2023 BROADCAST CORE UPGRADE
In Spring and Summer 2023, AJP worked with closely Nationwide Arena and the Columbus Blue Jackets to strategically plan and design broadcast core system updates. Improvements included a complete replacement and re-cable of the Technical Operation Center for Broadcast. The new design eliminated outdated equipment and processes, re-elevating the entire core to reduce the footprint and overall heat and electrical loads. The new technology centered around an Evertz Routing Core, Telemetric SPG and Evertz terminal gear deployed as the base of the system. Adder was used for the KVM system along with Riedel as the house intercom and Bolero for wireless intercom. The switcher was replaced with a Ross Video Acuity 3ME switcher with a 1ME companion switcher that will be used in the Blue Jacket’s studio. The entire cabling system in the TOC was removed to make room for an updated system backbone, with new interconnects added to tie the production truck interconnect room.

2023 LED DIGITAL SIGNAGE UPGRADE
To further the goal of enhancing guest and team experience, AJP worked with the Blue Jackets to design, procure and oversee the installation of more than 50 LED displays throughout Nationwide Arena. The awarded vendor, SNA Displays, retrofitted dozens of static signs with video displays throughout the arena’s bowl. The home team tunnel now features a custom, three-faced display known as the “waterfall” that includes two 9-foot-tall screens that meet at a corner, joining an 11-foot ceiling display that extends across the hall, making the custom setup ideal for 3D and anamorphic creative content. Other highlights include removeable displays for both player tunnels where players exit the ice, as well as a wall-mounted, slim-profile LED screen used as a backdrop for press briefings. In the arena bowl, LED Display upgrades included both lower and upper vomitories and the zamboni entrance, along with a West Endzone Ribbon display and Power Tower Lower Fan Zone display. The program also included new LED signage for various internal rooms and corridors throughout the arena, as well as several LED displays at the east and west entrances.

2021 LOCKER ROOM MINI CENTER HUNG AND BOWL LIGHTING SYSTEM
AJP designed a mini center hung video display system for the Blue Jacket’s Locker room at Nationwide Arena as part of a multiphase renovation led by general contractor Barton Malow Builders. Built with high-resolution 1.25 mm pixel pitch curved and angled LED screens, the new installation is essentially a miniature version of the scoreboards seen at the center of many sporting arenas. Each screen has a high-definition resolution of 1,080 pixels high by 1,920 pixels wide, giving the locker-room center-hung approximately 8.3 million total pixels. The locker room is fully integrated with audio-visual elements. Each display can be controlled remotely and synced with the state-of-the-art sound system in the room.

As Owner’s Representative and Technology Consultant, Anthony James Partners provided consulting services throughout each phase of the project. The awarded vendor, SNA Displays, used their BRILLIANT™ Interior line of display technology. The AV integrator, SoundCom, built the rack, ran low-voltage cabling, and was contracted to install the LED center hung. The installation team coordinated closely on dimensions, weights, and specifications with the center hung frame fabricator, Jones Signs. Osborn Engineering designed and oversaw the development of the center hung structure of the display.

For this round of Nationwide Arena updates, AJP also supported Columbus with a turnkey solution and pricing for a Sports and Entertainment Lighting replacement project.

2019 FEASIBILITY STUDY
In 2019, AJP was contracted by the Blue Jackets to provide a phased, 5-year Feasibility Study outlining technology enhancements and related budgetary guidance. Priorities were based on end-of-life, and where projects intersected or required consideration based on synergies or common infrastructure needs. The study looked at LED design options for Bowl, Concourse, and Entrances (indoor/outdoor); Broadcast Control renovation (including infrastructure); Concourse Digital Signage/Wayfinding (IPTV Displays/Digital Menu Boards); LED Lighting (facility and theatrical); Audio; Wi-Fi.

