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AMSTERDAM ARENA

ENTHUSING VISITORS WITH INSPIRATIONAL SPORTING IMAGES

The largest stadium in the Netherlands, Amsterdam Arena uses a mix of visual media to engage with fans and visitors, inspiring them with powerful sporting images whilst promoting ancillary activities as an additional revenue source.

Opened by Queen Beatrix in 1996 the Amsterdam Arena is the largest stadium in the Netherlands and is home to AFC Ajax, the national champion for the past three years, as well as the Dutch national football team.

The arena is used for high profile music concerts as well as some of the largest dance events in the world. The iconic ‘cauldron’ design with seating capacity for approximately 53,000 generates an incredible atmosphere for any large scale event. Amsterdam Arena has recently invested in a huge six storey extension on the side of the stadium which offers multiple conference rooms and entertaining areas for up to 1,000 people.

The Challenge

The new building project commenced in 2010 and completed in 2013. A key part of the program was to provide extremely flexible spaces capable of staging a variety of events including VIP Banquets with Michelin level food service and dance events.

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Looking to enhance engagement and communication with visitors to the new stadium extension, Martin Wielaart, technical manager at Amsterdam Arena undertook to evaluate the display technology available. “It is essential that the displays are of very high quality requiring minimum maintenance because of 24/7 operation and serving our needs for a long period. The images themselves and our messages are what visitors must see, not the equipment. We are looking for a supplier who can deliver very high bright HD resolution images with high contrast but where the medium is unbranded, subtle, inconspicuous and low noise.”

The NEC Solution

NEC Display Solutions presented to the Board of Directors from the Amsterdam Arena and Ajax, demonstrating a range of display solutions including videowall, HLO projection and LED technology, at which NEC assured a solid match against criteria.

During the final installation period a total of 80 NEC videowall displays were installed on various floors from the ticket and information desk on the ground floor to double-stacked displays close to the escalators and also in some of the meeting rooms. Two NEC HLO projectors were installed in meeting rooms.

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The distributor chosen for the installation of the displays was VSV, a long standing partner for NEC Display Solutions in the Benelux region and the final result has been very well received by Amsterdam Arena and all visitors to the stadium.

The Result

The mix of videowall, projection and LED technology installed within the new stadium extension enables Amsterdam Arena to offer flexible spaces which complement the activities in the stadium itself through high quality images, messaging and way-finding information. Through promotion of ancillary activities, merchandise and catering provision, the visual media are supporting additional revenue generation.

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The new building interacts with the stadium extremely well and offers transition areas through which visitors pass, where they are inspired by high bright images of iconic moments in Dutch footballing history. The use of picture framing and static displays around the videowalls has worked particularly well, moving away from the ‘display on a stick’ approach.

The non-branded display technology complements the high quality finish of the rooms and open areas and there is scope for additional technology to be added as the use of space evolves. Amsterdam Arena is currently evaluating the NEC 6mm LED modules which offer a very high bright flexible display solution for large indoor and for large outdoor spaces.