Registration is open for LookOut, the 2017 OAAA/Geopath convention May 15-17, 2017 in New Orleans. Insider asked Nancy Fletcher to reflect on highlights from last year’s convention and to talk about what to look forward to at this year’s convention.
Nancy, what were some of the highlights for you at the May 2016 Geopath/OAAA convention?
Highlights from the 2016 convention: the rollout of Geopath (formerly TAB), continued industry growth, and proof that our medium drives digital engagement.
My “wishlist” for the industry focused on five steps for continued growth:
- Closely connect OOH and digital (social, mobile, and online)
- Make OOH easy to plan, buy, and measure
- Make the most of data
- Tell the OOH story, make noise
- Serve the public good
What’s the theme of the 2017 convention and why?
The theme is Look Out.
It’s forward-leaning, optimistic, and self-descriptive of our products, as in:
- Look Out world, here we come
- We’re on the Look Out for opportunities
- We’re Looking Out for advertisers
- We’re Looking Out for the communities we serve
- OOH motivates getting people to Look Out and up from their mobile phones
Talk about the topics the convention will address.
New ideas. New technology. And new public service.
First-rate presenters will take the main stage to explain the changing media landscape, creative trends, and the marketing of top brands like the National Football League (NFL).
A premier photographer associated with National Geographic will unveil an eye-catching public service campaign to help endangered animals.
Workshops cover a range of topics: measuring return on investment, design, amplifying social and mobile media via our medium, measurement, and the emergence of autonomous vehicles.
What does the convention offer to an independent OOH company?
Plenty: networking, a premier trade show with the latest products and services, and thought-provoking main-stage presentations. Plus, the convention features a workshop specifically designed for independents, which includes a roundtable discussion with peers (May 17). At this workshop, experts will explain:
- Cellular antennas on billboard structures
- How to select good locations for digital billboards, how digital billboards work, and how to manage content
- New sales tools
Other than convention planning, what else have you been up to?
A highlight of 2016 was visiting Barnes Outdoor Advertising in Ohio and Wolverine Sign in Michigan to celebrate their 100-year anniversaries.
I started this year at another multi-generation company that soon will celebrate its centennial, Young Electric Sign Company (YESCO) in Utah. I shared new sales tools with YESCO, and I’ll share them again here.
In Utah, I did something I haven’t done in years. I skied . . . on some of the finest snow in the world. As they say in Park City, it’s downhill from here.
This interview originally published in Billboard Insider.
Download the PDFPublished: January 30, 2017