The 2023 edition of Digital Signage Experience (DSE) pulled roughly 3,000 attendees earlier this month in Las Vegas, with the show’s organizers noting that just shy of 80% of those attendees were buyers, or from companies that design, specify and put in digital signage and DOOH networks.
Show owner Questex followed a press release earlier this week recapping its Live Design International (LDI) show with one Wednesday revisiting what happened with DSE. The release does not specifically give a number for DSE, instead saying: “Together, DSE and LDI drew nearly 15,000 registrants to the co-located events.”
Using my advanced mathematical skills, and a calculator, I gradually worked out that if LDI reported attendance of more than 12,000, and the aggregate of the two shows was something like 15,000, that makes DSE attendance for 2023 around 3,000.
Following the 2022 DSE, Questex reported there were 3,500 registrants.
Attendees came from 61 countries and Questex says 79.4% of registrants were end-users, designers or systems integrators. There were 60 exhibitors on the show floor, though some of those were for associations and publications. Companies like Lenovo and CRI had meeting space but no formal exhibition space.
“Digital Signage Experience is a truly immersive experience for the fast-changing digital and interactive display industry. Our research shows that 57% of DSE registrants have a digital signage project in the next 12 months. We brought together all the knowledge, experts, training, and companies attendees need to make their digital signage installation a success,” says David Drain, Director, Event Programs for DSE.
DSE 2024 will run Dec. 7-10 at the Las Vegas Convention Center, again co-located with LDI.
The slip in attendee numbers would not surprise those who were at the show. While it was buy on the first day, it was quite slow on the second. But a lot of the vendors I spoke with were quite happy with how it all played out. Fewer exhibitors tended to result in more time with the 3,000 or so who were there.
I’m happy to understand the show will be back late next year, as the industry wants and needs a dedicated meet-up and conference. The value and efficiency of a big industry meet-up is readily apparent, but I’m just not sure the trade show side of DSE would be viable were it not for the direct LDI ties (Questex owns and runs that). It would be hard, I’d imagine, for a company in the trade show business to not do a trade show.
Time will tell.