Florian Rotberg and Stefan Schieker set the scene for the next two days' sessions, and introduce the subject of NextGen Signage.

The annual invidis keynote sets the agenda for the global digital signage industry. Drawing on exclusive research, market data and real-world case studies, this session delivers a clear view of where the industry stands today and where it is heading next. From shifting business models to emerging technologies and market dynamics, gain the insight you need to navigate change and identify the opportunities shaping the future of digital signage.

Delivering impactful digital signage at scale requires more than great content. It demands seamless orchestration across platforms, data, hardware and operations. This session explores how leading organisations are bringing these elements together to create cohesive, responsive and scalable networks. From content workflows to system integration and real-time optimisation, discover what best-in-class orchestration looks like in practice and how it drives measurable results.

The digital signage industry loves to talk about innovation - but what happens when the world’s largest players finally decide to rewrite the rules? For years, the market was driven by steady, incremental evolution: bigger screens, better CMS, smoother integrations. But now some of the world’s largest ProAV and IT giants are on the move — global platform companies, tech titans, and ultra‑funded disruptors are reshaping the playing field faster (and louder) than ever.

This Summit Club panel brings together the heavyweights and the rule‑breakers.
Not for polite conversation. For confrontation. We ask the questions everyone’s whispering about: Are the established leaders still setting the pace — or simply defending territory? Are the disruptors building the future — or breaking things they don’t fully understand? And is the industry finally reaching a tipping point where scale, data, and global reach matter more than AV heritage?

This is where strategy meets ego, where legacy meets ambition, where “we’ve always done it this way” collides with “move fast and change everything.”

Everyone in retail media claims to “own the tech stack” – but half the industry is still duct‑taping tools together and calling it innovation. As retail media explodes, so does the chaos: Adtech platforms pretending to be CMSs, integrators reinventing themselves as data companies, and retailers trying to run media networks on systems built for playlisting videos in 2014.

The elephant in the room: Is a stand‑alone CMS even relevant in a retail media world dominated by data, programmatic, and performance metrics? Or will the CMS quietly disappear – swallowed by retail media platforms, AI engines, and first‑party data ecosystems?

This panel cuts through the hype and asks the questions vendors hate: Who actually controls the retail media tech stack – retailers, adtech, CMS vendors, or data giants? Why are so many platforms trying to be everything at once? And what breaks first when the CMS becomes just another feature?

If your retail media tech stack still needs three logins, a custom integration, and a prayer to run a campaign… you’re already behind. Join us as we unpack the land grabs, the overlapping platforms, the power shifts – and the uncomfortable future of the CMS in a world where data rules everything.

As digital signage networks generate increasing volumes of data, the challenge is no longer access but effective utilisation. This session explores how organisations are structuring their data architecture to unlock insight, enable real-time decision-making and support advanced analytics. Learn how to move from data overload to data-driven strategy.

The digital signage industry loves to talk about growth - but the real story right now is consolidation, and it’s happening faster than anyone wants to admit. 

Private equity is circling, Strategic buyers are hunting scale, Founders are exhausted.
Margins are tightening and the global race for platforms, recurring revenue, and supply-chain control is pushing weaker players to the edge.

On the sell side, owners are facing a harsh reality: valuations aren’t what they used to be, buyers are more selective, and some of the integration promises that once sounded glamorous now look like multi‑year headaches.

On the buy side, acquirers see opportunity - but also risk: cultural clashes, overlapping tech stacks, inflated pipelines, and the eternal question of whether the deal actually creates value… or just adds noise.

We’ll unpack the motives nobody says publicly: Are acquisitions driven by strategy - or panic? Who wins in the new landscape - consolidators, specialized niche players, or the global giants? And what happens to innovation when everyone is busy integrating instead of inventing?

This panel is where the deals, the drama, and the future of the ecosystem get exposed.

Celebrate excellence across the digital signage industry at the invidis Awards. Recognising innovation, creativity and impact, this session highlights the standout projects and organisations driving the sector forward. The ceremony is followed by networking, offering the perfect setting to connect with peers, partners and industry leaders.

Over the past two decades, digital signage has evolved from standalone displays to a global, data-driven communications medium. This keynote reflects on the defining moments, technological shifts and business model transformations that have shaped the industry. Drawing on deep market insight, it also looks ahead to the next phase of growth, highlighting the forces that will define the future of digital signage.

• Why “Good Enough” Wins: Rome wasn’t built in a week - but a good‑enough CMS can be.
• Canva + GenAI: The end of the classical content composer.
• Loveable UX: Why UI as we know it is disappearing.
• IT Giants Reshape the Market: How hyperscalers are killing DS specialists.
• The new hierarchy at the PoS: DS CMS shifts from “master system” to flexible team player.

AI is reshaping digital signage – from technology to business models.
The DSS AI spotlight session explores how AI impacts products and services, transforms organizations and people, and redefines entire value chains. Join industry experts and AI specialists as they move the conversation from first movers to true transformation - covering everything from GenAI and agentic AI to AI-driven coding and intelligent signage solutions.

The digital signage OS debate has been boring for years - until now. Vendors claim their OS is “secure,” “optimized,” “future‑proof,” and “built for signage,” while integrators quietly install whatever boots fast and crashes least. Meanwhile, IT teams are left wondering why their screens still behave like they’re stuck in 2010.

This panel pulls apart the industry’s biggest myth: Does digital signage actually need its own operating system?

Dedicated DS operating systems promise tight control, stability, security, and predictable performance - but often lock customers into proprietary ecosystems.
Standard OS platforms offer scale, flexibility, and enterprise IT acceptance - but bring updates, vulnerabilities, and the joy of patch Tuesday to every retail store and airport terminal.

So who’s telling the truth? Who’s hiding behind marketing? And what happens when AI, cloud rendering, and edge compute collide with the old OS debate?

We’ll expose the trade-offs, the hidden costs of both approaches, and the uncomfortable possibility that the future of digital signage OS isn’t either - it’s something entirely new.

If you think OS choice doesn’t matter, try managing 10,000 screens when an update bricks half your network.

Florian and Stefan summarise the past two days and review the key takeaways from the Summit. 

We will wrap up the day looking at the key takeaways of the discussions. In the spirit of the day, we will also collect input about which discussions need to be continued and about how to evolve the Tech Dialogue as a platform for exchange between technology thought leaders in the industry.