SIEC 2025, Paris June 11-12 2025

April 22nd, 2025

Andrew Neale

Shopping centres are changing fast. Think food halls, climbing gyms, even adventure parks. Far from just places to shop, they’re becoming vibrant destinations where people come to eat, play, socialise and spend.

As e-commerce continues to grow, this shift is more than a trend—it’s a strategy. By blending retail with leisure, these new spaces are boosting dwell time, footfall, and customer loyalty. Today’s centres look more like modern town squares than traditional malls.

SIEC 2025 is the must-attend event for retail real estate, takes a closer look at this transformation. This year’s theme, ‘Bringing people together’ puts the spotlight on how retail spaces are evolving into full-on lifestyle hubs.

The event will be held June 11-12 2025 at Paris Expo, Porte de Versailles, Pavilion 6.

More information can be found here.

Nice Times Square Omnichannel Initiative

April 22nd, 2025

Adrian J Cotterill, Editor-in-Chief

Here’s a fresh twist on out-of-home advertising that seems to be driving full-funnel performance for DTC brands. 
 
“Branded Cities’ NASDAQ Tower in Times Square packed a punch for Nickelytics, allowing their brands to reach audiences with high-impact imagery, driving online action,” said Roger Wood, Director of Digital Growth/Programmatic, Branded Cities.
Nickelytics, in partnership with Branded Cities and Ivee, launched a geo-targeted, omnichannel initiative across Times Square and select locations throughout NYC, spotlighting six fast-growing consumer brands:
In just two weeks, the campaign delivered:
  • “Breakout” status on Google Trends for each DTC brand with an increase of 5,000%+ in search growth.
  • Three million+ impressions.
  • 820,000 minutes of in-car time with the brand.
  • Precision-targeted CPG ad placement: 73% of in-car ads played within 5 minutes of the nearest Target location.
  • Click-through rates (CTR) as high as 27%.
The campaign combined iconic placements like the Nasdaq Billboard with precision-targeted, interactive in-car experiences via Ivee’s smart taxi screens. 
 
“We are thrilled to seize the opportunity to partner with Branded Cities and Ivee, empowering brands to rise above the din in one of the world’s most fiercely competitive media markets,” said Bo Sijuade, Director, DOOH, Nickelytics. 
The multi-brand initiative was powered by Nickelytics’ proprietary DOOH platform, acquired last year by Kiwibot and integrated with Vistar Media’s SSP. Vistar Media recently acquired by T-Mobile, signaling a growing convergence between mobility, telecom, and advertising.
 
This campaign is a prime example of how programmatic DOOH empowers brands to reach consumers in the world’s most high-traffic locations while delivering measurable, performance-driven outcomes.

AVI Systems Becomes FORTÉ

April 22nd, 2025

Andrew Neale

This week AVI Systems introduced itself as FORTÉ. The new company name, logo and brand identity aims to help position the company as the industry leader in the delivery and support of communication and collaboration solutions for the modern workplace.

Founded in 1974, FORTÉ has 1,300 employee owners at 41 locations in the United States. Each year, the company completes thousands of strategic communication initiatives for business, education, and government customers.

“We’re much more than an AV integrator and now is the perfect time to create a new brand identity that will carry our business into the future,” said Jeff Stoebner, Chairman and CEO of FORTÉ. “We’ve made strategic investments to transform the business and serve our customers. This decision to rebrand is based on our deep expertise in designing solutions for people that enhance every touchpoint. We are focused on being a true strategic partner to our customers and delivering innovations that support their needs.” 

With its new brand identity and web presence the company’s approach to people, spaces, and technology ensures solutions match the expectations of today’s modern workplace.

“Our customers asked us to simplify how common solutions like meeting room technology is ordered and delivered,” added Stoebner. “We became logistics experts, capable of delivering certified meeting room solutions in as few as 10 days. They also need help to get more from their Microsoft investments. We became a leading Microsoft Solutions partner to deliver on this need. In addition, customers require a partner with robust managed services to maintain their ecosystems. Not only can we do this domestically, but for global customers as well”.

Since 2022, the company has added to its national footprint with 15 new office locations designed to serve customers where they are. FORTÉ also added global deployment capabilities and developed its expertise as a leader in technology and platform integration.

Roger Patrick, COO at FORTÉ told us “Organizations want more than just the latest platforms or technologies – they need solutions that adapt to the ever-evolving modern workplace. Our expertise ensures every system we deploy and manage fits seamlessly into the IT ecosystem and empowers organizations to thrive in an era of digital transformation.”

As FORTÉ, the company remains dedicated to transforming the modern workplace through cutting-edge collaboration solutions, high-performance technology, and an unwavering commitment to customer success.

The Creative Town Hall

April 22nd, 2025

Adrian J Cotterill, Editor-in-Chief

Creative Circle, a not-for-profit organisation owned by the UK’s creative community, and Global, the Media & Entertainment group, have joined forces to launch The Creative Town Hall, described as a nationwide initiative to inspire creativity and elevate the influence of the UK’s creative advertising industry on a global stage.

