OOH industry discussion forum, 'Talks OOH!' now heads to Uttar Pradesh

The event has been scheduled for September 18 in Lucknow and hopes to see 250-odd delegates

Talks OOH!, the event series from VJ Media Works (a Bengaluru-based media company with interests in marketing, retail publishing and industry events) is an initiative to highlight the past, present and future of out-of-home advertising in various regions across the country.

The first edition of Talks OOH! was held in New Delhi in December last year. It witnessed a 400-strong audience and reputable speakers from the OOH industry. This time round, an Uttar Pradesh (UP) edition of the event has been scheduled for September 18, at the Taj Residency in Lucknow.

Uttar Pradesh provides a huge platform for out-of-home advertising, with more than 600 media owners, who own various media properties. The size of the OOH advertising industry here is pegged at Rs 100 crore.

The state has more than 70 districts; apart from Lucknow and Kanpur, 10 other districts are active in the business of OOH advertising. Taking into consideration the growth of the OOH business in the state, the Uttar Pradesh government had drafted an outdoor advertising policy in 2009, which is being implemented.

The UP Talks OOH! event is being sponsored by Jagran Engage and co-sponsored by Origin Advertising. Pawan Bansal, COO, Jagran Engage, says, "We've learnt that there is a visible trend of spends actually moving out to the tier II and III markets, as a result of saturation in the urban markets. Thus, we now know the action is shifting elsewhere."

This forum, UP Talks OOH! aims to put on the table some crucial issues that hinder the growth of OOH in the state. It will focus on the role that the OOH community can play in realizing the plans of civic bodies, in terms of beautification and developing infrastructure.

Discussing the Talks OOH! concept, Vasant Jante, managing director, VJ Media Works, says, "What started as a small initiative in Delhi last year has now turned into a full-fledged agenda, thanks to the support from the industry that has recognized the need for such a regional platform. At the same time, the platform is a learning experience for the youngsters who have just started their journey in the OOH industry."

The UP Talks OOH! event hopes to see an attendance of at least 250 delegates and aims to bring on the dais speakers from the telecom industry, an agency representative and a spokesperson for the state corporation, thus representing all outdoor stakeholders -- clients, agencies and government.