Miami Heat and AmericanAirlines Arena Select Barco LED Display Solution
LOGAN, Utah, 9 November 2004, Barco today announced that it has finished the installation of a new state-of-the-art indoor Light Emitting Diode (LED) large display system in the AmericanAirlines Arena, home to the four-time NBA Atlantic Division champion Miami Heat.
The Barco system is a fully integrated sports solution that includes the LED displays, a control system to operate and integrate the displays and a package of 70 custom animations, including sponsored game elements, crowd interaction, concessions and 360-degree fascia elements, totaling more than $2 million. This selection by one of the nation's premier sporting and entertainment facilities further confirms Barco's position as a leading provider of integrated display solutions for the professional sports market.
The AmericanAirlines Arena first opened to the Miami Heat in January 2000. The start of the 2004-2005 season will bring many changes to the facility, including the expansion and upgrade of LED displays to enhance the fans' experience. With the addition of almost 2,400 square feet of LED displays, the arena will provide not only more exciting video content for fans, but more advertising opportunities for sponsors as well.
"We are thrilled about the installation of our new Barco LED solution and the relationship this project establishes between our organizations," said Alexander M. Diaz, vice president, facilities, and general manager for the AmericanAirlines Arena. "The Heat Group prides itself in being an industry leader in creativity and sports-related technology. The features and specifications of the Barco LED system give us the best opportunity to stay ahead of our peers and continue pushing ourselves into the future. Barco was clearly the best choice."
The new Barco full-color LED display solution brings three significant additions to the former displays: two rings on the center-hung video/scoring display, four corner boards and a 360-degree fascia ring.
Two new LED rings above the existing center-hung structure provide added impact for special video effects. Constructed with Barco's ILite 12-millimeter (mm) LED tiles, the two rings measure 32-feet in diameter and provide an additional 600 square feet of video real estate. These new rings display scoring, advertisements and 3D animation effects for crowd interaction.
Barco also installed four SLite 22mm LED video boards in the corners of the arena. Each corner board measures 11- x 8.5-feet and was built with structure elements that provide both support and ornamentation. The corner boards are designed to display player statistics, scoring and advertisements from participating sponsors.
The largest LED addition is a new 900-foot fascia ring that forms a complete circle around the interior of the arena. Using Barco's SLite 22mm LED product, the new fascia ring delivers attention-getting advertisements, entertaining crowd interaction, scoring, statistics and an unlimited variety of message options.
The production group at the AmericanAirlines Arena plans to integrate all elements of the new and existing LED displays into creative, spectacular messages to capture the attention of the fans and increase their level of participation in the event. Whether used for a Heat home game, concert or private meeting, participants will be treated to an exhilarating visual display.
"Barco has worked diligently to provide the very best to the Miami Heat," said Dave Janke, general manager of Barco Media. "This installation is a real showpiece and source of pride for the Heat, the AmericanAirlines Arena and Barco."
About Barco
Barco, an international company headquartered in Kortrijk, Belgium, provides visualization and display solutions for professional markets. Barco designs and develops solutions for large screen visualization, display solutions for life-critical applications, and systems for visual inspection. Barco is active worldwide and has its own facilities for Sales & Marketing, Customer Support, R&D and Manufacturing in Europe, North America and Asia Pacific. Barco is quoted on Euronext Brussels and is a BEL 20 and a Next 150 company.
www.barco.com
About AmericanAirlines Arena
Since its grand opening on Dec. 31, 1999 with "Gloria Estefan's Millennium Concert," the AmericanAirlines Arena -- "South Florida's Waterfront Showplace" -- has quickly become one of the nation's premier sports and entertainment facilities.
Built with the flexibility to accommodate a wide variety of programming, the 20,000-seat AmericanAirlines Arena has already hosted musical guests like Andrea Bocelli, Cher, Luis Miguel, Phish, Britney Spears, Bruce Springsteen, Rolling Stones and U2, just to name a few as well as championship events in boxing and wrestling; rodeos and family shows such as Disney On Ice, Harlem Globetrotters and Ringling Bros. Barnum & Bailey Circus. Recently the AmericanAirlines Arena played host to the prestigious 4th Annual Latin Grammy Awards, putting Miami in the international spotlight. In August 2004, for the first time ever, the MTV Video Music Awards moved to Miami and aired live from the AmericanAirlines Arena. Private corporate events include Microsoft and a host of other meetings, large and small. In addition to private meetings, special events can include charity galas and team-building events.
Home to the four-time Atlantic Division champion Miami Heat, the AmericanAirlines Arena is the cornerstone for the Heat Group's efforts to create an entertainment destination for locals and visitors alike.
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