GERRY FREDERICKS HEAD OF GROWTH, SALES STRATEGY & TRANSFORMATION, PIONEER GROUP Sustainability & Stadia - How AV Can Help Images: Pioneer Group
ustainability is a huge topic right
of the mind. Stadiums are expensive to build
centre assets to the public cloud operators
now in stadia, and rightly so. Most
and run, particularly in energy terms, even
(Amazon, Google, Microsoft). Businesses
clubs are dedicated to increasing
more so through the recent increases in the
realised they couldn’t continue to build and
their sustainability and reducing
cost of energy for power, cooling, and lighting.
run their own data centres due to high levels of
their environmental impact, not just through
There are, however, some quick wins that clubs
energy, staffing, and real estate costs and that
merchandising products, but within their
should seriously consider, bolstering their
they required a more flexible, consumption-
stadiums - the real heart of a club.
sustainability charter and move progressively
based model that could be easily scaled (up
In the Premier League, Emirates Stadium and
to achieving government guidelines and
or down) based on business imperatives and
Tottenham Hotspur Stadium (two stadiums
recommendations to accelerate carbon footprint
market conditions.
that have been built in the last 16 years) are
reduction.
If it works for IT – then Audiovisual and Digital
at the top of the sustainability leader board;
Migrating away from halogen and LCD systems
Signage solutions should be the same – it’s all
this leader board considers key factors, such as
to LED-powered solutions is paramount. Energy
converging. The AV industry is lagging behind
renewable energy use, carbon emissions, plastic
consumption reduction for these new forms of
the IT landscape, and few, if any, suppliers
use and water saving.
technology is considerable. However, experience
can provide a more commercially innovative
Most clubs in the UK are dependent on existing
shows that many clubs will continue to sweat
mechanism to consume these services. That’s
facilities, often constructed many years
assets, even if they are no longer operationally
got to change. At Pioneer Group, we’re building
ago when the notion of sustainability and
cost-effective to run – due to restrictive capital
a blueprint for clubs to consume AV and Digital
biodiversity were unknown considerations.
budget cycles.
Signage as a Service. So, how’s that going to
However, for those clubs fortunate enough to
Over the last ten years or so, we’ve seen a
reduce my carbon footprint and improve my
be constructing new facilities, this is now top
progressive migration of companies’ data
sustainability credentials, I hear you ask?
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