Digital out-of-home provider Elevision has signed a 10-year contract with Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), the leading financial hub in the Middle East, Africa, and South Asia region (MEASA), for holistic digital-out-of-home (DOOH) advertising solutions across the entire district, including Gate Avenue.
According to research firm International Data Corporation, spending on the technologies and digital transformation that enable smart city initiatives is expected to accelerate over the 2016-2021 forecast period, reaching $2.30 billion in 2021. The new partnership with DIFC takes Elevision to the next level as a key player in a rapidly growing DOOH sector, says the firm. Elevision will install more than 80 large format digital display screens across DIFC, growing and digitally transforming the existing DIFC network to over 140 screens.
Building on a six-year history with DIFC, Elevision formed its first major building partnership with the financial centre back in 2012. This propelled Elevision onto the region’s, then nascent, digital-out-of-home media scene. The renewed partnership reinforces the transformational growth of Elevision, which commenced its operation as a local start-up entity in 2011.
Elevision will deliver the project in multiple phases, the first of which will go live in Q3 2018 and will cover the Gate District. This includes a combination of large-format indoor and outdoor digital screens, which will be introduced around the Gate Village and Precinct buildings.
The next phase encompasses the installation of digital signage at Gate Avenue and along the District’s roadsides (Happiness Street and Al Sukuk Road). Gate Avenue will feature indoor and outdoor screens, including some very unique formats, adding to the allure and ambience of the new premium urban retail, leisure and cultural development at the heart of DIFC.
Arif Amiri, CEO at the DIFC Authority, said: “We believe that digital transformation is key to the future. The new partnership with Elevision, a form of the Public Private Partnership, will boost the digital advertising offering across Dubai International Financial Centre, delivering rich content through dynamic interaction across the district. This step complements the upgrades and new developments that are underway in the Centre’s masterplan and is part of its relentless pursuit to enhance its infrastructure providing world-class offerings to its thriving community.”
Elevision’s Content Division will underpin DIFC’s reputation as being home to some of the region’s leading art galleries. A number of digital assets and bespoke ‘Happiness’ screens will be dedicated to art and lifestyle content. By bringing unique synergies through the integration of physical assets, media and people, Elevision is redefining the norms of DOOH through this mega-digital transformational project.
Niall Sallam, founder and CEO of Elevision Media, said: “We are now embarking on a new and exciting phase of growth with DIFC; one of the world’s top ten financial centres. The new partnership validates DIFC’s endorsement of our vision and supports the direction of our strategic growth. It also underpins our commitment to deliver holistic DOOH solutions that enhance the lifestyle appeal of communities, such as Gate Avenue and improve connectivity amongst professionals, residents and visitors – in line with Dubai’s Smart City vision. The term of the contract catalyses our growth and drives us to push our boundaries by creating cutting edge, innovative media systems for now, and into the future.”