University Business - January 2011 - (Page 21)

ADVERTISEMENT Miami Heat is the face of the future in the digital arena signage Ziris, a new system from Sony, improves fan engagement in any arena W hen The Miami Heat looked to spruce up digital signage in its arena, it turned to Sony. As part of a larger technological overhaul of AmericanAirlines Arena, the basketball team wanted to install a display system that was more flexible than what it had, with simple, Web-based controls and a lot more features and capabilities. The Sony Ziris system, which debuted in Europe and is now being introduced in the United States, fit the bill. “We wanted to do a facelift from static signage to dynamic signage,” said Ed Filomia, senior director of broadcast services for The HEAT Group. Ziris excels at creating arresting, interactive video walls that can show upcoming events, advertisements, directional signage or digital menus. It can incorporate Flash, HTML, multicast video network streams and even live television feeds. A “canvas” display feature allows grouped monitors to show a single image across their expanse, then dissolve to multiple images. The system can direct five to 5,000 screens and is ideal for the college and university setting. “No matter how big or small they are, university athletic departments need to compete to recruit talent and gain support from fans and boosters,” said Shari Sentlowitz, Sony’s national manager for education and government marketing. “What digital signage does is it allows athletic departments to go to the next step, to really transform their fan experience.” The Heat began testing Ziris last season and now has 170 screens tied into it, including a massive electronic billboard outside the arena. The system can create content logs for sponsors, as well as real-time reports that flag any “It’s a vibe when you walk around here. It’s not just a Saturday afternoon at the fair. It’s very dynamic and very hip.” operating problems. “We’re still kind of growing with the system, which is one of the cool features of it,” Filomia said. Ziris is one part of the arena’s tech upgrade that has a demonstrated return on investment. The signage can be controlled by the arena’s food and beverage director to promote special items and push inventory. And many of the displays are located outside food kiosks, concessions and clubs, which has led to greater foot traffic in those areas. “We were told that food sales were above record pace,” Filomia said. “The food and beverage director specifically pointed out that the interactive signage had something to do with it.” Some monitors controlled by Ziris are dedicated to directional signage for elevators, rest rooms and the like, and The Heat can sell sponsorships for those images in the future, Filomia said. There’s plenty of intangible payoffs, too. Keeping fans happy and excited about being in the building naturally helps the team’s bottom line. When customers walk into the grand entrance now, they are greeted by imagery that is directly related to the day’s event. Concertgoers might see a video short of their favorite band, while basketball fans could be treated to a montage of game highlights followed by a video routine of The Heat Dancers. Before the Ziris system was installed, arena officials might have installed banners tied to a specific event. The impact of banners pales, however, to the banks of dynamic signage that pepper the building now, Filomia said. “It’s a vibe when you walk around here,” he said. “It’s not just a Saturday afternoon at the fair. It’s very dynamic and very hip.” For more information please visit www.Sony.com/Ziris. http://www.Sony.com/Ziris http://www.Sony.com/Ziris

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of University Business - January 2011

University Business - January 2011
Contents
Editor’s Note
College Index
Company Index
Advisory Board
Behind the News
Sense of Place
Viewpoint
Money Matters
Guide to Financial Services
Human Resources
Community Colleges
Take Ii Tablets
Pilots Taking Off
Today’s Admission Office Budget
What’s New
End Note

University Business - January 2011