2010 National Signage Research and Education Conference (NSREC) Presentation Details

Date: October 13, 2010 12:00-2:00

Session Introduced by: Ken Von Wald

Topic: Small Business Signage: a Catalyst for Community Success

James L. King authored and developed the New York State Small Business Development Center program under sponsorship of the U.S. Small Business Administration, the State University of New York and New York State. Mr. King is responsible for program operations and interface with private, governmental, public and economic development communities. Under Jim’s direction and support from its public and private partners, the SBDC has grown five regional offices to a 2010 level of twenty-four (24) regional offices and forty-eight (48) local outreach and satellite offices. During this period, services increased to over 40,000 small business owners and entrepreneurs receiving services each year (training, research and advisement). The staff of the SBDC has located over $4.1 billion in public and private funding for many of the over 318,000 small business owners and entrepreneurs that have been assisted by Advisors of the program. SBDC small business owners have created and saved over 144,000 jobs in New York State. The SBDC has been recognized at the local, State and federal levels for excellence. The SBDC received the SBA National Phoenix Award for response to the World Trade Center (9-11) disaster as well as the New York State Governor’s Award. The University Economic Development Association (UEDA) recognized the SBDC Veteran’s Assistance Program and Specialized Services for Minority Assistance with two National Project-of-the-Year awards in one year. During the program’s 25 year history, the SBDC has received over 50 state, national and international awards. Prior to the SBDC, Jim served as a Marketing Product Manager in corporate banking, a Manager in the insurance industry and a consultant on the after-use of the 1980 Lake Placid Olympic facilities in Lake Placid, NY. He started with the State University of New York at SUNY Plattsburgh, where he served as Advisor, Assistant Director and Director of the campus’ Economic Development and Technical Assistance Center.

Abstract
The importance of signage for small businesses is one of the most written about but possibly least understood components of a successful business sector and a vibrant community. A strong public/private partnership is critical in enabling businesses to compete in the marketplace and communities to advocate for good and effective signage. What frequently has become an adversarial relationship between communities and the business sector can instead be a win/win situation for the business, the signage firm and the community.

Especially in the recession (and hopefully the beginning of the recovery), small business is proving to be the catalyst for economic growth. The myth has been that economic growth and job creation comes from larger and established firms. Recent research has proven this not to be factual. One hundred percent (100%) of current job growth is coming from small business and start-ups. If the economic recovery is sustained, small businesses will need to be competitive with larger firms and improved signage is the best return on the investment a small business can make.

Signage firms and communities need to work together to effectively develop and deliver needed signage improvements to small businesses for sustainability, success and competitiveness; guaranteeing reinvigorated commercial areas that speak to quality of life characteristics while attracting and sustaining a dynamic business and resident community.

2010 National Signage Research and Education Conference (NSREC) Presentation Details

Date: Wednesday, October 13, 2009 12:00-2:00

Session Introduced by: Ken Von Wald

Topic: Report on the Industry's First Internship by Duane Laska of North Shore Sign Company and Cody Meyer, UC Planning Student

Duane Laska is President and Owner of North Shore Sign Company, located in the northern Chicago suburb of Libertyville, Illinois. A life-long sign industry professional, Duane has had experience in all facets of the 80-year old, full service sign company’s operations. His professional affiliations include current service on the Board of Directors of the Signage Foundation Inc, and the Board of Directors of the International Sign Association as Secretary/Treasurer, and as a delegate to the Central Sign Council.  Mr. Laska served two terms on the Board of Directors of the Illinois Sign Association.  A former elected official, Duane served on the Village Board of Libertyville for 14 years, eight of those as Mayor of the community.  He currently is Secretary of the Village of Libertyville Board of Police and Fire Commissioners, and chairs the Mayors Advisory Committee. Together with the Signage Foundation, Inc., Mr. Laska helped outline and organize the industry’s first formal internship/ co-op program in cooperation with the UC School of Planning.  Mr. Laska and North Shore Sign initiated the program, hosting its first student, Cody Meyer earlier this year.

