In today's digital world, hotels and restaurants are faced with the challenge of creating a modern and engaging experience for their guests. One way to achieve this is through the use of digital signage, with a variety of displays both indoors and out. In this interview, Jessica Kalla, Managing Director of Hamburg-based ACCENTA, explains how the technology is benefiting the industry and the advantages it offers.

Ms Kalla, why should hotels and restaurants be interested in digital signage?

Digital signage is not just a trend, it is an effective solution for improving communication and customer loyalty. It allows hoteliers and restaurateurs to update information in real time and tailor it to specific target groups. Think digital menus, interactive touch systems for guests or personalised welcome messages in the lobby. It looks professional and inviting to guests and creates a seamless connection between the digital and physical environments.

What are the specific benefits of digital signage in practice?

The first major benefit is flexibility. Content can be changed at any time - whether to respond to last-minute changes to the restaurant menu or to advertise special events and offers. Digital signage also enhances the guest experience, for example by helping guests find their way around the hotel or providing entertainment in waiting areas. This means less manual effort for staff, as updates can be controlled centrally.

Can you give an example of one of your projects?

We recently had a multifaceted experience at a hotel in Qatar using our displays and user-friendly software. We equipped the 5-star hotel with around 20 attractive and slim displays in the reception area, outside the restaurants and in the business centre as meeting room signage and directional signs. The reaction of the hotel management has shown us how well the installation supports the hotel's operations by reducing staff workload and ensuring that the information provided is always up to date. In addition, visitors receive visible added value in the form of tailored, up-to-date and emotionally appealing messages.

What should buyers be aware of during implementation?

There are a number of important points. Firstly, it is crucial to select the right hardware and software to meet the specific needs of a hotel or restaurant. Displays need to be designed for continuous operation and monitored by software to ensure operational safety. In the hotel sector in particular, displays should also blend in well with the architecture. Centralised control of content via a cloud-based platform is also an advantage, making the systems easy to operate and maintain. Finally, the placement of the screens is important. They should be placed where they will attract the most attention without disturbing the guest.

How can the ROI of a digital signage investment be calculated?

Return on investment (ROI) depends on a number of factors. One of the main benefits is the reduction in printing costs, as information needs to be published digitally rather than on paper. If you choose energy-efficient models and software such as ours, you can also save a lot on electricity costs. At the same time, you can generate additional revenue - for example, by advertising special offers in restaurants. You can also invite local service providers, such as hairdressers and shops, to advertise on your channel for a fee. Operational efficiency is also improved, with less time spent on manual updates. Many of our customers report that their investment in digital signage has paid for itself within 12 to 18 months.

What trends do you see for digital signage in the hotel industry in the future?

Interactivity and personalisation will continue to play an important role. Systems that deliver personalised content based on data from guest cards or booking systems are on the rise. There is a lot of emphasis on quality control (guest surveys). There is also a growing interest in green technology. The focus is on energy-efficient displays and durable hardware, particularly in the hotel industry where sustainability is becoming increasingly important.

Finally, what should hoteliers and restaurateurs consider when taking the first step towards digital signage?

The first step is always planning: what goals do you want to achieve, what content do you want to present, and how does the technology fit into the design and existing IT infrastructure? With an experienced partner like ACCENTA, you can ensure that the solution is tailored to your needs and will work in the long term. Digitalisation is a clear competitive advantage - those who invest now will benefit in the future.

Thank you for the interview, Ms Kalla!

The interview was conducted by René Englisch, Senior Procurement Manager | FF&E, Tech & IT at progros.

ACCENTA in brief

ACCENTA was founded in 2009 and operates in the German and international market with three business segments (Sound, Signage, Monitoring). ACCENTA's first branch in Spain was opened in mid-2013, serving primarily the hotel and catering sector.

The company's own user-friendly TVLUTION software, access to royalty-free music and the in-house monitoring software KIOSK IQ are the company's distinguishing features in the fragmented digital signage market. For further information please visit https://accenta.de or contact Jessica Kalla, Managing Director, jk@accenta.de.

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For more information please contact Jessica Kalla, Managing Director, jk@accenta.de or Thorsten Rust, Sales Manager, tr@accenta.de..

Industry analysts are keen to point out the need for consolidation in the German and international digital signage industry. At the same time, it is predicted that times will get tougher for SMEs. As a traditional medium-sized company, we cannot confirm this trend for the past financial year. We have continued to develop over the past twelve months, albeit in a difficult market environment. On the one hand, we attribute this to the many years of trusting cooperation with our customers. At the same time, we are focusing intensively on certain niche segments with growth potential, and this is beginning to pay off.

After two previous years of high investment in our remote device management (RDM) system KIOSK IQ and further development of our TVLUTION software, we have increasingly focussed on our international business in the past year. Our spanish subsidiary was founded last year. In the past twelve months, we have implemented several successful spanish projects in the retail, hotel and catering sectors. However, we are also represented in the up-and-coming countries of the gulf and added another flagship hotel to our client list with a five-star hotel for Qatar Airways in Doha. In Germany, we have also completed modern signage projects for leading regional hotels. It is no coincidence that this sector suits us. The individualised needs of the hotel and catering sector are a good match for our flexible way of working and our easy-to-use software.

We are also making good progress in the increasingly important area of monitoring. Our proprietary KIOSK IQ is ideal for complex and challenging installations, as we proved once again in 2024. After almost two years of planning, we installed pylons at more than 60 petrol stations across the island for our Icelandic customer. We are particularly pleased that we were able to install our user-friendly CMS TVLUTION. Further installations are now being realised.

