Screenmedia expo (18-19 May, London’s Earls Court 2) is well esteemed in the European digital place-based marketing and emerging media sector and this year, more than ever before, has been acknowledged as the top spot for introducing new ideas, creativity and innovation.

Participating companies, both exhibitors and speakers, have chosen the expo to present major technology launches, market debuts, big brand case studies and cutting-edge research. Among them are Arsenal Media, DGScreen, Display Solutions, Galaxia Electronics, Harris, HP, Saturn and VeriFone Media.

Greeting visitors to the show floor this year will be The BuzzWall, Arsenal Media’s giant video wall featuring Christie MicroTiles technology. Launching to a European audience for the first time, Arsenal Media will also show The Buzzwall on Stand D7 and will be presenting a case study entitled "Multichannel Media at The BuzzWall: The Miami Dolphins and Sun Life Stadium", on 18 May at 11:00 in Theatre 2.This all-in-one concept integrates gesture-based interactivity, like video feeds, mobile phone and social media content, to engage fans and generate an unforgettable stadium experience.

Once inside, visitors will see the highly acclaimed VeriFone Media VNET | Taxi for the first time in the UK on Stand C7. VNET combines credit, debit and contactless payments with content from leading broadcast and online media partners, all on a remote controlled 15in screen. It reaches affluent, on the go consumers in a captive environment with significant dwell time, offering advertisers a wide range of standard and bespoke packages to suit different budgets and brand requirements. Campaigns can go from concept to on-air in a matter of hours, and play only while the taxi meter is on and a passenger is watching.

HP will be teaming up with Scala on Stand E23 to demonstrate their combined SignagePlayer MP8000r solution, designed to enable simple deployment of full-featured digital signage at a single location or across a small network in the retail, hospitality, healthcare and education sectors.

South Korean LED specialists Galaxia Electronics, has chosen Screenmedia expo as the platform to unveil its new fixed installation LED video walls with full 3D capabilities. The amazing effects of this huge LED wall can be seen on Stand C23.

Israeli-based DGScreen Ltd., an emerging provider of cloud-based digital signage systems, will make its European debut at Screenmedia expo, Stand E33. DGScreen's cloud-based digital signage solution is a combined hardware/software solution offered on a SaaS (Software as a Service) model for a low monthly fee. Designed to enable any size business to benefit from digital signage, DGScreen offers all the functionality of a premium digital signage system including content creation, editing and hosting; screen management; advanced scheduling; user(s) management and real-time monitoring and reporting.

Display Solutions will also be making its debut at Screenmedia expo, launching its flexible, single-source digital signage initiative on Stand B31. The company claims to have a unique, total system offering for the digital signage market, with its "magic bullet" being a single point of contact from start to finish. Display Solutions will have working hardware demonstrations from its partners Lanner, MSi and Litemax on show at the expo showing their ability to deliver innovative technology for even the most technically demanding of digital signage applications.

On Stand C15, IT and broadcasting technology titan Harris will be hosting the British launch of two new software releases: the latest versions of InfoCaster, Harris's digital-signage system, as well as its Punctuate business-management software. InfoCaster is now at version 4.2, while Punctuate has reached 4.0. Harris will focus on the specific technology benefits for particular user groups. For stadia and other event venues, for example, it identifies useful features, including IPTV streaming, handheld remote controls, and closed captioning. Retailers will be pointed to the system's video-wall capability and integration with Micros-Retail PoS technology. For users in the transportation sector, Harris will emphasise the durability and ruggedness provided by a media player with solid-state drives, 12V power, and locked and sealed fasteners to counter shock and vibration.

Stream Communications' DINA (Direct Inbound Network Access) will make its debut for the DOOH sector at Screenmedia expo. DINA gives customers quick access to any of their SIM cards in digital media, via a single website (Stand C1). It takes care of all the security elements, meaning customers can be confident that their signs will remain safe from unauthorised access. DINA allows customers to update their devices using usual methods (HTTP, FTP, and so on) from anywhere in the world.

Furthermore, Saturn (Stand C37) will be referencing in-house research commissioned by British Gas at Screenmedia expo (Track 1, 24/7 Digital, "Screens that work, rest and replay at British Gas", 10:30-11:00, 19 May). The research looks into the effectiveness of digital signage as a corporate communications tool and explores three key themes, namely: improving business critical processes (work); enhancing employee communications (rest); and the benefits of work-based learning with interactive functionality (replay). Attendees will gain insight into how to repurpose and personalise content for target audiences; using digital signage as an effective internal TV channel; and leveraging a transactional network without compromising productivity.

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Register and keep up to date with the latest pre-show news and information via www.screenevents.co.uk/screenexpo2011 as well as social and professional groups, including LinkedIn: #ScreenMediaExpo and Twitter: twitter.com/ScreenMediaExpo.