IN THE INDUSTRY

Indiana Pacers and Bankers Life Fieldhouse Unveil DIGITAL MAKEOVER

Indianapolis, Indiana—The NBA’s Indiana Pacers and their partner, experience design and execution company ANC, recently introduced a new digital experience at Bankers Life Fieldhouse, home of the Pacers.

Highlighted by a new center-hung scoreboard, which ANC designed through a collaborative process with the Pacers, the digital makeover is part of the large multi-phase renovation at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. The recently unveiled digital experience is part of the Fieldhouse of the Future Phase 1 renovations showcasing new amenities and spaces fans will begin to see as the arena gradually welcomes the general public back for live events. In addition to the NBA season, the renovated digital experience will be on full display for the NCAA Basketball Tournament in Indianapolis this month.

Complementing the center-hung is more than 600 square feet of 1.5mm fine-pitch LED that provides high-definition viewing experiences in Bankers Life Fieldhouse Courtside and West Sideline Premier Club locations. The renovation also includes six new locations of LED vomitory displays capable of synchronizing with the venue’s courtside LED displays and 360-degree ribbon boards for a fully immersive in-bowl experience.

“With every game, every event, and every community gathering, we have been able to support [the Indiana Pacers] in creating new experiences that entertain and inform fans through custom designs and the newest display technologies,” said Jerry Cifarelli, founder and vice chairman of ANC.

The major focal point of the digital renovation is the new center-hung LED scoreboard that provides optimal viewing angles from every seat in the arena. The scoreboard features a four-sided, rectangular primary display with approximately 3,350 square feet of dynamic video area.

The four main displays are capped by custom-built LED squared-off “rings” (one on bottom and one on top of the primary displays) that allow content to flow seamlessly around the center-hung. The interior of the display features a

The center-hung LED scoreboard provides optimal viewing angles from every seat.

FOR MANY [PACERS] FANS, THIS DIGITAL MAKEOVER IS GOING TO LOOK LIKE A WHOLE NEW FIELDHOUSE.

complete underbelly running the full length and width of the scoreboard structure while measuring approximately ten feet high and ensuring exceptional views of stats, game details, and replays from every angle. Each façade features 4mm LED displays while combining to feature more than 40 million pixels.

“For many fans, this digital makeover is going to look like a whole new Fieldhouse,” said Mel Raines, executive vice president for Pacers Corporate Communications, Community Engagement, and Facility Operations.

ANC’s vSOFT operating platform synchronizes all the existing and new digital displays, including the 600 square feet of fine pitch technology, through preprogrammed and live event operation of the system. As part of the long-term partnership that began more than a decade ago, ANC integrates with the venue’s production staff to create content and operate the display system for every event at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.

“While the Pacers have set an incredibly high bar for the fan experience, their method with regard to digital impact is a model for other teams looking to upgrade,” added George Linardos, CEO of ANC. “The new center-hung is one of the more creative executions on the market, and the fine-pitch LED displays in the premium areas could stand alone in creating a significant ‘wow’ factor fans will remember.”

FASTSIGNS NAMED TOP 100 GLOBAL FRANCHISE

Carrolton, Texas— FASTSIGNS International, Inc., franchisor of FASTSIGNS®, has been rated as one of the premier Top 100 Global Franchises by online franchise-tofranchisee portal Franchise Direct, ranking at #33 for its strong sales and growth, international presence, and thirty-five-plus years in franchising, among other successes.

“The dedicated network of franchisees across the FASTSIGNS system allows us to continuously reach new heights. and as we enter our thirty-sixth year of business, our commitment to their success has never been stronger,” said Mark Jameson, chief support and development officer with FASTSIGNS.

FASTSIGNS reported exceptional results in 2020, including the signing of over 31 franchise agreements in the United States and Canada to develop new, co-branded conversion centers and the opening of more than 30 locations.

Much of FASTSIGNS’ success in 2020 can be credited to centers being deemed essential businesses, allowing franchisees to pivot their services to focus on serving their customers.

IN THE INDUSTRY

NEW REPORT SHOWS GDP GROWTH FOR 2021

ALEXANDRIA, VIRGINIA—The economy is facing a higher winter peak in COVID-19 and more fiscal stimulus in late 2020. This leads IHS Markit to anticipate a growing gross domestic product (GDP) output in 2021. The IHS analysts anticipate growth around 4 percent in 2021 and 2022, according to the Sign Industry Quarterly Economic Report, produced by IHS Markit for the International Sign Association. This latest report covers the fourth quarter of 2020 and was prepared in January.

The Sign Industry Quarterly Economic Report is sponsored by the National Association of Sign Supply Distributors (NASSD). The quarterly report assesses four segments of the industry: two supplier markets (printing and electrical/digital signage) and two end markets (electric/digital signage and architectural signage). It also forecasts commodities.

Some highlights reported in this latest economic report include:

Global real GDP has fallen an estimated 4.0 percent in 2020, its steepest decline since 1946. The most severe downturns have occurred in India, Western Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East. It’s expected that China and the Asia Pacific region will recover first and dominate growth for much of the next decade.

Steel prices are rising globally. The reason for this is partially from improved demand moving faster than production restarts and partially from a weaker dollar. Steel sheet prices in the U.S. have spiked faster than ever.

Meanwhile lumber prices are expected to stabilize in 2021.

Supply Side Printing faces a less optimistic outlook than the other segments in the latest Sign Industry Quarterly Economic Report due to high or uncertain input costs associated with it.

Both end markets faced the largest 2020 declines due to low demand for in-person retail and falling construction spending. However the report forecasts that both should return to higher-thanaverage rates in 2021, with architectural growing at a solid pace.

For additional access to the report (free for ISA, ISA A liated Association, and NASSD members), visit signs.org/ quarterlyreport.

EQUALIS GROUP CONTRACTS WITH WATCHFIRE

DANVILLE, I LLINOIS— Watchfire Signs has been awarded a national cooperative contract to provide digital scoreboards and video displays through Equalis Group, a cooperative purchasing organization offering contracts through world-class partners that follow the industry’s most rigorous processes and procedures.

The agreement allows Watchfire to provide scoring and sports entertainment systems to K-12 schools, colleges and universities, local governments, and state agencies that source through the Equalis Group system. The competitively solicited and publicly-awarded contract includes fixed-digit and video scoreboards, scorers table LED signs, and audio systems for indoor and outdoor sports facilities.

The public sector procurement process includes nuances and regulatory considerations to safeguard how dollars are spent and can be confusing. “Our agreement with Watchfire will help purchasers navigate procurement guidelines and statutory requirements, while reducing costs, enabling them to concentrate on quickly securing the right solution for their sports needs,” said David J. Akers, executive vice president at Equalis Group.

IN THE INDUSTRY

CASINO BETS ON VIDEO SCREEN

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK— As part of the Gila River Indian Community’s and Gila River Hotels & Casinos’ massive expansion and renovation project for Wild Horse Pass Hotel & Casino in Chandler, Arizona, SNA Displays created a custom LED video display. The large format display is situated in a portion of the casino that welcomes guests from the property’s hotel and restaurant venues to the gaming floor.

“This expansion is a major investment in the Gila River Indian Community and symbolic of a new chapter in our history,” said Gila River Hotels & Casinos CEO Kenneth Manuel in a statement. “It reflects our commitment to be a leader in the gaming and hospitality industry through enhanced experiences and amenities, and we look forward to seeing the continued representation of our community’s culture in the expansion project.”

The high-end LED screen from SNA Displays’ BOLD™ line of interior display products features a 2.5 mm pixel pitch. The twelve-foot-tall video display spans approximately eighty feet across, slightly curving at each end. At 1,408 pixels high and 9,648 pixels wide, the high-resolution LED display contains more than 13.5 million pixels.

The large video screen is ceilingmounted so that it is suspended above patrons, tilted downward for optimized viewing. The display also features a convex radius at both ends, giving it two complex curves. Content on the new video display predominantly features music entertainment, digital art, and inhouse advertising.

SNA Displays partnered with Analog Way and ~sedna to transform the day-to-day operation of the mixed-use display. For most of the day, an Analog Way Aquilon C processor plays a series of music videos and other in-house content. At the top of each hour, ~sedna’s newly released Media Engine 8K triggers a dynamic screen takeover with full 12K content, such as chips crashing or dice rolling. Attention-grabbing content is provided by Point in Time Studios to further engage guests.

SNA Displays worked with Immedia Integrated Technologies, an AV integrator headquartered in Scottsdale. Immersive audio adds to the overall sensory experience this display creates.

ULT APPROVED BY NLB

NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE— Universal Lighting Technologies, Inc., has made the announcement that the company is one of the first to be approved by the National Lighting Bureau’s (NLB) Trusted Warranty Evaluation Program.

The NLB Trusted Warranty Evaluation Program is the first program of its kind in the industry to recognize excellence in lighting companies that meet objective quality standards and practices regarding their warranty administration. The main intent of the program is to promote excellence in responding to warranty issues and to give industry stakeholders confidence in specific manufacturers that had their warranty program inspected. As part of its Trusted Warranty Program, the NLB assesses companies based on five key criteria: Formal Warranty Process, Warranty Language, Length of Business/Warranty Insurance, Technical Evaluation, and Claims Review Evaluation.

NLB promotes that Lighting Designers, Electrical Distributors, Electrical Contractors, and other Industry Stakeholders should feel comfortable specifying, buying, and installing luminaires from companies that have had their warranty department audited and approved by this program.