2012 CENTER HUNG SCOREBOARD AND LED DISPLAY SYSTEM UPDATES
2012 saw a redesign of the existing center hung scoreboard with four HD Displays (25’x15.5’) and LED rings. The arena bowl was also outfitted with new LED Ribbon Board and Auxiliary Displays for in-game entertainment and advertising. AJP also supported with exterior marquee signage design and procurement.

2012 CONTROL ROOM UPGRADE AND SOUND SYSTEM
The new scoreboard required a bigger control room and significant technical upgrades. For Sound Reinforcement, AJP designed and managed the installation of the eight point-source cluster $500,000.00 sound system with delay ring for the main bowl seating. This included new speakers, amplifiers, DSP processing and Front of House equipment.

www.sportsvideo.org
March 16, 2023

NATIONWIDE ARENA CONTINUES UPGRADING VISITOR EXPERIENCE, ADDS DOZENS OF LED DISPLAYS

Nationwide Arena, home to the NHL’s Columbus Blue Jackets, continues a digital signage upgrade, recently adding more than 50 LED displays throughout the venue. All new video technology was provided by SNA Displays.

“Nationwide Arena, host to world-class events since 2000, is in need of major renovations, and the digital displays that SNA Displays installed helps provide a more modern-looking venue to our guests and players alike,” says Derek Smith, general manager for Nationwide Arena. “Having all digital assets within the bowl and above our entry doors contributes to an enhanced guest experience that is common in new arenas. Our team tunnel is the best in sports and allows us greater flexibility with messaging and content. We are extremely happy with the process in working with SNA on design along with AJP and OSPORTS, and the end result is the collaborative effort of a great team on this important project.”

As part of the enhancements, SNA Displays retrofitted dozens of static signs with BOLD Interior and BRILLIANT Interior video displays throughout the arena’s bowl. The program also included new LED signage for various internal rooms and corridors throughout the arena,
as well as several EMPIRE Exterior LED displays at the venue’s east and west entrances. Owner-representative Anthony James Partners (AJP) provided consultation services during each phase of the project, selecting SNA Displays to provide the LED display systems.

“The recent technology upgrades to Nationwide Arena have been transformative,” says David Watroba, AJP’s managing director. “The new LED signage looks great, ups the excitement, and has created additional advertising and sponsorship opportunities. At the same time, the new LED is helping on a functional level, with assets like fine-pitch exterior digital signage effectively directing fans to proper queuing lines as they enter the facility. It was a pleasure for us to work with both SNA Displays and the Columbus Blue Jackets on another great project.”

One feature of the refresh is a custom, three-faced display known as the “waterfall.” The display system is located in the home player tunnel and includes two 9-foot-tall screens that meet at a corner, joining an 11-foot ceiling display that extends across the hall, making the custom setup ideal for 3D and anamorphic creative content. Other highlights include removeable displays for both player tunnels where players exit the ice, as well as a wall-mounted, slim-profile LED screen used as a backdrop for press briefings. “Coordinating specifications and logistics for dozens of LED assets of various sizes and pitches was a massive undertaking,” says Mikell Senger, a senior project manager for SNA Displays. “I’m proud of the work our team accomplished. Nationwide Arena has really done a nice job of upgrading the digital signage experience for fans, players, and staff. This is a great venue.”

Nationwide Arena LED Video Assets (Phase 2)

www.nhl.com
October 21, 2021

Simply put, it was just time.

As the Blue Jackets entered this offseason, it became clear that the opportunity was there to do more to the team’s locker room than just slap on a new coat of paint or replace some carpet.

Despite some tweaks and improvements over the years, the room was essentially the same as it was when the arena opened. While it was cozy and had most of the amenities that NHL players need to get ready to play games, the wow factor was no more.

And with a new coach and a ton of new players on the way, it also made sense that this summer was the time to continue the theme to more than just the playing roster. Upgrading the dressing room area was among the topics of discussion in meetings between management and player leadership at the end of last season, and the club’s commitment resulted in planning and execution that would normally take a year was crammed into four hectic months.

