Toronto 2022 Global Congress

Striking the right balance between Classic Out of Home and all-conquering digital is one of the keys to sector growth, President Tom Goddard told delegates. OOH has recovered strongly from a pandemic in which sales “sank like a stone” — and Classic OOH still accounts for 63% of revenues worldwide despite digital’s rapid growth.

Keynote speaker Sean Reilly, CEO of Lamar Advertising — the world’s biggest OOH company by value ($13bn), family-run since 1902 — said striking that balance would create another “Golden Age of Out of Home”. Lamar now takes 27% of its revenue from the digital element of its estate — just 2.5% of its 356,000 displays.

The leaders of the US ‘Big Three’ — Jeremy Male of OUTFRONT, Clear Channel’s Scott Wells and Lamar’s Reilly — joined 400 delegates from all over the world. Anna Bager of the OAAA described the work of national associations under WOO’s aegis; Dentsu’s Jeff Greenspoon and Ben Milne delivered uplifting sessions on the macro picture and what planners want; Ocean’s Tim Bleakley gave a rousing call to action; and WOO members in Ukraine joined by video in an inspiring show of solidarity from the midst of the conflict.

In a major industry development, Gideon Adey and Neil Eddleston outlined a long-awaited set of best-practice guidelines — ‘realising the value of DOOH audience measurement’ — a necessary template for a digital-dominated world. But the overriding impression was the relief and shared emotion of an industry finally able to meet in person after three gruelling years.