Cody E Meyer was born on May 12, 1987 in Cincinnati. He grew up on the east side of the city in Anderson Township. He graduated from Anderson High School in 2005. While in high school, Cody was involved in many extracurricular activities as well as participating in team sports such as soccer, basketball, and baseball. Cody is the younger of two children; his sister Lauren is 25. Cody’s father still resides in Anderson and his mother resides in Maryville just west of Columbus, OH. After high school, Cody attended Kent State University located in northern Ohio. While enrolled at Kent State, he studied architecture. Cody identified his intense interest in a more comprehensive and social perspective leading him to move toward studying neighborhood and community development. This interest led Cody to studying Urban Planning at the University of Cincinnati. Cody is currently a fourth year student at UC and he notes that he is very happy with his chose program of study. Cody noted: “I was intrigued by the social and community aspects associated with field of Planning. I participated in the Signage Studio last summer at UC. Participation in the Signage Studio opened my eyes to the signage industry. I continued to develop an understanding and appreciation of signage while serving as a student ambassador at the 2009 National Signage Research and Education Conference. I have benefitted and enjoyed every experience I have had with professionals in the signage industry.”

Abstract
In preparation for a career in planning, Cody served as an industry intern at North Shore Sign Company from March to mid June. This co-op experience was unique as it exposed a UC student preparing for a planning profession to the inner workings of a sign company. This presentation will include insights from both Duane Laska and Cody Meyer on the student internship and the value of educating future planners on the multi-dimensional topic of signage in the environment.

2010 National Signage Research and Education Conference (NSREC) Presentation Details

October 13, 2010 12:00-2:00

Session Introduced by: Ken Von Wald

Topic: Small Business Signage: a Catalyst for Community Success

James L. King authored and developed the New York State Small Business Development Center program under sponsorship of the U.S. Small Business Administration, the State University of New York and New York State. Mr. King is responsible for program operations and interface with private, governmental, public and economic development communities. Under Jim’s direction and support from its public and private partners, the SBDC has grown five regional offices to a 2010 level of twenty-four (24) regional offices and forty-eight (48) local outreach and satellite offices. During this period, services increased to over 40,000 small business owners and entrepreneurs receiving services each year (training, research and advisement). The staff of the SBDC has located over $4.1 billion in public and private funding for many of the over 318,000 small business owners and entrepreneurs that have been assisted by Advisors of the program. SBDC small business owners have created and saved over 144,000 jobs in New York State. The SBDC has been recognized at the local, State and federal levels for excellence. The SBDC received the SBA National Phoenix Award for response to the World Trade Center (9-11) disaster as well as the New York State Governor’s Award. The University Economic Development Association (UEDA) recognized the SBDC Veteran’s Assistance Program and Specialized Services for Minority Assistance with two National Project-of-the-Year awards in one year. During the program’s 25 year history, the SBDC has received over 50 state, national and international awards. Prior to the SBDC, Jim served as a Marketing Product Manager in corporate banking, a Manager in the insurance industry and a consultant on the after-use of the 1980 Lake Placid Olympic facilities in Lake Placid, NY. He started with the State University of New York at SUNY Plattsburgh, where he served as Advisor, Assistant Director and Director of the campus’ Economic Development and Technical Assistance Center.

Abstract
The importance of signage for small businesses is one of the most written about but possibly least understood components of a successful business sector and a vibrant community. A strong public/private partnership is critical in enabling businesses to compete in the marketplace and communities to advocate for good and effective signage. What frequently has become an adversarial relationship between communities and the business sector can instead be a win/win situation for the business, the signage firm and the community.

Especially in the recession (and hopefully the beginning of the recovery), small business is proving to be the catalyst for economic growth. The myth has been that economic growth and job creation comes from larger and established firms. Recent research has proven this not to be factual. One hundred percent (100%) of current job growth is coming from small business and start-ups. If the economic recovery is sustained, small businesses will need to be competitive with larger firms and improved signage is the best return on the investment a small business can make.

Signage firms and communities need to work together to effectively develop and deliver needed signage improvements to small businesses for sustainability, success and competitiveness; guaranteeing reinvigorated commercial areas that speak to quality of life characteristics while attracting and sustaining a dynamic business and resident community.

