Over the almost two decades that I have worked in the outdoor media industry, the World Out of Home (WOO) Organization’s Forums, held in different locations annually, have grown in both size and significance.

Today, these events are considered to be the pivotal yearly gathering for the global industry, with the forums having established themselves as global and regional hubs for in-depth industry insights and knowledge-sharing.

Having attended several WOO events previously, including the Dubai and Lisbon Global Forums more recently, I always leave these events feeling inspired, energised and with new insights that help to strengthen our business. The content is top class, the atmosphere is vibrant, and the relationships you make at these events are invaluable.

So, having gained a great deal from these conversations in the past, I am honoured to have been invited as a keynote speaker at WOO’s inaugural Africa Regional Forum, held in Cape Town from 11-13 March 2024.

Thanks to my time working in media, I have acquired a solid understanding of the various media formats and disciplines. Over the last few years, my focus has narrowed to encompass the commercial, data-driven and programmatic aspects of the digital out of home (DOOH) arena, in particular.

Having a programmatic-first front seat has lent me a unique view of not only where the industry currently is, but also where it is heading in the not-too-distant future.

Thanks to the widespread adoption of measurement tools, we can accurately track, assess and even change the performance of our campaigns in real time, while proving that our campaigns really work. And not only do they work, but evidence is showing that DOOH campaigns, in fact, outperform many other types of advertisements. There’s also research that demonstrates that DOOH makes ‘traditional’ digital advertising more effective when engaged as part of an omni-channel approach.

Thanks to the increasing sophistication of these measurement tools, advertisers can now assess their campaigns similarly to other digital campaigns, providing them with credible, transparent data and metrics that they are already familiar with.

Through sharing various case studies with delegates, I plan to showcase how we’re using some of the latest technologies available, as well as our successes, learnings and challenges. I’ll demonstrate how attribution works and how anyone can access it. I will also share our vision for Polygon, an aggregated, publisher network designed to maximise omnichannel advertising campaigns while integrating accredited audience data using world-class technology.

Our audience is a mixed one, with businesses of all sizes in attendance and from markets of varying complexity and maturity. Thus my presentation is pitched at all levels. For newer markets that may not yet have access to the knowledge, experience and technologies that SA – one of the category leaders on the global OOH stage – has, I will also provide practical resources and insider tips and tools that will help your business to grow and gain momentum.

I look forward to seeing my continent represented at this year’s forum, and I hope to leave every member of the audience with something valuable that they can take home with them, inspiring them to keep contributing to a thriving African OOH industry.