Vol. 4, No. 2 | September 16, 2009 @
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Industry News [[HOT TOPIC]] The Crackdown on Signage An overwhelming theme has emerged in the sign industry during the past few weeks: the restriction of signs by law. With the advent of bigger and flashier digital billboards, cities and towns have scrambled to keep up with technology and are writing laws restricting or outright banning the construction of these signs. Most notable was last month's moratorium on digital billboards in Los Angeles, which provided the city with time to rewrite its sign laws in light of the proliferation of these signs. The law prohibits new digital billboards, multistory supergraphics, and certain signs that face the highway. The law also banned the conversion of existing billboards into digital displays. Los Angeles isn't stopping there either. Recently, a councilman proposed an additional law that would prohibit mobile billboards in the city— nearly full-size billboards that are touted around by trucks and vans. Other areas were quick to follow in LA's footsteps, among them Houston, Texas. In an effort to prevent an explosion of ads, Houston put a law into affect September 1st that applies mainly to business owners purchasing new sign permits or renewing permits. Restrictions affect sign sizes and brightness, and state that businesses can have no more than one electronic sign. The domino effect of signage bans is by no means only a national concern. Bans are popping up in places like S�o Paulo, Brazil, as well. S�o Paulo passed a law banning all billboards and a few additional types of signage, which will result in an ad-free city— the likes of which has not been seen in many, many years. The fall out from this web of laws is complicated. Curt Lillie, Commercial Product Manager of Adaptive Microsystems speculates that the restrictions mean good things for old-fashioned, static billboards. “I don't think that static billboards will go away totally because there's so many zoning restrictions and grandfathering laws,” he says. “Unfortunately, it's a bureaucratic nightmare in a lot of cases to get these [digital billboards/displays] through just with the government being on everyone's back.” In some cases, however, people are fighting back. Although no specific laws banning billboards or spectaculars have been passed, New York City is still on the defensive. According to Crain's, a group of advertisers, retailers, and media companies with financial stakes in the sign capital Times Square, banded together to form the Times Square Advertising Coalition. The catalyst for the group was the city's plan to reroute a major parade away from Broadway— the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. Harry Coghlan, president of Clear Channel Spectacolor and owner of the JVC and Paramount Pictures signs, among others, and Jeffrey Katz, chief executive of Sherwood Equities Inc. and owner of 1 and 2 Times Square and 1600 Broadway, came together in an effort to ensure the protection of the spectaculars in Times Square. The group's complaints led the city to start the parade on Seventh Avenue and continue it on Broadway. The parade is important to Times Square signage because it provides an excess of foot traffic past the signs, as well as displays the ads on TV for viewers at home to see. “I don't think the city understood the importance of preserving the sight lines to the signs,” said Katz in an article for Crain's. The other issue that has caused this brouhaha to break out is the pedestrian parks that have popped up in Times Square. Traffic through Times Square was stopped to create these parks, which are an experiment being conducted by the city. The Times Square Advertising Coalition is worried about these parks blocking the view of Times Square's many displays with plants and sun umbrellas. Last month, however, the coalition scored its first victory by successfully limiting the number of umbrellas in the plazas. Only nineteen umbrellas were put up according to Crain's. This was a significant drop from the original amount planned. The coalition will continue to watch the parks closely. Although they provide more foot traffic through Times Square, the effect they will ultimately have on the area has not been entirely understood, and the coalition is not taking any chances. The United States Sign Council (USSC) and the International Sign Association (ISA) have also teamed up to fight sign restrictions. They sent a statement to the US Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) questioning its recent actions against electronic signs along highways. The FHWA claims that electronic billboards may lead to traffic accidents. The FHWA is now conducting research to assess the rate at which drivers glance at outdoor signs. The USSC and ISA caution the FHWA not to draw hasty conclusions that these glances can cause traffic accidents. Such erroneous conclusions could place crippling restrictions on electronic signs. The digital debate is sure to heat up as technology advances, and