The Science of Signage: Parallels Between Traffic Signs and Business Signs

Wednesday, October 13, 2010 9:15 am-10:30 am

Introduction by:  Steve Kieffer, SFI Board Member

Presenter:  H. Gene Hawkins, Jr., Associate Professor, Texas A&M University

Dr. H. Gene Hawkins is an Associate Professor and Division Head of the Transportation and Materials Division in the Zachry Department of Civil Engineering at Texas A&M University.  He also holds a joint appointment as a Research Engineer with the Texas Transportation Institute (TTI) and serves as an Associate Director of the Southwest Region University Transportation Center.  He earned his Ph.D., M.E. and B.S. degrees in civil engineering from Texas A&M University.  He is a Registered Professional Engineer in Texas.  Before joining the TAMU faculty, Dr. Hawkins worked for the Texas Transportation Institute for 18 years.  Prior to that, he worked in the private sector for consulting firms in Bryan and Houston.  Dr. Hawkins' primary fields of interest are traffic control systems, traffic control standards, human factors, retroreflectivity, and visibility.  Dr. Hawkins has been a principal investigator or co-principal investigator for numerous research studies, most evaluating signs, markings, and other traffic control devices.  Dr. Hawkins is a nationally recognized expert in the area of traffic control devices and the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices.  Some of his most well-known work includes articles and presentations on the history of the MUTCD and usage guidelines for traffic control devices such as the TxDOT Sign Crew Field Book, Freeway Signing Handbook, and Pavement Marking Handbook. Dr. Hawkins is a member of numerous professional and technical organizations.  He is heavily involved in the efforts of the National Committee on Uniform Traffic Control Devices which provides recommendations on changes to the MUTCD.  He is a member of the full National Committee, chair of the Markings Technical Committee, chair of the ITE delegation, and a member of the NCUTCD executive committee.  In addition to his NCUTCD activities, he is involved in the Transportation Research Board (TRB) and the Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE).  Within TRB, he is a former chair of the Traffic Control Devices Committee and a member of the Signing and Marking Materials Committee and the Tort Liability and Risk Management Committee.  He is also the faculty advisor for the TAMU ITE student chapter and a Fellow in ITE.

Abstract: Traffic signs are an essential element of the transportation infrastructure and serve a critical role in providing road uses with regulatory, warning, and guidance information.  The use, regulation, and science of traffic signing have evolved over the course of a century into a well-defined system that has a strong scientific basis and that is also regulated at the federal and state level.  Traffic signs used on roads open to public travel are required to comply with the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD), which is the national standard for traffic control devices.  The material in the MUTCD addresses the selection, design, installation, operation, maintenance, and removal of traffic signs.

In this presentation, Dr. Hawkins will identify and compare the similarities and differences between traffic signs and business signs, emphasizing how the science behind traffic signs can be used to improve the performance of business signs.  The start of the presentation will introduce the audience to the basic attributes of traffic signs and describe how those attributes are controlled (regulated) by the MUTCD.  This will include a description of the MUTCD and its role in the traffic engineering and signing community.  The presentation will define the characteristics of a good sign and describe the research basis for some of the most important traffic sign characteristics, including the extent to which these characteristics are addressed in the MUTCD.  The presentation will also identify disconnects between traffic signing and business signing, indicating where traffic sign principles may not be directly applicable to business signing.

Technology of Signage – Electronic Paper, LED Illumination, and Teleportation: Fact or Fiction in 2010 and Beyond…

Session Introduced by:  Mike Kesti, 3M

Date:   Wednesday, October 13, 2010   10:45-12:00

Presenter: Jason Heikenfeld received the B.S. and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Cincinnati in 1998 and 2001, respectively.  During 2001-2005 Dr. Heikenfeld co-founded and served as principal scientist at Extreme Photonix Corp.  In 2005 he returned to the University of Cincinnati as a Professor in the School of Electronics and Computing.  Dr. Heikenfeld’s university laboratory, The Novel Devices Laboratory www.ece.uc.edu/devices, is currently engaged in electrofluidic device research for beam steering, displays, and electronic paper.   He has greater than 100 publications, has presented numerous invited talks, and his inventions have resulted in over a dozen pending or granted patents.  In March of 2010 Dr. Heikenfeld authored the cover article for IEEE Spectrum ‘Lite, Brite, Displays’, and he is a regular commentator in IEEE Spectrum articles related to displays. He is an NSF CAREER and AFOSR Young Investigator. Dr. Heikenfeld has now launched his second company, Gamma Dynamics, which is pursuing commercialization of color e-Readers that look as good as conventional printed media.  Dr. Heikenfeld is a senior member of the Institute for Electrical and Electronics Engineers, a senior member of the Society for Information Display, and a member of SPIE, MRS.  Dr. Heikenfeld has served on the Board of Governors for the IEEE Photonics Society, is an associate editor of IEEE Journal of Display Technology, and in the past served as technical chair for Displays at the annual IEEE Photonics meeting.  Dr. Heikenfeld has been the recipient of several major awards recently, including 1st place in the Cincinnati Innovates Taft Patent Award (273 entrees) and the 2010 University of Cincinnati Emerging Entrepreneur award.

