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The live events industry has faced significant hurdles in recent years. In the wake of Covid shutdowns, venues have struggled to draw in crowds as economic pressures and the cost-of-living crisis continue to bite. At the same time, high running costs and climbing energy bills have squeezed margins, making profitability more challenging than ever.
Successful sports and entertainment venues need to be versatile, evolving beyond their traditional functions to draw in a diverse range of audiences. To pull off this chameleon act, venue owners are increasingly making smart use of multi-purpose lighting technology that can transform spaces at the touch of a button, enhancing fan experience and maximizing their utility throughout the year.
A venue for all seasons
Nottingham’s Motorpoint Arena is a great example of a venue that is both fully equipped for top-tier sport and well adapted to fill seats all year round. Built at the turn of the century as part of the UK’s National Ice Centre complex, the arena was designed with multi-purpose functionality in mind. Its skating rink is home to the successful Nottingham Panthers hockey team and doubles as a public space for leisure skating and lessons for children and adults. And in the evening, the arena transforms to play host to a wide range of events, from international touring rock concerts to family-friendly interactive shows.
In 2023, Motorpoint Arena had an opportunity to host one of the most prestigious events on the international ice hockey calendar: the 2023 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championships – Division 1, Group A. In preparation, the team called in expert help from international sports lighting specialist Powerplus Group. They selected Signify’s Philips LED lighting and Interact Sports smart lighting control system to bring the arena’s lighting up to specification. As the official lighting partner of the NHL, Signify had the expertise to provide systems that would meet stringent international broadcast standards for flicker-free and super slow-motion replay, ensuring crystal-clear visibility for players on the ice and creating an electrifying atmosphere for fans in the arena, and at home.
Philips ArenaVision LED, engineered specifically for sports and multi-purpose venues, offers outstanding light quality, effective thermal management, and an extended lifespan. With this upgrade, the arena achieved over 1400lx vertical illuminance in the direction of the main television cameras, as well as over 2000lx in horizontal illuminance, ensuring every moment on the ice was captured in stunning detail. And with great visibility, players can train and perform at their best.
Having a venue well equipped for professional sports is a significant asset for the East Midlands region. But the advantages of advanced sports lighting extend well beyond the sports season. A great sports lighting infrastructure is also readily adaptable to other uses, from enhancing pre-game entertainment for spectators to integrating with audio and artistic effects for unforgettable musical performances. At Motorpoint stadium, the addition of Philips Uni, dynamic colour changing lights has unlocked endless possibilities for pre- and post-match entertainment. These versatile lighting assets can easily be adapted and integrated into audio and lighting systems, making the venue a dynamic and adaptable space for all types of events.
Significant energy savings
Perfect lighting can ensure that players perform at their best and fans do not miss a moment of the action. However, there are other advantages of upgrading lighting. For venues still equipped with conventional lighting, transitioning to LED offers substantial energy savings. By pairing LED with connected controls, venues can improve visitor experience in all areas of the building, while also ensuring that lights are always at the right level – for example, by connecting with sensors and dimming lights when no one is using a space. These interventions can help realise significant energy savings and lessen the environmental impact of sports and entertainment venues. With a platform like Signify’s Interact connected lighting management system, venue managers can monitor lighting performance, track energy usage, and address maintenance issues. This proactive approach limits downtime and minimizes the time and resources spent on maintenance tasks, helping venues remain both operationally efficient and environmentally responsible. Venues can achieve even greater energy savings by expanding connected lighting outside the area or stadium into hospitality areas, front and back of house, and outdoor areas, all managed via a central control system. In this way, operators can maximize the power of connected lighting systems to decrease operating costs and efficiently manage their lighting assets.
Marcus Vongpraseuth
Segment Marketing Lead - Public & Sports lighting UKI, Signify
And by switching conventional lights to connected LED, venues not only enhance the visitor experience, but also cut energy costs and embrace a more sustainable way of working that will serve the community for years to come.
Discover more about connected lighting for sports and entertainment venues, here
Integrated & Marketing Communications Signify UK&I
Claire Phillips
Tel: +44 (0) 7956 489081
E-mail: claire.phillips.@signify.com
Signify (Euronext: LIGHT) is the world leader in lighting for professionals and consumers and lighting for the Internet of Things. Our Philips products, Interact connected lighting systems and data-enabled services, deliver business value and transform life in homes, buildings and public spaces. In 2022, we had sales of EUR 7.5 billion, approximately 35,000 employees and a presence in over 70 countries. We unlock the extraordinary potential of light for brighter lives and a better world. We achieved carbon neutrality in our operations in 2020, have been in the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index since our IPO for six consecutive years and were named Industry Leader in 2017, 2018 and 2019. News from Signify is located at the Newsroom, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram. Information for investors can be found on the Investor Relations page.
February 29, 2024
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