Stanley Cup Finals | Montreal, Canada

STANLEY CUP FINALS

Montreal, Canada

Images: PixMob

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ith fans returning for the first time in over a year, not to mention reaching their first Stanley Cup Finals since 1993, the Montreal Canadiens were keen to give those lucky enough to be at the Bell Centre an experience they would never forget. This led to the team enlisting the help of PixMob, a Montrealbased, worldwide innovator of immersive crowd experiences, with the aim to design a one-of-a-kind, captivating shared experience for the 3,500 fans in attendance and the millions cheering on from home - making the limited-capacity arena feel full and helping unite the fanbase that had been starved of live hockey since March 2020. Given that it was the Canadiens’ first trip to the Stanley Cup Finals in nearly 30 years, there was no better time for the first-time collaboration between two of Montreal’s finest. Jean-Olivier Dalphond, President of PixMob, took up the story: “When the Stanley Cup came around and things began to advance in terms of restarting after the lockdowns, as we’re based in Montreal, we decided to reach out to the Canadiens and they were really keen for us to help out. So, in the space of 30 hours, we signed a deal and implemented what we needed to in the arena.” The Canadiens asked PixMob to help the Bell Centre seem full, with restrictions in Canada at the time limiting crowds to just 3,500, which is certainly an issue for the Bell Centre and its capacity of over 21,000. Jean-Olivier and his team saw this as the perfect opportunity to utilise PixMob’s new NOVA pixel technology – the latest in a long line of innovations that give production managers the ability to create unforgettable moments of shared human connection. JeanOlivier explained further: “Like most of us in the industry, when the

pandemic started to take effect, we had to pivot. The choice was to put everything on pause until it was all over or fight our way out. We chose to use innovation to find our way out and develop a new way of doing business. “We looked at what we could do in a world where venues are empty and we then designed a light that could be put on seats to replace the visitors that would normally be there. This was NOVA, which fills arenas with light to offer that much-needed presence.” With the brightness of ten PixMob wristbands, the NOVA can illuminate empty seats and displays even better on a live broadcast. Just as the NOVA was developed, live events were coming back and production teams were looking to put on something extra special for the return, which was perfect timing for both PixMob and the Canadiens. “We put 5,000 NOVAs on the seats at Bell Centre, so, in terms of light, with the 3,500 fans also having wristbands, it was as if there were 53,500 bands. It really did make the venue seem full and it looked great on broadcast, too,” added JeanOlivier. The work was literally completed overnight by the PixMob team, with each section programmed to create a canvas that could be triggered to create waves and movements all around the venue. “We had the plans from the client and, overnight, our lighting designer, who is based in Sweden, made good use of the time difference. Then, once he was finished, we programmed everything in Montreal and got the Novas on the seats,” said Jean-Olivier. “We used the technology as often as we could during the game, which was no problem due to the long battery life.” Having kicked off at Game 3 of the semi finals series against the Vegas Golden Knights, the PixMob in-game displays continued to run through the entire Stanley Cup Finals, which included a variety of high-energy effects for key moments, such as the game opening, national anthems and goal celebrations, as well as branded moments for the sponsors. Jean-Olivier furthered: “It really was a great collaboration - and what made me happy was the fact that the Canadiens trusted us. They told us that they knew what we could do and believed in our reputation, so we were determined to deliver on that. “We’ve illuminated the world’s biggest sporting events and some of the highest-grossing musical tours of all time, but working with our hometown Canadiens at the Stanley Cup Finals is extremely special to us.” Jon Trzcienski, VP Marketing at Montreal Canadiens, concluded: “We had empty seats, which could have been a negative, but PixMob is turning that into an advantage. We’re glad to work together on this.”