Anto Chioccarelli, Creative Director for Outdoor at Global, told us “At Global, we’re driven by a passion for creativity and a commitment to facilitating campaigns that have real-life impact. We want to create a culture of courage within the advertising industry and I’m delighted that Creative Circle is supporting us on that journey. The events we’re putting on together will set the stage for creative excellence where advertising becomes something that people see and experience. It’s a project to nurture a diverse, daring community of thinkers and makers, united by a shared ambition to challenge the norm, ignite fresh conversations and push creative boundaries.”

The Creative Town Hall will kick off with a series of events across the UK with the first taking place on May 6th at Havas HQ titled ‘Embrace the Crazy’. A second event is confirmed for July at the UK Creative Festival in Margate, with further locations to be announced.

Read the rest of this entry »

Miami’s @DPAAGlobal GlobalDOOH, April 28

April 22nd, 2025

Adrian J Cotterill, Editor-in-Chief

DPAA, the global trade marketing association, driving the growth and digitization of out-of-home media is holding its annual GlobalDOOH session in Miami next week during the Possible Event. It takes place on Monday April 28 at 16:30, at the Fontainebleau Hotel.

Barry Frey, President & CEO of DPAA told us “DPAA’s GlobalDOOH is always a great session as we explore how major brands are using DOOH and discuss the innovations in the business. Having this session on the first day of Possible ensures brands focus on our industry and is part of DPAA’s Curated Experiences which include CES, and Cannes Lions.”

Speakers at this year’s event include:

  • Kate Clough, Global Media Director, Lenovo
  • Jessica Williams, Head of Brand Marketing & Partnerships, Shopify
  • Adam Powell, Global Solutions Architect, Adsquare
  • Chris Gurciullo, General Manager, Adsquare

Additional media agency speaker to be announced

This session is open to all DPAA members whether or not they are attending Possible. For registration link please contact Zach.Sherman@dpaaglobal.com.

Topics at the session will include Retail/In-Store Media, Location Intelligence, Programmatic, and the growing role of digital out of home in today’s omnichannel mix.

The session is sponsored by Adsquare.

oOh!media Launches 9News Content

April 22nd, 2025

Tristan Cotterill

oOh!media has signed a multi-year partnership with Nine to deliver exclusive, customised 9News content across its national large format digital Out of Home network.

As part of the long-term agreement, 9News will provide more than 50 news updates each day, seven days a week, including content tailored for local markets. 9News headlines will appear across 74 of oOh!’s large format digital billboards across five capital cities – Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth – as well as regional Australia including the NSW Northern Rivers.

Cathy O’Connor, CEO oOh!, told us “The partnership with 9News is yet another step forward in our strategy to enhance the Out of Home experience by delivering high-quality, contextually relevant content at scale. This initiative further reinforces oOh!’s commitment to making public spaces better by providing timely, attention-grabbing content that extends the value exchange for both audiences and our advertising partners.”

oOh!’s technology team, together with its creative and innovation hub, POLY, collaborated to develop an innovative responsive design solution that streamlines the management of large-format digital content at scale. The new technology enables oOh! and Nine to use a single base template that seamlessly adapts across all seven unique large-format specifications.

Nine’s director of news and current affairs, Fiona Dear, said “We have been actively evolving our news product to ensure we are reaching our audience where they are in their day-to-day lives. Whether that be on their daily commute, at work, or at home, we want our news content to be easy to consume and access. This partnership with oOh! is another piece to our puzzle, ensuring that we are broadening our distribution even further, and giving millions of Australians daily updates to keep them informed.”

9News is the latest media partner to join oOh!’s content network, which also includes News Corp Australia’s news.com.au, The Australian, and Vogue, running content across oOh!’s Street Furniture, Fly, Study and Office networks, as well as Broadsheet, the leading authority on what’s hot, on oOh!’s Office network.

GSTV Acquired By MidOcean Partners

April 22nd, 2025

Adrian J Cotterill, Editor-in-Chief

Rockbridge Growth Equity has sold GSTV to MidOcean Partners.

Founded in 2006 (and originally located in Birmingham, Michigan) GSTV claims position as America’s number one video network at the pump. Rockbridge Growth Equity LLC acquited GSTV in June 2014 (you can read about that here).

Brian Hermelin, Managing Partner and co-founder of Rockbridge was quoted as saying “Through our partnership with the GSTV team, we successfully transformed the business to realize new opportunities in an evolving media landscape. Rockbridge understood that advertisers need new channels to reach today’s consumers, and GSTV has delivered a captive audience that we believe has more potential to grow. We look forward to supporting the GSTV and MidOcean teams as the Company embarks on its next chapter.”

