Barco strengthens position in European sports market with five new projects
Total value of sports projects in last 6 months reaches € 15 million
Kuurne, Belgium – March 1st, 2004 – Barco announces that over the last three months it has been selected as the provider of choice for LED video display solutions in five stadiums throughout Europe and the Middle East. The combination of these projects totals over €6 million and confirms Barco’s leadership position in the European sports market. The projects include the Khalifa Stadium in Doha, Qatar (to be used during Asian Games 2006), the Fritz Walter Stadium in Kaiserslautern, Germany (host of the 2006 FIFA World Cup), and the Karaiskaki Stadium in Athens, Greece (to be used during the 2004 Olympics). The projects add to the overall sports installations in Europe and the Middle East, totaling €15 million during the last six months, further strengthening Barco’s position in the world-wide sports market.
Orders received are for the installation of over 650m² of Barco’s SLite 10 and SLite 22 outdoor LED displays, as well as Barco’s sport control software solution in stadiums in Qatar, Denmark, Germany, Austria and Greece.
Khalifa Stadium (Doha, Qatar) is the biggest of the five projects and is a joint installation with our sales partner ETF. The completely renovated stadium will include two specially designed SLite 22 outdoor LED displays. These displays will enhance the scoring, fan interaction and advertising opportunities in the stadium. Home of events, athletics and soccer during the Asian Games in 2006, the stadium’s installation will be completed in August 2004.
Parken National Stadium (Copenhagen, Denmark), the national stadium of Denmark, has a capacity of 40,000 seats in the soccer stadium as well as a conference center in one of the stands. Barco, with its partner AV Technik, will install two SLite 10 outdoor LED displays of 48m² each. The displays will be used for scoring, messaging and advertising during games, and will also be available to companies renting the conference center. Installation is scheduled to be complete in March 2004.
MEC Race Track Vienna (Vienna, Austria) one of Magna Entertainment Corporation’s (MEC) famous racetracks, selected Barco to install a 101m² SLite 22 outdoor LED video display at the horse track. The display will be used to present live video, race and betting information, and entertainment. Installation will be completed in March 2004.
Fritz Walter Stadium (Kaiserslautern, Germany), host of the 2006 FIFA World Cup matches, will be completely renovated for the world championships. The renovation will include two SLite 22 and one SLite 10 outdoor LED video displays. The stadium is the home of FC Kaiserslautern, four-time German champion and 16-fold participant in European cup competitions. Installation of the new LED video displays will be completed in April 2004.
Karaiskaki Stadium (Athens, Greece) is a new stadium, which will be used during the 2004 Olympics in August. The new home of FC Olympiakos will include two SLite 22 outdoor LED displays of 48m² each. Telmaco, Barco’s distributor in Greece has secured the contract and will handle the project, which is foreseen to be completed in June 2004.
Nico Vernieuwe, General Manager Barco Media, stated “We are making significant progress in the European sports market. These projects confirm Barco’s expertise and competitiveness in this market. Whether it is soccer, athletics or racing, we can tailor our hardware and software solution to the specific needs of our customers, allowing them to maximize the use of their display solution. These new installations will help us further strengthen our position and growth in the world-wide sports market.”
For more information on Barco’s products, please visit
www.barco.com About Barco
Barco, an international company headquartered in Kortrijk, Belgium, is active in three key areas of imaging technology. Barco designs and develops solutions for large screen visualization, display solutions for life-critical applications, and systems for visual inspection. Barco has a network of subsidiaries, distributors and agents in almost 100 countries. Barco is quoted on Brussels/Euronext and is a BEL 20 and a Next 150 company.
For more information, please contact
JP
Tanghe
Senior Advisor to the CEO
Barco nv
Telephone
+32 56/26 23 22
jp.tanghe@barco.com