more and more cities will be forced to make a decision on whether or not the new displays should get any face time. WAC Lighting Sponsors Two NYAWC Events WAC Lighting (www.waclighting.com), a manufacturing leader of track, monorail, recessed, decorative and undercabinet fixtures, is sponsoring two major events of the New York Asian Women's Center (NYAWC): the Peace House Grand Opening Celebration Community Dinner and the NYAWC Gala Reception. WAC has lived up to its tagline “Responsible Lighting” through sponsorships such as these, while also contributing to social progress with responsible manufacturing practices, energy saving technology, and community involvement. The NYAWC is the exclusive resource in New York for Asian victims of violence and human trafficking. The agency offers special Asian language capabilities, culture counseling and shelters to help victims. The Peace House Community Dinner was sponsored by WAC on August 27 at the LaGuardia Sheraton in Flushing, Queens. Peace House is the NYAWC's first emergency shelter based in Queens, and it includes a human trafficking recovery program called “Project Free.” WAC will also sponsor the NYAWC's Gala, which will be held on October 1 at the Broad Street Ballroom in Manhattan. The reception will include dinner, a silent auction, honorees, and a performance. To learn more about the NYAWC, log on to www.nyawc.org. Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment Uses Omnivex's Moxie in new Digital Signage Network With the fall and winter sports season just around the corner, Omnivex Corporation (www.omnivex.com), a provider of enterprise-level software for digital signage networks, announced that its software will be used by Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment Ltd (MLSE). MLSE, one of North America's premier sports and entertainment organizations, will use the software to power a large network of digital screens at Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Canada. The digital signage deployment includes the use of Omnivex's newest software product, Moxie, to manage a network of over 320 LCD screens at Air Canada Centre. The screens have been placed for maximum impact and configured in unique ways to add to the aesthetic appeal of the facility. Content will include a live video stream from inside the arena to ensure fans don't miss a moment of the action when in the concourse areas. In addition, information will be shown to aid in wayfinding and promote upcoming events being held at the various MLSE facilities. The screens will also include advertising space, which will provide a new revenue stream and augment traditional print advertising. “The Omnivex powered digital signage network is a fantastic medium that will keep our fans and guests informed, while providing value to our many partners and stakeholders,” said Bob Hunter, executive vice-president of venues and entertainment for Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment. “Moxie gives us the tools to effectively manage the system.” The Omnivex platform was part of the full, end-to-end digital signage solution for Air Canada Centre developed and implemented by consulting and services firm, Digital Display & Communications Inc. (DDC). “Omnivex's Moxie software rose to the top for this project, because it has powerful graphics capabilities and for its advertising, content management and strong IT support tools,” said Stuart Kirkpatrick, President and CEO, DDC. “Moxie will allow the content to be tailored to each location according to the specific event, audience and time.” Moxie software provides customers with a sophisticated set of tools for managing large networks of screens, and it builds on Omnivex's core competencies with data management and advanced functionality for user access rights and managing advertising networks. “Omnivex Moxie is the most progressive digital signage software available,” said Doug Bannister, CEO of Omnivex. “As a result of the extensive experience we have with software development for digital signage, and the feedback we received from our customers over the years, we have been able to create a superior product.” Air Canada Centre's new digital signage system will be unveiled on September 16 at the Maple Leafs' preseason hockey game against the Boston Bruins. Additional phases of the signage deployment will continue in 2010 at the Air Canada Centre as well as other MLSE facilities. SGIA Updates its 4-Step Sustainability Action Plan Looking to “go green”? Then check out SGIA's recently updated 4-Step Sustainability Action Plan with additional resources to help imagers develop a successful Sustainability Management System (SMS) in their printing business. The program — made up of the steps Plan, Do, Check, Act — uses member-exclusive resources to provide a straightforward, effective process of incorporating sustainable initiatives. “Sustainability represents more than just green printing and being environmentally conscious,” says Marci Kinter, SGIA's Vice President of Government and Business Information. “SGIA's 