Why Sign Biz Will Visit #2013SignExpo’s Digital Zone

Gail Chiasson, North American Editor

We’re looking forward to meeting Teresa Young at International Sign Expo next week.

teresa_youngYoung is president and sole owner of Sign Biz Inc., a business consultancy based in Dana Point, California, for 200 independent sign companies who all work on a no-royalties model and who rely on Sign Biz for a multitude of services and product information that include education, marketing materials, research, content, site selection, equipment, production, support and more.

The companies are mainly startups, although the group is gaining more and more conversions from existing sign companies.

“We spent $100,000 to research what makes a successful sign company,” says Young.

A special offering of Sign Biz is LobbyPOP, established to bring digital signage to the front line of the industry through Certified Digital Sign Experts. (A course is available via the company through which those taking it can gain the CDSE certification.)

Many of ‘her’ 200 independent sign companies are getting into digital, and Young – who is on the board and highly involved in International Sign Association, the American Sign Association, and the American Sign Museum – has been watching and encouraging the companies who are interested in signage that can be dynamically changed for day parts, can show both audio and video, run playlists and more, to get into the field.

“There are three types of signs in general,” says Young. “There are on-premise signs, for example, on the face of buildings; off-premise signs such as at a complex of auto dealers; and then there are the interior signs at point-of-purchase, in interior architecture such as lobbies, waiting rooms and the like.”

“About 40% of the Sign Biz 200 companies, who are in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, the Bahamas and the Philippines, are interested in or have already moved into dynamic signage,” says Young. “There are about 20,000 sign companies in the U.S. alone, and maybe 1% of them in total are into it. But interest has grown enough among sign companies for the ISA to address the opportunity to have the Digital Zone.”

The Digital Zone is a section at ISA Expo dedicated to exhibitors from the DOOH/Digital Place-based industry where they can meet members of the Sign Industry and vice versa, and perhaps develop business or at least learn from each other.

“Sign Biz has a lot of partnerships with companies like LG, Sony and others, but I’ll be visiting the Digital Zone,” says Young. “I want to see who the other players are, who stepped up to the plate, and how they are approaching the Sign Industry.”


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