The usual faces turned up at CETW in New York City yesterday as the engagement-oriented trade show sought to attract buyers and advertisers to a heavily under construction Javits Center on Manhattan’s west side. Underway are the efforts of digital signage, mobile, and kiosks providers to lure new contracts amid a market that is less than generous. In a certain way, less is more as fewer and less bright screens proliferate the display-heavy show floor. Having a clear message has become more important than a flashy one.

A good thing that content has adjusted, but in an environment that is expected to make a Vegas casino look like a Franciscan church, there was little applaud for content examples. There was, thankfully, only one screen playing Avatar, a trend that hopefully the next trade show will effectively eliminate.

The numbers looked good however, as the usually busy JD Events team still made time to address and immediately solve every arising issue, of which there were not many. Many conversations were overheard which would suggest advances stages of planning signalling eminent purchases. A general feeling was positive as groups clustered in and around booths to see how new types of technology could help their businesses and their bottom lines.

One interesting experiment this year is the Out of Home Zone, an area of 10 DOOH networks showcasing their content and selling themselves in the city that the most marketers call home. Care Media, run by our good friend Phil Cohen, had four stations set up, and other networks included Park Cast, EnVu, and Animals, Inc. This is the first time that the networks are being showcased in this way at a technology-focused show, and we will report on the results of the experiment once the show doors close.