Abstract
In the 1967 movie “The Graduate”, a young man named Ben is told a famous line, wherein the future is “Plastics” [1].  That turned out to be true for conventional signage.  Now the saying is ‘the future is digital signage’.  Some forms of digital signage have already arrived, such as large format LED billboards.  However, there has been an enormous amount of hype around new backlighting/illumination technologies, and the emerging field of electronic paper.  This talk will give a technical primer on technologies that are in use today for sign illumination highlighting their advantages and disadvantages as well as the continuing improvement of those technologies; technologies that are ready to impact signage today and technologies, while attractive, are still several years if not decades off in the future. We will first review the present status of incandescent, halogen, fluorescent, cold-cathode, LED, OLED and other forms of illumination for signage.  Roadmaps for energy efficiency, price, and bottlenecks in commercialization will be reviewed.  Next, the field of e-paper will be reviewed, including a case study of new technology in development at the University of Cincinnati.  We will sort out which e-paper technologies are ready for prime time, for what applications, and which technologies and applications are unlikely to be met until some time far in the future.  We will wrap up with a few far out concepts and stimulate conversation on what research is needed specifically in the signage market, if new technology is to substantially change the traditional signage business.

[1] “The Graduate”, Directed by M. Nichols, Embassy Pictures Corporation, USA, 1967.

On-Premise Signs as Marketing Devices Measuring the Value to the Business Enterprise in Takings Cases

Date:  Thursday, October 14, 2010   8:30am-9:45am

Introduction by:  Joe Rickman, SFI Board Member

Presenter: Charles R. “Ray” Taylor (Ph.D. from Michigan State University) is the John A. Murphy Professor of Marketing at Villanova University. He also serves as Senior Research Fellow in the Center for Marketing and Public Policy Research.  Professor Taylor is a Past-President of the American Academy of Advertising and was recently rated among the top five scholars worldwide in research productivity in leading advertising journals.  Professor Taylor currently serves as the Editor in Chief of International Journal of Advertising, which is published by the World Advertising Resource Center.  He previously served as Associate Editor of Journal of Public Policy and Marketing and Journal of Advertising.
Dr. Taylor’s primary research interests are in the areas of international advertising and advertising regulation.  He has published numerous articles in leading journals and serves on several Editorial Review Boards.  Taylor’s research has received “Best Article” awards at Journal of Advertising, Journal of International Marketing and Journal of Macromarketing.

Dr. Taylor is also a recipient of Villanova’s Outstanding Faculty Research Award.  Dr. Taylor has provided consulting services to numerous businesses and organizations and has served as an expert witness in several court cases.  Professor Taylor has taught courses in Korea, Austria, China, Germany and the Czech Republic and has served as a Fulbright Senior Scholar.  He has also given speeches or lectures at many leading universities, including Harvard, Columbia, Ludwig Maximillians University, University of Amsterdam, Autonomous University of Madrid, Korea University, Harbin Institute of Technology, UIBE (Beijing), University of Texas at Austin, and Rutgers, University of Klagenfurt, Yonsei University, and others.  Additionally, Taylor has provided testimony to the U.S. Congress well as several state legislatures in the U.S. 
ABSTRACT

The Regulation of Signage: Guidelines for Local Regulation of Digital On-Premise Signs

Presenters:   Alan Weinstein, Associate Professor of Law and Urban Studies at Cleveland State University & Menelaos Triantafillou, Associate Professor, School of Planning, University of Cincinnati

Introduced by:    Duane Laska, SFI Board Member

Date:    October 14, 2010 10:00AM – 11:15AM

Alan Weinstein holds a joint faculty appointment at Cleveland State University’s Cleveland-Marshall College of Law and Maxine Goodman Levin College of Urban Affairs and also serves as Director of the Colleges' Law & Public Policy Program.  Prior to his appointment at Cleveland State, he taught at the University of Wisconsin’s School of Architecture & Urban Planning, the Jacob D. Fuchsberg Law Center at Touro College, and Wayne State University Law School.  Professor Weinstein’s education includes a B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania, a Master of City Planning (M.C.P.) from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and a law degree (J.D.) from the University of California, Berkeley.
Professor Weinstein is a nationally-recognized expert on planning law who lectures frequently at planning and law conferences and has over seventy publications, including books, book-chapters, treatise revisions and law journal articles.  Professor Weinstein serves as a Reporter for the American Planning Association's (APA) monthly journal, Planning & Environmental Law and previously served as Chair of the Planning & Law Division of the APA and a member of the Board of the Ohio Planning Conference, the state’s chapter of the APA.  In addition to his teaching, research, and public service activities, Professor Weinstein has twenty-seven years of practice experience with private and public sector clients as an attorney, planner, consultant or expert witness in roles ranging from research and analysis through project management to federal and state court litigation at the trial and appellate levels.