The result, though, is impressive. From a completely renovated locker room that boasts a bevy of player-friendly new features to state-of-the-art recovery tools that will help players stay at their peak performance, the reviews have been uniformly positive among the players who have begun to use it on a day-to-day basis.

“They’ve done an awesome job with it,” new alternate captain Zach Werenski said. “It’s really cool. I think it’s awesome that they’re putting the time in and investing in the players. It’s everything you need, and that’s very important for our bodies to make sure we’re 100 percent.”

That’s likely music to the ears of the group that helped plan the renovations, including the team’s hockey operations staff led by general manager Jarmo Kekalainen as well as CBJ Arena Management.

“We wanted this to be amazing,” said Derek Smith, associate general manager of CBJAM and one of the key driving forces behind the design. “We want players to talk about it. It’s a driving force. People spend a lot of time in there. We wanted it to be unique, with amazing features and function. And I think we achieved it.”

After all, it just makes sense. Millions of dollars are invested in player salaries alone each season, so making sure they have the most resources possible to stay at the top of their games is crucial. Adding in a few creature comforts is also a no-brainer when it comes to team morale and positioning the team on the free agent market.

Just ask Rick Nash, the Blue Jackets director of player development who was part of the discussions on the new room. While he’s known most for his time in Columbus, Nash also played for Original Six franchises in Boston and New York in his 15-year career, meaning he experienced a couple of different situations around the league.

That time helped him understand the importance of providing players with all the tools they need to get the job done.

“It’s the best league in the world, and you’re investing $750,000 to $12 million in these NHL players,” Nash said. “They deserve the best room, the best technology. I always go by, you want to leave them no excuse once they step on the ice, and this falls into that motto. With the room, the weight room, the meals, the training facilities, the rehabilitation, doing maintenance on your body, hot tub, cold tub, sauna – whatever it is, there’s no excuse when these guys step on the ice.”

Many New Features
The first thing that stands out when you enter the room is that the familiar brick features and wood paneling are a thing of the past. Much of the brick has been painted white to keep a consistent theme between all parts of the room, while the wooden features that marked the old room are nowhere to be found.

When you start in the locker room, it’s hard not to notice just how modernized the look has become, and that’s even before you look up. What had been an 11-foot ceiling has been raised to 15 feet, and in the middle of the room is a center-hung, four-screen video panel that brings to mind a Jumbotron you’d see in the bowl of an arena.

As the Blue Jackets brain trust wrestled with ways to make the room unique, Smith was the one who came up the design element that certainly stands out.

“I was tasked with trying to make it stand out, and that was the idea that came to mind,” Smith said. “I think it’s different than any locker room that you will see in professional sports.”

The lockers themselves are laid out in a similar fashion as the previous room, and there are still 26 permanent stalls just as there had been since day one. But color-changing accent lighting has been added, the lockers themselves are made of more durable materials than the old wooden lockers, and ribbon boards have been installed above each locker to add a personal touch for each player.

In addition, player input was included, resulting some new simple but functional additions to the room. First, a refrigerator has been installed in the locker room, making it easier for players to refuel during intermissions, while a tape rack has been incorporated in the back of the room at the request of goaltender Elvis Merzlikins.

“It was about understanding player needs and player wants,” Smith said. “For example, we added a refrigerator in there. The guys would come in during intermission and would have to walk into the lounge, get a drink and come back. They’re tired. Let’s maximize that time off. Let’s just put a refrigerator in there.

“In the back, there was no place for tape, so (Merzlikins) would have to go to the front of the room to get tape, so we implemented shelving in the back where we could put tape and supplies so guys would have two different areas to get stuff. It’s something that can really save time, save effort and allow players to maximize their focus on what is most important.”

