According to some estimates, the digital signage market is set to grow beyond $2.5 billion (£1.47 billion) in 2009, creating a new advertising and sales channel for content producers, technology suppliers and brand owners alike.

The growing commoditisation of display, networking and content delivery technologies are beginning to make digital signage a low cost way to communicate with a faster return on investment than traditional static or printed displays.

With technology developments fostering innovation around new delivery channels such as kiosks, mobile phones and PDAs, the sector is poised to go mainstream. The technologies, solutions and content that are driving this development will be explored and showcased in the Digital Signage Zone at IBC2009.

This year marks the successful return of the Digital Signage Zone, following its launch at last year's IBC2008. It will gather promotional site owners, such as retailers, leisure and hospitality companies, travel and stadia operators and even corporate, educational and health organisations, together with technology vendors, content providers and brand owners to view and discuss the latest developments in this new medium as part of broadcast industry's leading international conference and exhibition.

Once again, the Digital Signage Zone will be accompanied by the free-to-attend IBC2009 Digital Signage Zone Business Briefings. The briefings are designed to explore some of the issues and opportunities arising from the growth in digital signage in greater detail and are intended to reinforce and complement the established peer reviewed, paid-delegate IBC Conference.

Speakers already confirmed for this year's Digital Signage Zone Business Briefings, which will be chaired by Miya Knights, editor of Retail Technology magazine, include representatives from media researcher, Screen Digest and vendors Cable & Wireless (C&W) and Lighthouse Technologies.

Screen Digest will present its independent overview of the market and its development against the current, tough economic backdrop, while C&W will present its view of the developing digital signage managed services market and why network delivery technology is strategically key. In the same session, digital screen, display panel, digital signage and LED screen global supplier, Lighthouse Technologies will share deployment best practices through the experiences of successful, real-life implementations.

The IBC2009 Digital Signage Zone is again being jointly developed and marketed by IBC, IT Europa and BPL. This year's zone is intended to replicate last year's inaugural success and that of the IBC Mobile and IPTV Zones which were introduced in 2005 and 2007 respectively. The IBC2009 exhibition takes place from 11 - 15 September 2009 at the RAI, Amsterdam.

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