“No Becky. No Bueno!“
OOH Words on the Street Today —No Bueno
by Brent Baer, Publisher, OOH Today
Here’s what’s landed on my desk over the last few days—equal parts intel, industry theater, and PPP … p poor planning”
As always: cryptic on purpose. These are my opinions plus the more believable street narrative driving around the OOH world. Please don’t do anything dramatic after reading—save that energy for your next RFP. You’ll have your own take, and I’m all ears for comments on any of it.
This week’s ‘Words on the Street’ are ‘No Becky. No bueno’
We did some quick reconnaissance coming out of last week’s Indie Billboard Conference. After calls with a wide cross‑section of vendors and OOH owners who attended, one thing is clear: the business climate is strong.
Across the board—vendors, indie owners, longtime operators—the message was consistent. Q1 was good. For some, very good. Several reported beating last year’s YTD, with the first half shaping up to be record‑breaking.
OOH Today likes hearing that—and hopes you’re seeing the same momentum. Now go close the rest of the year.
The conference itself, however, earned a far more mixed review.
Without hesitation—and without prompting—every attendee we spoke with delivered the same verdict: “No Becky. No Bueno.”
Bill received above average remarks for his performance as Master of Ceremonies. But the absence of Becky—and what that absence signaled—was the dominant takeaway. The “Becky message” eclipsed nearly every other discussion about the event.
‘No Becky. No Bueno.’
And the ripple effects matter.
As conference strategy continues to take shape—and with Indy and OAAA dates stacked uncomfortably close—many independent billboard owners are voting with their calendars and wallets. A significant number of Indies who attended last week will not be attending OAAA Dallas next week.
That’s unfortunate.
Keeping major OOH conferences clustered together doesn’t just strain time and budgets—it quietly filters out the very independents these events claim to serve. Staying ahead of the calendar does not favor the DPAA and OAAA, and with a cost: fewer Indie voices in the room.
fewer Indie voices in the room
More than a few owners told me outright they’re sitting Dallas out. That should concern everyone.
So we’re left with an uncomfortable question: Does the band keep playing while the room slowly empties?
Are we nearing—or already past—the point where these conferences exist primarily for the Big Three, large independents, and mid‑market operators?
And that leads to the bigger issue.
Does the Big Three have an industry responsibility to ensure smaller Independent Owners continue to feel genuinely welcome?
Or is the welcome now simply a polished “get out your wallets” gesture—heavy on lip service, light on substance?
Something to think about, Sean. Nick. And whoever’s steering CCO these days.
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