The other area that has been completely renovated is the shower/recovery area just outside the locker room, where two new plunge pools were added for rehab and maintenance purposes. On a recent tour, one tub was set at 50 degrees and the other at 104.1, with players able to use whichever is necessarily to feel 100 percent.

“Things like the therapy pools, I think those were an important part of the improvements,” Kekalainen said. “It’s important for the athlete to have those kinds of tools at their disposal.”

The plunge pools also come equipped with big-screen TVs next to them, so players can stay entertained. In fact, the entire A/V function of the room and the player area was redone, with a 110-decibel sound system installed and television hookups that can easily toggle between showing NHL Network and game tape.

Add in renovations to the team sauna, restroom area, shower area and a brand-new grooming area with storage for each individual player, and the Blue Jackets have everything they need.

More to Come
The work is far from finished, though. Next summer, phase two of the renovations will include a new look for the team lounge as well as the weight room and training room. The timeline was simply too short this summer to get everything done, as plans were drawn up in early summer, demolition began in late June and work continued all the way into training camp, with a few final touches completed during the early days of the regular season.

“I think it’s coming together great,” Kekalainen said. “What’s exciting is this is just phase one. There’s going to be another phase and it’ll be even more exciting, but this came out even better than I expected. I think it’s going to be real impressive when it’s done.

“Most importantly, I think it’s important that the players feel comfortable. They spend so much time there every day. It’s their locker room.”

The general manager has to be excited, then, that so far the reviews from the most important critics have been pretty good.

“It’s super nice,” alternate captain Oliver Bjorkstrand said. “I think once it’s all done, we’re going to have a really good setup here. They realized it was time to make upgrades. As an organization, you want to make sure that guys come in and feel good about being in the arena and like coming with the amenities and so on. That’s what they are doing, and I think that stuff helps out a lot.”

Added Patrik Laine: “It makes it more comfortable that the locker room is really nice and guys are enjoying hanging out in there. Obviously ownership and management, they have done a great job with the designs and renovation, so that’s one more exciting part about this season.”

From every angle, getting the project done was a key piece of the Blue Jackets offseason, one that will have impacts for years to come. It’s yet another sign that the organization is committing to winning and doing things the right way.

“It was just about coming up to the times as other NHL clubs are doing it,” Nash said. “I’ll tell you one thing, the Blue Jackets will do anything it takes to get that edge, and it’s been impressive to go through this process.”

www.bluejackets.com
December 2, 2016

The Blue Jackets were among the top tier of NHL clubs in all eight categories reviewed, including game day staff, food and beverage, venue technology, safety and security, auxiliary experience and arrival and departure experience.

To recognize the achievements of the countless staff behind that accomplishment, BlueJackets.com is going to explore what happens behind-the-scenes at the arena and in the team’s front office to help provide fans a memorable experience. Here is the second segment – which focuses on game presentation- in a three-part series:

For Those About To Rock, Fire! (The Cannon)

Ever wondered who is responsible for firing the cannon when the Blue Jackets score a goal at Nationwide Arena? While the Cannon Crew and a handful of others are an integral part of the process, there’s one person who makes the final call – Derek Dawley.

Dawley is the executive producer and senior director of event production for the Blue Jackets. On any given night, once before the game and then any time after the Blue Jackets score, Dawley is the voice directing the cannon fire and so much more.

Sitting high above the crowd in a production room on the press level at Nationwide Arena, Dawley is the mastermind behind essentially everything fans see, hear and experience while inside the venue.

“I think being upstairs, overseeing what’s going on, you get a better view of what’s happening,” Dawley said. “I can see when Stinger is in place for the t-shirt toss. I can make sure our promo teams are set up, and you also get a feel for the crowd up there.”

During games, Dawley is connected and constantly communicating with the other game night staff members through headsets. In addition to the headset, other essential tools of the trade include a phone, laptop, control board, several monitors, binoculars and a stopwatch.

