As an owner and entrepreneur it can sometimes be hard to stay motivated and engaged in the business once it's established and the thrill of the start-up wanes. I find that traveling abroad and engaging with other industry leaders is a great way to revive and recharge the energy banks, something we haven't had a lot of freedom to do over the last few years.

The World Out-of-Home Organization (WorldOOh) congress convened in Hong Kong last week, bringing together the industry's most brilliant minds to deliberate on the remarkable growth witnessed in the sector amidst the decline of others. The event served as a platform for in-depth discussions on global trends, the challenges confronting the industry, and strategies to uphold market share and sustain growth.

At the same time Mike and Andrea have been on the opposite side of the globe representing Go Media and New Zealand at the Entrepreneur of the World Event in Monaco and London Tech Week. 

Living in New Zealand is amazing, however our small population doesn't lend itself to some of the amazing OOH creativity seen in denser populated areas. As an OOH tragic it's hard not to feel inspired about some of the amazing developments in DOOH. For example, Korea has adopted free advertising zones where billboard companies are encouraged to build massive screens to create cities that look and feel like a Sci-Fi movie, it's next level! One mall has 6800sqm of screen!

During the congress, attendees engaged in insightful conversations around the evolving landscape of OOH advertising, with discussions on combating the decline in traditional static mediums. There was a strong focus on sustainability practices and exploring innovative approaches to enhance environmental stewardship within the industry.

Participants took the opportunity to reflect on the current trajectory of the OOH sector and identify key areas for improvement. Thought-provoking discussions centred on addressing the challenges faced by the industry and fostering a collaborative spirit to propel further growth and innovation.

The WorldOOh congress served as a pivotal moment for stakeholders to strategise, learn from each other's experiences, and collectively shape the future of Out-of-Home advertising on a global scale.

The awards night was a glistening event, where various awards we given across the globe for inspired use of OOH. New Zealands' Lumo featured with a Firewise campaign showing good use of the medium but didn't take away the prize.

One of the highlights of the night was the Honorary Lifetime Member award, which went to Noomi Mehta. I'll sign off with his great closing line of the night when referring to us OOH business owners, "Only Mad men keep their money on the side of the road."