| We've all seen the plasma displays hawking | | | | conventions are hosted in multiple sites. Traditional |
| products and services in retail outlets, fast-food | | | | wayfinding relied on paper signage , the site maps |
| chains or even atop the pumps at the nearest | | | | facilities would (or would not) provide and guest |
| gas station. Because of their increasing presence | | | | hosts or concierges to help navigate people |
| in retail spaces, digital signs are thought of | | | | through unfamiliar surroundings. Hotels would |
| primarily as marketing tools, but their potential | | | | typically display large posters to direct people to |
| goes well beyond the promotion of products and | | | | meeting rooms. Scheduled events for each room |
| services. | | | | would be listed on a paper agenda outside the |
| The qualities that have helped digital signage find | | | | room. Guest hosts and staff would direct people |
| success in the retail environment - compelling, | | | | who were left with questions as to where they |
| precisely targeted and easily updated content - | | | | should be. |
| make it ideal for displaying information of a more . | | | | When changes in the time or location of a |
| . . shall we say? . . . 'pedestrian' nature. | | | | meeting occurred, the weaknesses in this |
| Increasingly digital signage - the arrays of plasma | | | | paper-based, people-based system became |
| screens and monitors hanging overhead in the | | | | apparent. To announce changes, new agendas had |
| aisles of a Wal-Mart store or the digital signage | | | | to be printed and manually posted at every |
| narrowcasting monitors showing menu items that | | | | meeting room. If there were multiple meetings in |
| are available and look to be particularly tasty at a | | | | a week, staff would have to be updated to deal |
| local eatery - is being used to guide foot traffic | | | | with the frequent changes, again printing multiple |
| through the snarl of crowds that can congest | | | | copies of agendas and taking the time to post |
| department stores, airport terminals and hotel or | | | | them. If changes were not made in time, visitors |
| convention center lobbies. | | | | could easily become frustrated and staff |
| 'Wayfinding' - What It Is and Why It Matters | | | | overburdened directing conventioneers and |
| 'Wayfinding is a term that has been around for | | | | conference goers to the locations where they |
| many years. Historically, it has been used to | | | | wanted to be. There had to be a better way. |
| describe the ways that people orient themselves | | | | Digital technology solves all of theses problems |
| and navigate from place-to-place. In the | | | | and offers additional benefits: |
| mid-1980s, a book called "Wayfinding in | | | | - Printing. With digital signs the hotel incurs no |
| Architecture" applied the concept of wayfinding to | | | | printing costs for revised agendas. |
| the about-to-be-built public spaces of the modern | | | | - Convenience. There is no rush to post new |
| building environment. In this context, 'wayfinding' | | | | paper agendas outside meeting room doors. Digital |
| describes the visual cues that are provided to help | | | | signs can all be updated from one central location. |
| people find their way and navigate their way | | | | - Adaptability. Digital signs allow for fast changes |
| around large buildings, campuses and retail centers. | | | | of meeting information. |
| We've all seen traditional, static wayfinding signage | | | | - Guest Experience. People do not want to waste |
| - the signposts with multiple arrows pointing | | | | time searching for a meeting room. Easier |
| people in various directions, the maze of red, | | | | navigation means an improved guest experience, |
| green, yellow and blue lines you are meant to | | | | which is great for business. |
| follow in order to guide you through a large | | | | - Marketing. Large digital signs can easily be split |
| hospital, the map at the mall entrance indicating, | | | | into sections, posting meeting schedules in one |
| "You are Here". While these signs and devices | | | | area and marketing messages in the other. Hotels |
| may be effective in places like hospitals and | | | | can use the marketing area to promote in-hotel |
| university campuses, certain businesses need to | | | | businesses, like restaurants, spas and fitness |
| provide more than just navigation cues. The hotel | | | | centers. |
| and convention business is a prime example. | | | | Digital signage has transformed wayfinding for |
| By offering up-to-the-minute information on | | | | hotels and convention centers, making it easier |
| meeting locations and scheduling changes, digital | | | | and less costly to manage meeting schedules, and |
| wayfinding signs ensure that visitors can navigate | | | | offering new opportunities to market to a captive |
| a large hotel or conference center with minimal | | | | audience of conference visitors. In retail or |
| stress. One of the main, perhaps the main, | | | | commercial environments sophisticated digital |
| advantages of using digital signs and displays for | | | | advertising software and the arrays of |
| wayfinding purposes is that it uses both visual and | | | | narrowcasting display monitors that utilize the |
| auditory cues for navigationn, and is thus | | | | software can be used not only for traditional |
| multi-sensory and more engaging, and therefore | | | | wayfinding functions - getting people where they |
| (hopefully) more efficient in directing and guiding | | | | want to go - but, increasingly, for helping people |
| pedestrian, or even vehicular, traffic. | | | | decide where they want to go, and what |
| How Digital Signage Aids Wayfinding | | | | products and/or services they would like to |
| Conferences are frequently scattered through | | | | access when they arrive at their preferred |
| multiple several meeting rooms in a hotel or | | | | destination. |
| convention centre, and sometimes larger | | | | |