A recipe for success: Historic Belgian restaurant takes paper off the menu with ‘zero power’ Philips Tableaux installations

Open2 supporting sustainability: The stylish riverside Nenuphar restaurant and boutique hotel in Afsnee, Belgium teamed up with PPDS and AV integration specialist, TechWorks, to introduce four sleek and sustainable ‘zero power’ 25” Philips Tableaux Advanced Colour ePaper (ACeP) displays, replacing its existing paper-based posters and digitising its communications. 

Amsterdam, November 2024: PPDS, the exclusive global provider of Philips Professional Displays, is delighted to announce its multi-award-winning Philips Tableaux ‘zero power’ ePaper Series, has been selected to ‘revolutionise’ in-house communications at the historic Nenuphar restaurant and hotel, by delivering a low cost*, highly sustainable, digital alternative to paper. 

With a history dating back to 1795 and located on the scenic banks of the river Leie in Afsnee – a sub-municipality of the city of Ghent, Belgium – the Nenuphar is a popular ‘high-end’ destination and overnight retreat for locals and tourists seeking a welcoming and serene atmosphere away from the busy streets of Ghent city centre. 

Outside of its lavish eight room hotel, the Nenuphar provides an experiential celebration of Belgian culture, from locally sourced drinks and cuisine to its interior walls decorated with paintings by Ghent-born Gustave De Smet (1877- 1943), one of the fathers of Flemish Expressionism. 

With a focus on blending the past with the present, and an ever-growing desire to enhance its sustainability credentials and reduce its ecological footprint, the Nenuphar owners sought a user-friendly digital solution to replace and eliminate paper wastage used to communicate its messaging to visitors. 

The power for change

Teaming up with local AV integration specialist, TechWorks, the multi-award-winning – and now globally available – sleek and stylish Philips Tableaux Advanced Colour ePaper digital signage series from PPDS was immediately identified as the clear choice to achieve the owners’ ambitions, with four 25” portable models strategically placed for maximum engagement in – but not limited to – the bar, restaurant, event, and restroom areas. 

Seamlessly integrated into the elegant spaces, without distracting from the curated ambiance, the Philips Tableaux displays have transformed the way the Nenuphar’s team communicates with its customers, eliminating paper – with near zero power consumption. 

A technological breakthrough in design and engineering, Philips Tableaux from PPDS is the world’s first ACeP display series to be launched by a global display manufacturer. Ticking all boxes for the Nenuphar team, the display range – which also includes 13” and 32” size variants – delivers unprecedented environmental and energy savings, providing vivid imagery 24 hours a day, seven days a week, unplugged and without using a kW of power for days, weeks, or even years. Minimal power is needed only when changing the image displayed or for remote management. 

Personalised experiences

Content can be easily created and shared on all, or on individual displays, with special offers, restaurant menus, safety messaging and, of course, a library of paintings by Gustave. These are just some examples of how the four Philips Tableaux displays are being used. Portable, and weighing just 3.5kg, installation uses and locations inside and outside* the Nunuphar are, however, potentially infinite, and the displays can be placed in any space, with or without accessible power points. 

Nenuphar staff can create a setlist of content to be displayed during specific times of the day, ie. menu changes (specials, availability), in-house marketing (such as happy hour, live music), or business branding for corporate events. 

Due to the spontaneous nature of the food and beverage industry, ad hoc content can also be quickly created and displayed to reflect the real-time environment and conditions. This could be messaging around the weather conditions, unplanned in-house promotions, or for specific customers and groups, such as congratulatory messages for those celebrating special occasions, stag parties, or sporting events. 

Augmented with PPDS’ professional Android SoC processor, as well as WiFi/LAN, displays inside the Nunuphar can be managed manually on-site or entirely remotely with minimal training. 

The installation was completed smoothly and on time with minimal disruption to the restaurant’s business operations and experiences for new and existing guests. 

Paper wastage has now dropped significantly – as have poster printing costs, while new opportunities have been created and seized as a direct result of the installations, resulting in the project being labelled a complete success. 

Guillaume De Breyne, Operational Director at Nenuphar, commented: “Our new Philips Tableaux digital poster displays fit right into the ethos and the aesthetics of Nenuphar, enabling us to take a more sustainable approach that looks great and enhances our brand.” 

Diederik Maes, Managing Director at TechWorks, added: “Philips Tableaux was selected for its innovative and energy efficient ePaper technology, as well as its aesthetic appeal, suitable for Nenuphar’s high-end restaurant environment.” 

Kurt Vangerven, Sales Manager Benelux at PPDS concluded: “At PPDS, we’re committed to supporting our customers, not only in supplying them with industry-leading, and often world first, visual solutions, but also in helping them to achieve their sustainability goals – something as a business we’re incredibly passionate about. It’s always an exciting moment when we are able to help like-minded businesses like Nenuphar achieve their sustainable ambitions and we were delighted they selected Philips Tableaux to revolutionise their in-house communications.” 

At a glance:

Benefits

• Reducing waste: Eliminating the need for both paper and ink, as well as printing processes, posters can be updated regularly with less environmental impact.
• Zero power: Showing a full-colour static image indefinitely without using any power at all, Philips Tableaux 4150 uses only 0.0025 kWh for an image update.
• Sleek and stylish: With slim bezels, Philips Tableaux 4150 displays content in 60,000 colours, including blue, for a clear and eye-catching picture.
• Connected performance: With an Android System on Chip delivering versatile solutions and secure remote management options for easy content updates. 

To learn more about PPDS, please visit the website here, or contact your local PPDS sales manager.

About PPDS

PPDS is a trading name of TP Vision Europe B.V. (“TP Vision”) and MMD-Monitors & Displays Nederland B.V. (“MMD”), registered in the Netherlands, with their head offices in Amsterdam. TP Vision and MMD are wholly owned subsidiaries of TPV Technology Limited (“TPV”), the world’s largest manufacturer of monitors and a leading provider of display solutions. 

PPDS exclusively markets and sells Philips-branded professional displays, covering professional TVs, signage and direct view LED solutions, worldwide under trademark license by Koninklijke Philips N.V. 

By combining the Philips brand promise with TPV’s manufacturing expertise in displays, PPDS employs a competitive and focused approach to bring innovative products to market – from its 10” touchscreen through to unlimited direct view LED displays. Designing solutions that make a positive impact, both for resellers and for end customers – at the right time and in the right places.