The Digital Signage Federation (DSF) is preparing a more structured presence around New York Out of Home Week and launching a dedicated member pavilion at NRF 2027, as membership approaches 275 companies and end users. In a conversation with invidis, DSF Chair Frank Pisano and Vice Chair Bryan Meszaros outlined how the association aims to strengthen member engagement and raise the profile of digital signage in two strategically important markets.
Events: DSF Revives NYC Digital Signage Initiative and Plans NRF Pavilion
DSF is working to re-establish digital signage as a central theme during New York Out of Home Week, formerly known as New York Digital Signage Week. The annual series of vendor, agency and association-led events was originally initiated by DailyDOOH founder Adrian Cotterill and has long served as a gathering point for the industry.
While DailyDOOH continues to host its conference, recent editions have increasingly focused on DOOH, retail media and adtech. DSF now wants to complement these activities by putting digital signage back on the agenda.
The planned New York programme, together with a dedicated NRF pavilion in January 2027, forms part of a broader effort to create more opportunities for members to showcase projects, demonstrate technology and build relationships with customers and partners. Both initiatives also address one of digital signage’s most important vertical markets: retail.
Speaking to invidis, Pisano and Meszaros acknowledged that previous New York Week activities had increasingly centred on the advertising side of the industry. The renewed initiative seeks to rebalance the conversation.
“This year the focus is really on re-establishing it as a digital signage initiative,” said Pisano.
The distinction matters. Digital signage, retail media and DOOH increasingly share display infrastructure, software platforms, data ecosystems and advertising technologies. DSF’s approach appears designed to recognise these overlaps while ensuring that digital signage remains at the centre of the conversation.
Member-Led Events Take Centre Stage
Rather than organising a single flagship networking event, DSF wants members themselves to shape the New York programme.
According to Meszaros, the concept includes pop-up events, project tours, technology showcases and networking sessions hosted by participating member companies. He describes the initiative as a “celebration of members” and a platform for members to create events for fellow members.
The format offers several advantages. Companies with offices, customer projects or showrooms in New York can use the week to highlight their work, while other attendees gain direct access to real-world deployments and local industry networks.
New York is a natural location for such an initiative. Many DSF members already operate in the city or the surrounding tri-state region, while the market itself brings together leading retail, media, advertising and technology organisations, making it relevant across the entire digital signage ecosystem.
The approach also complements the established “DSF Mix and Mingle” networking events, which are held throughout the United States. Rather than replicating the same format in New York every year, the association wants a programme that evolves according to member participation and showcases a wider variety of projects and expertise.
The DSF events will take place October 13–16, 2026 in New York and New Jersey.
Note: Times are subject to change and more events expected to be added. Registration links for several of the events will be published on Sept 10th via https://digitalsignagefederation.org/events/EventDetails.aspx?id=2079440&group=Tuesday October 13th
DSF Takeover Kicks Off at Collective X sponsored by Videri
Kick off DSF Week NYC with happy hour at Collective X sponsored by Videri. Explore how experiential technology, creative design, and expert execution come together to create unforgettable brand experiences, all while enjoying drinks, making new connections, and getting ready for a great week in NYC.
Time: 4:00 to 6:00 PM
Wednesday, October 14
Vistar Media: Retail Media Trends and Open House @ 625 Sixth Avenue / Sixth Avenue & 19th
Time: to be announced
A discussion focused on the evolving retail media landscape, followed by an opportunity to connect with the Vistar Media team and explore its New York office.Coffee, Concepts and Banking: Inside Santander 437 Madison
Time: 3:00 PM
Take a midday break with a cup of coffee and get an exclusive sneak preview of Santander’s new concept branch at 437 Madison Avenue. While the branch is still under construction, OpenEye Global will provide an outside look at the work underway and share insights into the design process and overall approach, including how SNA Displays transparent LED mesh and a series of Absen LED displays will come together to create a unique visual experience throughout the branch.
SNA Displays: Open House and Cocktails @ 44th & 7th
Time: 5:30 PM
An evening open house featuring networking, refreshments, and a look inside SNA Displays’ new New York headquarters. Raffle off tickets to One Times Square
Thursday, October 15
Planned: AC Member Showcase: Legrand AV @ Citi Field
Time: 10 AM
Start the day with an AC Member Showcase and digital signage tour of Citi Field. The morning will offer a behind-the-scenes look at the venue’s digital signage and technology, along with an opportunity to connect with fellow DSF members.
Exclusive DSF Member Preview and Sony Happy Hour
Thursday, October 15 From 3:00 to 5:00 p.m.
25 Madison Avenue – Madison Avenue and East 25th Street
DSF members are invited to an exclusive early preview of the Sony AV Tech Expo. Attendees will get a first look at Sony’s latest professional display, imaging, and audiovisual technologies, followed by a happy hour with the Sony team and fellow DSF members.
Diversified DOOH Project Tour
A guided tour highlighting several of Diversified’s digital out of home projects throughout New York City. Everyone who registers for the tour will also receive a complimentary one way ferry ticket to Hoboken to attend the XUSC Oktoberfest immediately afterward.
XUSC Oktoberfest @ The Hoboken Biergarten
6:00 to 9:00 p.m.
Link: https://www.xusocialclub.com/event-details/oktoberfest
The day concludes across the Hudson with an evening of industry networking, live entertainment, and Oktoberfest festivities.
Friday, October 16
Sony AV Tech Expo Roadshow @ 25 Madison Avenue & East 25th
Time to be announced / https://pro.sony/ue_US/avtechexpo
Sony’s professional AV roadshow featuring the latest display, imaging, and audiovisual technologies.
Digital Signage Pavilion Debuts at NRF 2027
Retail is also driving DSF’s second major initiative: a dedicated member pavilion at NRF 2027 Retail’s Big Show.
According to Pisano, many members have expressed interest in gaining a stronger presence at the industry’s largest retail technology event but face challenges exhibiting independently.
“A lot of our members wanted access to NRF,” Pisano explained. “We provide that ability for our members to showcase their products and services there as part of a larger pavilion.”
The pavilion concept reflects the increasingly integrated nature of retail technology projects. Modern in-store deployments rarely rely on a single product category. Successful implementations typically combine displays, media players, CMS platforms, remote device management, analytics, interactive solutions, installation expertise and long-term support services.
A collective pavilion allows retailers to see how these technologies work together within a broader ecosystem rather than evaluating individual components in isolation.
For smaller suppliers, the model also offers a practical way to improve visibility at one of the world’s largest retail exhibitions. As Pisano noted, exhibiting alone at a major event such as NRF can be challenging for companies without large marketing budgets or established brand recognition. A shared presence provides both scale and context.
Membership Reaches New High
The new initiatives come as DSF membership approaches 275 organisations, including an increasing number of end users. According to Meszaros, the association is currently at its highest membership level since he became involved five to six years ago.
DSF is currently chaired by Frank Pisano of Bluefin International, with Bryan Meszaros, founder of OpenEye Global, serving as Vice Chair. The board represents a broad cross-section of the industry, including manufacturers, software providers, integrators and service companies.
For the federation, the New York initiative and NRF pavilion serve different but complementary objectives. The New York programme is designed to energise the community through peer networking, project visibility and member engagement. NRF, by contrast, provides direct access to retail decision-makers in an environment where digital signage competes with a much broader retail technology ecosystem.
Both initiatives ultimately depend on active member participation. If successful, they could help strengthen DSF’s position as the industry’s leading North American association while giving digital signage a more visible platform in two of the market’s most influential forums.