breakthrough moment? The technology continues to develop at pace, in terms of image quality, color performance, and screen size. It’s fair to say PPDS has been part of a growing number of ‘breakthrough moments’ for our partners and customers who have become early adopters of the technology. Since the unveiling of our first Philips Tableaux, we have had interest from almost every market vertical, with businesses recognizing the unique energy benefits. Those in retail and the food and beverage industry are among the biggest cheerleaders of the technology to date, and DooH is certainly taking notice.
But adoption and a change in thinking will take time. ePaper is still maturing, and it has its limitations, depending on the requirements of the customer and environment for which it is intended.
One of the biggest questions we always receive is around size. When will they be bigger? But it’s not that simple. Not all color ePaper displays are made equally. Image quality and performance in both indoor and outdoor installations are crucial to the experience and brand ambitions for our customers. This is particularly true for companies for whom color accuracy needs to be precise. Our biggest Philips Tableaux at present is 32 inches. There are larger ones in the market, but they fall short of brand expectations in terms of color and visibility areas. We as a business will not compromise on that, we are driving for more, but we can all only move as fast as the technology allows.
