The second edition of Total Media, the southern European trade fair exclusively dedicated to digital signage, closed last week on a high note, shared by both exhibitors and visitors alike, all coming away with very positive impressions.

The figures announced by the organisers speak for the success of the event: over 5,800 visitors invaded the IFEMA hall (20% up on last year) and over 600 people attended the various conferences (including that given by OOH-TV).

Even if the Spanish and Portuguese digital signage markets are in their infancy, the local players are definitely ready and able to support their development. The fifty companies exhibiting at the show made a real statement, investing in large, well equipped stands.

All that the market needs now is a few large projects. In this respect, 2009 has been a weak year, as indeed it has been in many other regions – several large projects having been put back to 2010.

The main installations in the Iberian market at the moment are centered around internal communications (hotels, corporate…), telecoms operator boutiques (Telefonica, Orange…), pharmacies, and to a lesser extent, public transport.

In addition to the established operators, like Canal Metro in Madrid and Barcelona, there are now new bus networks, such as GoTV in Barcelona.

Finally, we’d like to recommend our Hispanic readers to check out the post by expert and excellent blogger Roi Iglesias, who shares his thoughts on the show, and who is tireless in his efforts to raise awareness and standards of digital signage in his country.