MidOcean Partners is a premier New York-based alternative asset manager specializing in middle-market private equity, structured capital, and alternative credit investments. Since its inception in 2003, MidOcean Private Equity has targeted investments in high-quality middle-market companies in the consumer and business services sectors. MidOcean Credit Partners was launched in 2009 and currently manages a series of alternative credit strategies, collateralized loan obligations (CLOs), and customized separately managed accounts.

“GSTV is uniquely positioned at the intersection of retail media, digital video, and digital out-of-home – three of the fastest-growing areas in advertising today,” said Marshall Phelps, Managing Director at MidOcean. “Brands are increasingly seeking measurable, high-impact ways to engage consumers near the point of purchase, and GSTV’s national scale and ability to deliver contextually relevant content in real time delivers proven results. Our investment thesis in this space was developed in partnership with our executive advisors Jim Wilson and Eric Kozic, who bring deep expertise in digital media and marketing services to MidOcean. We’re thrilled to have Jim joining as Chairman of the Board and look forward to partnering with Sean McCaffrey and the GSTV team to support the Company’s continued expansion”.

Moelis & Company LLC and Solomon Partners served as financial advisors to GSTV and Honigman served as legal advisor to Rockbridge and GSTV. Gibson Dunn was legal advisor to MidOcean.

Sean McCaffrey, CEO of GSTV told us “Rockbridge has been a strong partner to GSTV over the years, and we are proud of the accomplishments we achieved together. We are excited for the future and working together with MidOcean and Rockbridge on new initiatives.”

Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Rockbridge will retain a minority stake in GSTV.

RVonAV Earth Day Special Webinar

April 21st, 2025

Andrew Neale

Celebrate Earth Day with an exciting panel, ‘RVonAV Earth Day Special: Creating a Sustainable Future for the AV Industry‘ on Tuesday, April 22nd at 1:00 PM ET.

Hear from industry experts on the latest sustainability initiatives and best practices that leading AV companies are adopting, followed by an opportunity for attendees to pose questions to the panelists after the discussion.

Gain valuable perspectives from:

  • Rich Ventura – Vice President, Sony Professional Display Solutions
  • Keiko Yokoyama – Environmental Director, Sony Electronics
  • Rob Badenoch – Partner, TAD
  • Michael Rogers – Senior Sustainability Program Specialist, Crestron
  • Tobi Tungl – Chief Marketing Officer, CTI

Don’t miss this opportunity to gain valuable insights into how the AV industry is embracing sustainability.

Registration and more information can be found here.

Troy Korthour Joins GoVision

April 18th, 2025

Adrian J Cotterill, Editor-in-Chief

GoVision LLC, the premier provider of large-scale LED video displays, has announced that LED industry veteran Troy Korthour has joined the company in the new role of Senior Solutions Manager.

He brings more than 20 years of expertise in the LED display industry to the GoVision team. He will be responsible for overseeing cost estimations, managing subcontractors and guiding the pre-bid and post-bid processes for the company’s fixed installation business.

Before joining GoVision, Troy honed his skills as a sales engineer at Samsung/Prismview and as a solutions architect at Panasonic. He has a proven track record of successfully securing projects for professional sports stadiums, arenas, minor league sports venues and collegiate athletic facilities.

“We are thrilled to welcome Troy to the GoVision team as our Senior Solutions Manager,” said Matt Ritter, Sr. Vice President of Business Development with GoVision. “With over a decade of experience estimating projects in the fixed installation space, Troy has distinguished himself by consistently delivering creative, cost-effective solutions for high-profile projects across multiple markets. His ability to think outside the box, maximize budgets and provide the best options for our customers aligns perfectly with the GoVision Way. We look forward to the impact Troy will make as we continue to provide industry-leading LED solutions.”

Troy is a graduate of Northern State University in Aberdeen, SD. Outside of work, he enjoys an active lifestyle that includes working out, hunting, fishing and exploring the beautiful outdoors of South Dakota. He is also passionate about the Green Bay Packers. Above all, Troy values quality time spent with his wife, Tari, and their four children and grandchildren.

Hannah Sharma Joins @ExertisAlmo

April 18th, 2025

Andrew Neale

Hannah Sharma has joined Exertis as the company’s AV sales director in the UK.

She joins with more than a decade of experience at each level of the supply chain from manufacturer, distributor and integrator, with hands-on knowledge across sales, marketing, operations and management operations.

Jamie Brothwell, managing director, Exertis Business, said “I am delighted to welcome Hannah to the Exertis family at such an exciting time in our journey. During the past 6 months we have redefined our focus within our 5 specialisms: AV, components, mobile, print and IT solutions. Hannah joins Exertis as director of sales for AV bringing a wealth of experience which will be integral to our future plans and demonstrates our commitment to growth.”

Sharma’s role will focus on cultivating relationships with vendors, collaborating with internal teams to develop strategies for boosting sales and expanding market reach, as well as implementing data-driven approaches to analyse market trends and optimising sales strategies.