What Independent OOH Owners Need From the 2026 OAAA Conference
Will This Year’s Program Deliver?
What Independent OOH Owners Need From
the 2026 OAAA Conference
And Will This Year’s Program Deliver?
By Brent Baer, Billboard Correspondent for OOH Today
This post’s intention, like many op-eds I pen, is to unite the OOH industry in thinking, discussing, and taking pride in our shared challenges and opportunities.
Every spring, independent out-of-home owners ask the same question:
“Is this year’s OAAA conference actually built for us?”
With the 2026 OOH Media Conference coming to Dallas on May 11–13, the stakes feel especially high. The industry is transforming—fast—and independents want clarity on where they fit in, how they stay competitive, and how they grow in a landscape dominated by national operators, data demands, and shifting advertiser expectations.
This year’s theme, “The Human Medium,” lands with real potential. Independent operators live that theme. No one understands the human side of OOH better than the people who permit, build, maintain, and defend structures one at a time in real neighborhoods across America.
But potential isn’t enough. What independents want is relevance.
Here’s what they’ll be listening for—and whether the 2026 program is set up to deliver.
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Straight Talk About Risk, Regulation, and the Legal Future of OOH
What independents want:
Clear guidance on local battles, restrictive zoning trends, takings, digitization rights, and how to protect their assets. Not vague policy summaries—real legal insight on what’s coming and how to prepare.
Does the program deliver?
Having John Morgan headline is a strong signal. As one of the nation’s largest OOH advertisers and a legal powerhouse, Morgan understands the importance of regulation, risk, and protecting the medium’s future. Independents want someone who speaks their language—and Morgan has spent enough money on OOH to know exactly how fragile (and valuable) these structures really are.
If Morgan uses his platform to address legal threats and the importance of defending OOH at the local level, he’ll have every independent operator hanging on every word.
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Real Insight Into How Brands Choose Media—and How Independents Can Win More of That Business
What independents want:
A roadmap to new categories, new advertisers, and new budgets.
They want to know how local and regional brands think.
How national brands decide.
What agencies need.
And how independents fit into a world of data, attribution, and high expectations.
Does the program deliver?
Enter Meredith Counce, SVP of Brand & Marketing for the Dallas Cowboys—one of the most recognizable brands in the world. She deals in scale, storytelling, loyalty, and culture. If she can articulate:
- what makes a brand trust OOH,
- what drives them to spend more,
- what makes creative stand out,
- and how independents can position themselves as indispensable partners…
…this will be one of the most valuable sessions of the entire conference.
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Vision, Strategy, and the Future of Marketing—Not Just the Future of OOH
What independents want:
To know how the marketing world is shifting—so they can stay ahead.
Independents don’t have big R&D budgets. They rely on conferences to understand:
- where agencies are going
- where buyers are frustrated
- how attention is changing
- which mediums are gaining share
- and where OOH sits in the 2026–2030 landscape
Does the program deliver?
Bringing in Rishad Tobaccowala is a major win for everyone—especially independents. Rishad is known for telling hard truths with clarity and humanity. His perspective on digital transformation, human attention, and authentic brand-building will give independents the strategic north star they desperately want.
This is the kind of speaker who helps small companies think like big ones.
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A Program That Speaks to Every Level of the Industry
What independents want:
A conference that isn’t built only for national players, programmatic specialists, or holding-company advertisers. They want sessions that address:
- revenue growth
- sales best practices
- new technologies that are affordable
- sustainability requirements
- inventory modernization
- defending local assets
- winning more from agencies
- and strengthening small businesses
Does the program deliver?
While the headliners create a strong foundation, the true test will be the breakouts and panels the OAAA has yet to announce. The stakes are clear:
Independents want tactical value, not just inspiration.
If OAAA fills the remaining program with actionable sessions around sales, permitting, data, small business case studies, and buyer expectations, the 2026 event could be the most relevant one for independents in years.
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The “Human Medium” Theme—Does It Connect with Independents?
Absolutely.
Independents run the business that literally touches humans:
the street-level posters, the small-town bulletins, the transit shelters, the benches, the wallscapes.
If the conference reinforces the message that OOH’s strength lies in real-world presence—not just screens or data overlays—it will validate the work independents pour into their communities every day.
Final Verdict: Will Independents Feel Seen in 2026?
With headliners like John Morgan, Meredith Counce, and Rishad Tobaccowala, the 2026 OAAA Conference is poised to speak directly to issues that matter to independent OOH owners—legal protection, brand relevance, and the future of marketing.
But independents will be looking for more than inspiration.
They want:
✔ Concrete guidance
✔ Tools they can use
✔ Strategies that grow revenue
✔ Support defending their assets
✔ A seat at the table when talking about the future
If OAAA rounds out the agenda with sessions built for operators of all sizes, Dallas could become the most complete and inclusive conference the industry has seen in a decade.
For now, independents should feel optimistic—
because for the first time in years, the keynote lineup isn’t just big.
It’s relevant.
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