Finally, a lot has happened in the third of our segments, sound. ROYALTY-free music services, such as those we offer, are becoming increasingly popular with retailers. This is partly because of the savings on royalties, but also because we are seeing a greater understanding of visual and sound effects. These two approaches complement each other and ensure that there is a visible and audible difference at the point of decision.

In the evolution of displays, we are seeing an increased demand for LED solutions in the market. The growing importance of digital signage is accompanied by a greater willingness to invest in large-scale installations. Flagship store concepts in the automotive sector are making the most progress for us, although there are delays in implementation due to delays in obtaining the necessary approvals.

What happens now? After a satisfactory but turbulent year, we believe that the next twelve months will show a slightly more positive trend. We have completed most of our technology investments, the market environment is more stable and our order book is much better filled than at the same time last year. Our focus is now increasingly on our own organisation, which we will continue to expand and strengthen in order to consolidate our position in the german and international markets.

We wish all Invidis readers a healthy and successful 2025!

The digitalisation of care facilities is constantly adding new areas of application. Bargteheide-based stb-care has been increasingly focussing on digital information boards for two years and has now equipped all eight locations with centrally controlled displays.

"This is an important component of our digitalisation strategy. Our employees have more time for the residents and at the same time we ensure that mandatory notices are always up to date and costs for printing and paper are reduced," says Mathias Steinbuck, Managing Partner of stb-care.

The notice board has had its day

"We used to spend a lot of time keeping content up to date in all our locations. There was a lot of printing and pasting," says Steinbuck, looking back. At the same time, there was criticism from both the authorities and relatives that the content was either not up to date or difficult to read. "You can imagine it like this: it takes around 15 minutes to edit each conventional information board. And for a larger home with several noticeboards, this is a considerable amount of time," notes Steinbuck.

"Shortly after the pandemic, we got in touch with the Hamburg-based digital signage service provider ACCENTA, with whom we jointly developed our digital information board," recalls Steinbuck. It started with a so-called customer stopper, which presented news for residents and visitors in the entrance area. The concept for the digital information board was then developed step by step in a joint effort and tested and further developed in a first building. "We started with the first building two years ago and are now in the process of equipping our last location," mentions Steinbuck.

Digital information boards can be installed quickly and dynamically. On the one hand, the content can be controlled centrally as for mandatory notices. On the other hand, location-specific content can be entered and managed by employees in easy-to-use software. The time saved can thus be fully utilised for resident care.

The possibilities of digital signage

"We go down this path together with our customers," explains Jessica Kalla, Managing Director at ACCENTA. Even though we offer a standard package for our solution, it is quite clear that every organisation has its own wishes and requirements, which we have to address with our team," says Kalla. Digital signage is a new marketing tool that has been gaining a foothold on the German and international market for two decades: "Initially it was moving powerpoints, but nowadays we are able to network several customer information systems with each other and implement content in a dynamic, appealing and user-friendly way," explains Kalla.

Whether on buses and trains or in the retail sector, intelligently networked displays have become an integral part of our everyday lives. "Thanks to digital signage, we can make much better use of our own resources by always being able to display up-to-date information in precisely the places where it is needed or makes sense," adds the Hamburg-based entrepreneur.

As a family business, Jessica Kalla is familiar with a wide range of customer structures: "We are used to both small and large companies. They all have their challenges, but it's important to use the right hardware, software and monitoring solution where it will have the greatest effect for the customer," concludes Kalla.

No turning back

The digital information board, which is now fully operational at the Bargteheide-based care company, is a pioneer in the German care sector: "I haven't seen a digital solution like this in any other organisation," says Steinbuck, and consequently wants to continue with digital solutions.

"I would do it again," he concludes. "The collaboration with ACCENTA works and is fun. The people from Hamburg are also creative, so we will continue along the digital path together," summarises the entrepreneur.

This is what digital info boards bring

Im Kasten

Transition to the digital information board - how to tackle it

1. Inventory: desired content, choice of location, required responsibilities
2. Concept: content, graphic design, editorial planning
3. Installation: hardware, software, user training
4. Operation: centralised content management, success monitoring, further development

Depending on the complexity, it takes three to six months from the initial contact to installation. The project costs are made up of one-off amounts for design, hardware and installation. Ongoing costs include software licences, monitoring and content support (if required). ACCENTA Sales Manager Thorsten Rust (tr@accenta.de) will be happy to provide you with an initial non-binding consultation.

In the box

What costs can the digital pact bear

1. Eligible digital and technical equipment and related training courses
2. 2. one-off expenses; e.g.
   1. Software purchases (e.g. licences for operating systems and their upgrades/licences for application software)
   2. such as care documentation software, e-mail programmes, word processing, spreadsheets)
   3. - Setting up W-LAN
   4. Hardware (PCs, laptops, monitors, routers, headsets, printers, etc.)
   5. Conversion from analogue to digital billing software = in my opinion, Senso administration module
   6. Server changes to improve the technology + relieve the burden on care staff
   7. Setting up IT workstations to relieve the burden on professional carers
   8. Time recording systems that serve to relieve the burden on professional carers
   9. Digitalisation of meal management if this serves to relieve the burden on care staff
   10. Systems for mobile data collection of care documentation using smartphones/tablets

Hier gibt es weitere Informationen

1. https://www.gkv-spitzenverband.de/media/dokumente/pflegeversicherung/finanzierungs_foerderungsmassnahmen/20230712_Pflege_Foerderung_Digi_RiLi_8_Abs.8_SGB_XI.pdf
2. ACCENTA broschure https://digitales-infobrett.de/