That’s The Art of Digital

Exclusive PSCo hosted event brings retail brands, the AV Channel and digital retail solution providers together

Reading, UK, 2 April 2013 – PSCo Technical Distribution, a specialist UK-based distributor of innovative display products and services brought together over 400 guests at the exclusive Bulgari Hotel, Knightsbridge to meet solution partners and discuss the future of digital in retail. Guests included retail experts, end users, content providers and channel partners of PSCo Technical Distribution. “The Art of Digital” was held in association with solution partners PlayNetwork, Intevi, Kin Design, Holition, VIVID, and MediaZest and the entire event was sponsored by Samsung, NEC, Sharp, Panasonic, Harris and omniSHAPES.

Commenting, Stuart Holmes, CEO of PSCo said, “The whole event was put together to provide an environment that allowed a highly visual industry to see, feel and touch the future of in-store digital solutions and speak with the experts in the field.”

He continued, “We brought together in one room a carefully selected array of innovative digital solutions for the retail environment with an audience of brand owners, retailers and content providers invited by our channel partners. The event created the right environment for open discussion and honest engagement between technologists, decision makers, retail innovators, pioneers and industry experts and enabled them to learn from each other’s experiences.”

Held at the Bulgari Hotel, London on March 26th 2013, The Art of Digital included a technology showcase and a networking event as well four keynotes from the pioneers and active supporters of the in store digital experience. PSCo brought to the Bulgari an array of state of the art displays, alongside some very innovative technologies that are just breaking out into the store environment in Europe and the USA. Centrepiece of the technology showcase was an impressive 29 omniSHAPES 24-inch LED DLP Rear Projection Video Wall Display. Other displays at the event included a brand new to the UK 2x2 60” bezeless plasma videowall display technology which is exclusive to PSCo and a Samsung 75”and a 95”Thin Bezel Edge-lit LED LCD Display along with the New Samsung UD22B LCD tile technology and the 55” UD55A videowall displays in a 1x3 configuration. A large configuration of both the NEC Ultra-narrow Bezel 46” and 55” Direct-lit LED LCD Video Wall Displays as well as a 3x1 Sharp PN-V602 60-inch High Brightness Super-Thin Bezel Direct-lit CED LCD Video Wall, the New Sharp 90” LCD display along with the 40” double sided display also from Sharp. Two Panasonic 80” LCD’s welcomed all attendees to the event and the majority of the display technologies in the room were controlled by Harris Infocaster signage players.

Alongside, solution partners presented a galaxy of stellar technologies, available to channel partners, content providers and brand owners seeking to add something truly exceptional to their digital retail experience. These included the ‘Holition Colour Mirror’ – a virtual try-on experience using patent pending colour-changing technology. Intevi provided In Window Digital Canvas, Interactive Creative Cubes and a bespoke interactive retail display unit and Kin Design showed their 3D Face technology as well as a full height interactive Photo Mirror. PlayNetwork showed how it uses innovative video and music technology to leave an enduring impression and the VIVID HOLOCUBE fully integrated 3D projection platform made a significant impression at the bar in the Bulgari with a 3D Martini that was realistic, but not real. VIVID Digital Retail in partnership with Integer also showed its interactive storefront window with full e-commerce functionality. SFD a leader in experiential retail environments also exhibited in the showcase.

The keynote presentations included an address from Guy Cheston, Harrods Media Sales Director, about the impact that digital signage was having at the iconic London store. He said that he’s seen increases in footfall and sales on the first day of the launch of new content. Graham Tricker, Head of Operations, Proxama highlighted the potential that Near Field Communications (NFC) has to empower mobile wallets and enable transactions direct from signs and pitched NFC as taking over from QR codes. In his keynote, Will Woodhams, Director, Mission asked the audience ‘What’s that in your Pocket?’ and challenged them to consider whether the in-store experience they offered customers lived up to its online counterpart by asking ’Is your digital better than your retail?’. Iikka Maunumaa, partner at TBWA\Helsinki and Integer Nordic looked at brand behaviour and how brands can maximise every retail opportunity even when the store is closed.

About PSCo Technical Distribution

Headquartered in Reading, Berkshire, UK, PSCo Technical Distribution is a trade-only advanced technical distribution and services business, specialising in high-impact, innovative display technologies and building support services around them. Its mission is to create visual excitement and engagement, empowering channel partners with the means to meet their customers’ communication objectives through exciting technologies, professional solutions and support services. A specialist in video walls and large format displays, PSCo holds preferred supplier status with Panasonic, NEC, Sharp, Samsung, Matrox and Harris, and exclusive partnerships with eyevis omniSHAPES, Orion, NanoLumens, and now SMS.

For more information, please visit www.psco.co.uk/technical-distribution/, email sales@psco.co.uk or call: 0870 240 8484

Press contacts:

Beky Cann

Neesham Public Relations

Tel: +44 (0) 1296 628180

Email: bekyc@neesham.co.uk

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