“We have a great crew,” Dawley said. “We’re all constantly talking on headsets. It’s as if we’re all in the same room really just talking and going through things.”

While Dawley, the DJ and six other audio and visual game night staff members sit upstairs, between 10-12 people control the video production aspect of the game presentation from a second production room located on the event level of the arena.

“If we have a great penalty kill and the fans are getting excited, we want to enhance that,” Dawley said. “So that means at the next whistle, we’re going to play some more exciting music, show some more replays, and really focus in on what’s going on.”

Dawley’s full team is approximately 40-50 people working on game presentation on any given night. In addition to the aforementioned roles, other staff members include the promotions teams, the organ player, anthem singer Leo Welsh, public address announcer Greg Murray, in-arena host Mike Todd and many more.

“I consider myself an ambassador or a liaison between the fans and the team at times,” Todd said. “It’s really my goal, and I feel my responsibility, to make sure the fans are enjoying themselves.”

The 2016-17 season is Todd’s 14th with the Blue Jackets. In his role, he is constantly interacting with fans during promotions in the arena and other events throughout the community.

“The fans are such a primary part of this whole experience,” Todd said. “It’s really just being able to include them in the fun. Your hockey purists are here to watch the game and that’s it, but then you’ve got families and friends or folks on some kind of corporate trip and you want them to remember the experience regardless of the outcome. So it’s my hope that I’m able to facilitate that.”

In addition to Dawley, Todd works closely with Lynn Truitt, the senior manager of event presentation, Andy Hookman, video production manager, David Traube, senior editor and producer, team mascot Stinger and many others.

“It looks easy because there’s so many people here that do so many things,” Todd said. “If you use the sports team analogy, everybody has to be doing their job for everything to come together right.”

“The fact that we have (people) like Derek and Lynn and Andy and David, you have so many other people that do their jobs so well, that have been doing it as long as we have with each other, we trust each other enough that when the job needs to get done, we know it’ll happen.”

As executive producer of event presentation, Dawley ensures every team member knows their role and navigates the production from pre-game through the post-game show.

“Derek is kind of my eyes and ears,” Todd said. “He guides me. He’s someone who always has my back and he trusts me. I’ve been doing this for so long and he may not even give me super specific instructions, he’ll just say ‘Hit on these points and go do your thing,’ which means a lot to me. If someone trusts you like that, then I feel a lot of responsibility that I come through.”

Although it may feel organic at times, all in-arena productions elements are scripted and timed down to the second. A printed script is dispersed amongst staff at a 5:00 p.m. production meeting.

“When I explain it, it’s when you’re in your seat watching the game, pretty much everything that’s going on except what’s happening on the ice,” Dawley said. “So it’s the lighting, the sound, the video board, the promotions that are going on, whatever we are giving away, it’s just kind of everything you see or feel that’s not actually happening on the ice.

“Once the game starts, everything is calculated- whether it’s the promotions, t-shirt tosses, the pizza tosses and then really we’re sitting back watching the game and trying to react and enhance whatever happens on the ice,” Dawley said.

The Blue Jackets were rated particularly high in venue technology, something Dawley and his team strive to be progressive with. He and his team visit other arenas to stay on top of technology news, trends, and to always be prepared for what’s next.

“I think technology is really going to take us to the next level as far as fan experience goes,” Dawley said. “I think it’s us continuing to focus on technology and what the next technology-related thing is that we’re going to be able to do with fans, whether it be in the area or through social or mobile devices.”

And just like what happens on the ice, Dawley said game presentation is a total team effort.

“I’ve always said your game experience starts from the time you leave your house,” Dawley said. “(You’re) listening to the pre-game show, having a good interaction with the parking attendant, walking to the arena, experiencing the concourse, hearing music and smelling good food being cooked – it’s all part of it,” Dawley said.

“What we do is the game production and the fan experience inside the bowl, but we know it takes an entire army of people here to make sure that fans have a good experience every time they come.”