Welcome to the first edition of DPAA IRL Today.

Why IRL (In Real Life) Today?

Because while technology continues to reshape marketing, one thing hasn’t changed: the most powerful connections still happen in real life!

That’s what Out of Home (OOH) and Digital Out of Home (DOOH) have always been about. Reaching people where they live, work, shop, travel, dine, and experience the world around them. We connect brands with consumers in environments that are trusted, engaging, and impossible to skip.

That’s why we chose the name IRL Today.

This newsletter is our way of sharing what’s happening across the real-world media and marketing landscape. We’ll highlight the ideas, innovation, people, partnerships, and trends driving DOOH, along with the opportunities we see as AI, data, retail media, measurement, digital growth, and creativity continue to expand what’s possible for brands, agencies, products, services, and our global membership.

As we’ve reached the halfway point of 2026, it felt like the right time to create a new way to keep all of our friends, colleagues and members informed, connected, and engaged with the trends shaping this incredibly fast-growing medium.

Our goal is simple: to share innovations, insights, and trends from across the globe, highlight growth and achievements, and provide perspective on the opportunities transforming media, technology, and marketing.

One of the things I enjoy most about my role at DPAA is the opportunity to spend time with people from every corner of our industry. Whether it’s speaking with and empowering media owners, brands, agencies, tech partners, investors, or entrepreneurs, I always come away energized by the ideas, innovation, and optimism that continue to move our business forward.

The first half of 2026 has been an exciting time of exceptional growth for OOH and DOOH. Across our events, member meetings, and industry gatherings, I’ve seen firsthand how our industry continues to connect and evolve. New technologies are creating new opportunities. Measurement capabilities and outcome deliveries continue to showcase the power of connecting in real life. Programmatic trading is expanding. In-store retail media is a huge opportunity for all. And marketers are increasingly looking at how channels work together to create more meaningful consumer experiences.

And of course, as authenticity and trust continue to skyrocket in importance, there is no other medium that connects in the real world, in real life (IRL), along these lines!

One trend I believe will drive our industry’s next phase of growth is the continued focus on outcomes. As marketers seek greater accountability and business impact from their media investments, the ability to measure and demonstrate results more effectively is helping elevate the role of DOOH within modern marketing strategies.

What continues to impress me most, however, is the collaborative spirit of this industry. The willingness of frenemies to work together, the partnerships forming across the ecosystem, and the commitment to innovation are all reasons I remain incredibly optimistic about the future.

Thank you for your support of DPAA and our industry and for everything you do to help make this medium so special. I look forward to continuing the conversation through this newsletter and at our events throughout the year.

Here’s to a strong second half of 2026!