4-Step Sustainability Action Plan helps printers take it to the next level by developing a thorough Sustainable Action Plan based on corporate social responsibility.” The first step, Plan, shows you how to build a SMS through careful preparation that includes figuring out what needs to be done, how you will do it, and who must be involved. The second step, Do, is a step-by-step action plan of developing and implementing the elements of a SMS. The Check stage continues the action plan for implementing a SMS. By this point, you should have sufficient SMS processes in place to begin checking your SMS for accuracy and outstanding issues. The final stage, Act, involves keeping tabs on your SMS by identifying and resolving any problems that arise. Updates to the program affect the Check and Act phases. Sustainability system audits have been added to the Check stage. The audits will allow companies to check for accuracy and any outstanding issues in its SMS. Under the Act phase, the Management Review section has been updated, which says that companies should use the results of their internal audits to conduct management reviews. The Webinar “Understanding Management Review” is also available online to provide additional information. For more information about building a SMS, visit www.SGIA.org. Be sure to sign up for the 2009 SGIA Expo in New Orleans October 7-9 while you're there! GE Updates Red Robin� Restaurants with LED Lamps Red Robin Gourmet Burgers, Inc. is serving up more than burgers and fries. The company has replaced about 12,000 standard incandescent and halogen lights with more efficient 7-watt GE Consumer & Industrial LED PAR 20 flood and spot lights in more than 150 of its Red Robin� restaurants. The LEDs are being used for general down lighting applications such as in the entrance and lobby, over dining room tables, and around the perimeter of the restaurants. The switch helps preserve the ambiance of Red Robin� restaurants and customers' ultimate comfort while supporting Red Robin's initiatives targeted at saving several hundred thousand dollars annually in lighting energy costs over the life of the new LED lights. “Switching to LED lamps in our company-owned Red Robin restaurants offers immediate energy-cost advantages given the number of locations involved in our energy reduction efforts,” said John Rogers, Red Robin's vice president of capital purchasing, in a press release. “We expect a very attractive return on investment with reductions in both energy consumption and maintenance requirements.” Rogers will get the return he's hoping for because the new GE lamps cut energy consumption by up to 77 percent, and with an estimated 20,000-hour rated life. The LEDs last more than six times longer than standard 30-watt incandescent R20 reflectors. In addition, the lamps feature advanced optical controls that reduce wasted light. The longer life and low energy use of the GE lamps results in fewer maintenance problems, saving the restaurant chain even more money. “These efficient GE LED lights are perfect for a restaurant setting where access to some fixtures can be challenging,” says John Strainic, global product general manager — lighting, GE Consumer & Industrial, in a press release. “When you're paying for maintenance across a chain of restaurants, you love the idea of extending replacement cycles as much as possible.” Red Robin's switch to GE's LEDs marks the largest installation of the company's 7-watt LED PAR lamp in a restaurant setting. The installation was completed in phases, with the first stages in November and December 2008, and the final installments in February and March 2009.
New Appointments
Electronic Digital Media appointed Noel Beaulieu to chief product development officer. He will be responsible for business development. Beaulieu has 15 years of marketing experience, and was previously assistant commissioner of the Sunshine State Conference for the National Collegiate Athletic Association. Prior to that, Beaulieu operated his own company, Pivotal Sports Marketing, and has worked with Clear Channel Communications, the San Diego Chargers and the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, now the Tampa Bay Rays. Beaulieu is currently an adjunct professor in sports marketing at the University of South Florida. Halco Lighting Technologies� appointed Kristoff Byrd to product analyst. He will be aiding in Halco's product development through researching industry trends and new technologies as well as testing and analyzing Halco products. Kristoff brings over five years experience in operation management and marketing to the position.
Meetings and Events
SEPTEMBER Sept 30-Oct 2: Delcam will conduct its 2009 ArtCAM User Group Meeting at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Kansas City, Missouri. To learn more, dial 877/335-2261 or e-mail jackie@delcam.com.
OCTOBER
345 Hudson St., 12th Floor • New York, NY 10014 212-620-7200
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WAC Sponsors NYAWC Events
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