DSE 2023 Mixer Sponsor Profiles: CRI Connects Brands And People In Spaces And Places They Love

November 20, 2023 by Dave Haynes

The annual Sixteen:Nine networking mixer at DSE is back, set for Dec. 3rd in Las Vegas.

It’s sold out, as usual, and we expect to have 350+ Digital Signage Experience attendees showing up for drinks, nibblies and lots of conversations and introductions.

The event happens because of the terrific support of sponsors who help cover the costs of the venue, drinks, food buffet, AV and on and on – and one of the ways to recognize that help is by profiling each of the sponsors ahead of the event. First up, getting an A+ for promptness, is Creative Realities, Inc., or CRI as it is referred to by lazy people like me.

We did a Q&A to get a rundown on DSE plans and what CRI is seeing and experiencing in the marketplace.

Can you give readers the rundown on what your company does and your role in the digital signage ecosystem?

Creative Realities, Inc. is a full-service digital signage solutions company with a suite of proprietary CMS, ad revenue monetization and programmatic, and digital menu board software products. We focus on connecting brands and people in spaces and places they love – with digital experiences that are contextually relevant, omni-channel, and specific to the physical environment. Our approach is consultative, tech-agnostic, and solution centric.

What makes us different is an end-to-end offering with the ability to deploy at large scale, whether its 3,000 locations or a single flagship location. Our cloud-based CMS software platforms are considered best in class and serve as the backbone for successful installations and ongoing support.

Our industry colleagues may not realize we’re also owners of place-based media networks and have a dedicated team devoted to selling media as part of our solutions, and continue to grow that across theme parks, grocery, point of care, and more.

What will your presence be this year in Las Vegas? Are you exhibiting or there to meet partners and customers on the floor and during supporting events like the Mixer?  

We bring to life our service model and value to life for our channel community and ecosystem, so they can best experience our credentials as a digital signage solutions partner:

• We sponsor [and judge] the DSE Awards to recognize our peers who have achieved outstanding results – and thus support raising the bar with work that wins;
• We sponsor the Sixteen:Nine mixer as a way to appreciate and support this vital platform and thought leadership vehicle dedicated to informing us on what’s out there and why we should care;
• We provide education in the classroom and on the show floor – this year, focusing our message around how to transform digital signage experiences into networks that monetize;
• We sponsor a VIP mixer event to bring industry influencers together so ideas spark and relationships flourish;
• We occupy a spacious meeting center to facilitate planned meetings and spontaneous conversations – come see us at #646 next to the Keynote Stage.

What draws you to Digital Signage Experience?

DSE is the only show for the Digital Signage industry and thus we make this both a marketing and a sales priority to be present, and to connect with our partners in function of the work we do together every day of the year.  It’s also a chance for us to lean in, learn, and see what others are doing as well – this infuses us with inspiration on new technology solutions and presents opportunities to cultivate new partnerships, all for business growth.

What key trends are you seeing in the marketplace? 

We are seeing an emphasis on both large and smaller scale experiences showing up in new ways: Big, bold, beautiful large scale LED that’s architected that to immerse and mesmerize organically. And on the opposite side of the spectrum, a celebration of “the small” – more intimate shelf-edge screens and displays that work hard to deliver personalized, messaging and content at the point of decision.

We’re seeing demand by large scale digital signage network owners for software platforms that help them convert their digital assets into revenue driving, advertising channels.  We’re also seeing strategic verticals explode with growth: Food & Beverage, Stadiums and Arenas, and Convenience Retail, all demanding digital experience become part of the marketing experience as well helping to relieve operational tasks associated with visual merchandising.

Are buyer profiles shifting and evolving?

The expectations of buyers continue to evolve and shift.  In addition to pricing pressures which continue to be a sales reality for us, we’re seeing new demands on performance of equipment, on methodologies that show proof of play/display and metrics to ramp up ROI faster, and we’re hearing from our industry a new demand for experiences that are resilient: how can digital signage do double duty from being a vehicle not simply for content or advertising, but to shift for occupancy, loss prevention, AI; or to flex to perform in different ways – “digital signage mode” or “sales associate mode”.

Lastly, many of our buyers are looking for new forms of financing, funding, leasing – new ways to offset capex investment so they can get to market more quickly.

What’s something you’d like the signage community to know about your company and people?

Our ethos is simple and consistent:  our people and partners matter more to us than our bottom line. And we know that expert planning and predictable processes help drive our ability to collaborate and produce results for our clients – who’s agenda, good will, and business outcomes always comes before our own.

Our 2023 Sponsors: