BAC is a state-of-the-art, 20,000 seat capacity arena that is home to the Florida Panthers of the National Hockey League, as well as the Lingerie Football League's Miami Caliente. The venue also hosts a number of other major events every year.
The expanding cost of stadiums and arenas necessitates keeping the seats full by maximizing the marketability of a venue. But with other high profile teams like the Miami Dolphins, Florida Marlins, Miami Heat and several top college teams in the region, not to mention great weather and endless beaches, BAC has a lot of competition for the entertainment dollar.
"Martin solutions give us digital applications that are both innovative and individual," states Pedro Goncalves, executive vice president and chief marketing officer at BankAtlantic Center. "The Martin lighting package gives us flexibility in game presentation and in the way we activate our sponsorship packages and marketing campaigns."
The Panthers' cheerleading squad, a dance team sponsored by restaurant group BOVA, performs on a special dance platform during play as well as on the ice during intermissions. Whereas previously the squad was only spotlighted, now they perform in front of a video panel background, with Martin LED lights and strobes providing decorative and energetic front light. Supportive graphical looks and sponsorship logos, including the BOVA logo, are projected when the cheerleaders perform on the ice.
As the Panther cheerleading team has just come out with their own calendar, which necessitates a number of offsite promotional events, the video panels' light weight, and ease of assembly (and disassembly) allow them to be taken along as scenic support.
An energetic pregame sequence of visual effects includes effects from a Martin laser, which also provides support for an important marketing campaign, Rock the Rink, used during player intros and an opening video. Also used during player intros and when a goal is scored are powerful bursts of atmospheric fog courtesy of a Jem Hydra smoke system located at the base of the mid-arena scoreboard. Additional lighting sweeps add to the spirited atmosphere.
"I like to consider us the seventh man in the stands," says Dennis Docil, director of game presentation at BAC. "Without the visuals and the visual prompts the atmosphere wouldn't be as effective. Our belief is if someone has a good time they will return. The Martin package allows us to create a great ambiance and support the excitement in the building."
In the concourse area, soon to be installed Martin projectors will be used for sponsorship and vendor messaging. The solution provides greater versatility in messaging than static sign projection as each projector has interchangeable rotating graphics with interchangeable colour filters.
Outside the arena, Martin visuals are used to promote events and partners or for specific messaging and impression. At the entrance, exterior solutions project the Panther logo onto the arena facade while the JetBlue logo, a new sponsor, is splayed across the tarmac, an unavoidable graphic as fans enter and exit. Colour illumination is used in the outdoor plaza to create excitement, set the mood and brand the arena in team colours.
(Jim Evans)
