An E&I 2-Minute Read, Featuring Our Business Partners

Top Electronics at Collegiate Stadiums and Arenas

Stadiums look to make the fan experience as fun, lively, and interactive as possible. Here are a few electronics that bring excitement, manage traffic, and enhance communications.

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E&I has Contracts with Top Electronics Providers for Stadiums, Arenas

Collegiate sports venues have to compete with high-quality, feature-packed broadcasts. These are giving fans more reason to stay home and turn on the TV rather than travel to a stadium to watch a game. Stadiums offer energy and fun, but still need to compete. Venue operators add innovative stadium technology that entices fans to watch the game in person to make unforgettable experiences. At a modern connected stadium, the difference begins even before fans enter the gates and continues long after the game-winning score at the final whistle. Here are a few of the top electronics at collegiate stadiums:

You have E&I contracts with these vendors, and other top athletic vendors.     
✉️ Contact your E&I rep. with questions.

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Digital Signage

A visit to a fans favorite stadium is much more entertaining with digital signage. For one it helps with “wayfinding,” to point fans in the right direction, or a more effective queue-management. You can combine the broadcast of wayfinding with other content pieces, like invitations to visit a concourse, an in-stadium fan shop, or run ads. Digital signage can provide alerts for safety or stadium protocols. And digital signage can give better visuals on food you are selling, transform your team store for better sales, promotions, or deliver great advertising for athletics sponsors. See our article, 4 Reasons to Consider Digital Signage.

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Anthony James Partners is a leader in stadium and athletic venue signage. Contact your E&I Rep. to learn more about your procurement contract with Anthony James Partners. Pictured is an Anthony James Partners project at AO Arena.

 

 

 

 

Specialized Cameras

The bulk of a game is captured with electronic field production (EFP) cameras, designed to deliver a studio-grade production in the field. EFP cameras are not new technology, but are essential to any televised sports. Besides EFP cameras, many programs are purchasing specialized cameras to get that once-a-season ‘money shot’ for instant replay or a perfect social media play on the field. Offering unique shots that grab viewers’ attention while being cost-effective and saving time, it’s perhaps no surprise that the use of specialized camera technology is growing across the sports broadcast sector. 

One specialized camera popular at major stadiums is the AIDA Imaging FHD 120fps NDI | HX3 Weatherproof POC Camera, sold at B&H Photo. This specialized camera (around $775) is mostly used for live broadcast, sports and large athletic venues. It provides 1080p120 video over IP output. It produces low-latency broadcast signals, power, and data communication can be delivered over a single connection. It comes with a pre-installed 4mm CS-mount lens and is housed in an IP67 rated weather resistant case. It can capture full HD images at a stunning 120 frames per second with an 86 degree field of view.  This camera and others are available at B&H.
See your B&H contract here.

 

Smart Sensors

Smart sensors located throughout a venue continuously gather data to deliver real-time information to both fans and operations teams. This efficiently manages crowd flow to eliminate bottlenecks and lengthy lines, which have always been problematic for fans and security teams on game day. For example, heavy traffic into the stadium and clustered parking lots can be remedied with sensors and displays directing visitors to available parking spaces. Smart sensors aren't just for people and car traffic monitoring. There are also smart sensors for monitoring air quality, people counting, gauging temperature changes, and smart sensors can even give alerts when arena maintenance is needed. An E&I contract partner, Grainger Industrial Supply, offers smart sensors and similar vehicle detectors. Grainger also offers parking lighting and surveillance tools. With your E&I contract with Grainger Industrial Supply, you have a procurement contract with the leader in smart sensors. See the Grainger contract.

 

 

Audio & Acoustic Systems

At mid and large stadiums, schools are upgrading the sound experience. Volume isn’t enough any more, now the goal is to deliver the same audio fan experience across all corners of the stadium. The top corner end zone attendee wants the same experience as front row 50-yard line. So athletics directors are looking for new audio and acoustic systems to provide a “long throw” on sound to provide even coverage over larger areas. With great sound coverage, sound system clarity eliminates feedback from input systems. Many stadiums choose a sound system specifically targeted at applications where very high output and precise pattern control is required. Overall, expectations for excellent audio are important in bringing fans back to in-person events. See our related article, Michigan State Upgrades Audiovisual Across Campus Athletic Venues.

Broadcast Studios, Control Rooms Connected by Fiber Across Campus

Many athletic venues are designing, or updating, their production studios, or second production studios. Athletics programs now annually product hundred(s) of home events and need distribution on various platforms. This includes both ESPN3, and conference networks like mid-sized Big West Network, or SEC or ACC Network. But they still need to maintain the in-facility board shows. New control rooms connected with Fiber backbone can connect to all on-campus sporting venues, so all venues are fully connected to a main studio. Schools are looking for centralized control from the production studio to enable full utilization of capabilities at each venue.

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See our article, UC San Diego Updates its Broadcast Production Center.

Security & Surveillance Equipment

Schools have beefed up security, using a combination of smart devices, security, and physical barriers. This could include fences to secure stadium perimeters, controlled entry points using turnstiles or metal detectors. Security scanners can use AI, detection technology and visualization to identify potential security risks. Mounted surveillance in high places can provide 24/7 digital video monitoring and intelligent situational analysis. Stadium directors must be vigilant and prepared for a variety of threats and attacks. This could include negative fan behavior, but could also be weather issues, cyberattacks, rogue drones, active shooters or even terrorism. 

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See our article, 6 Questions Before a Campus Security Risk Assessment.

LED Screens

There are a wide array of digital screen options to help enhance fan experience and increase revenues for college sports, at sports stadiums. This could include large fixed screens, outdoor perimeter boards, scoreboard screens, stadium tier ribbon screens, or indoor perimeter boards. Besides just on-field excitement, LED screens can be used around concourses. It can be used to deliver real-time messaging, leverage social media, or in athletic halls to tell your programs stories. Below is an example screen at University of Southern California, where USC can tell its historic athletics story at campus venues.

 

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E&I Cooperative has Athletics Contracts You can Access

You received this newsletter because E&I has many contracts that your procurement department has special pricing for. Click below to learn more about a few of them. E&I is your partner in collegiate and K-12 procurement needs. Through our contract portfolio, we help our member institutions make quick and informed purchase decisions.

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E&I Contract Details

FieldTurf - A Tarkett Sports Company

Your E&I FieldTurf contract offers synthetic turf, running tracks, indoor flooring, tennis courts, and sports surfacing. This contract offers a simple buying process with best market pricing, full service, and exclusive product and service.

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E&I Contract Details

CORE Health & Fitness

E&I's Core Health & Fitness contract provides access to highly rated brands in fitness like StairMaster, Nautilus, Schwinn, Star Trac, and Throwdown. E&I members receive full service, including installation, maintenance, and fitness programming.

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E&I Contract Details

Affinaquest

Affinaquest is the leading data management and analytics company in institutional advancement and collegiate athletics. The E&I contract enables members to prioritize engagement, personalize interaction, and maximize donations, ticket purchases, and marketing.

Why Members Work With E&I?

6,000+

U.S. member institutions, universities, and K-12

200+

Member solicited buying
contracts you can access

$3B+

Yearly spend of E&I members
means large savings for you

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An E&I Cooperative Case Study
Saint Louis University Saves Big on Cardio Equipment with Core Health & Fitness

The campus’s recreation facility serves approximately 13,000 students who have access to over 19,000 square feet of fitness space, including an indoor track and gymnasium. SLU was looking to replace a line of cardio equipment in its recreation facility that had reached the end of its lifecycle and was outside the scope of its warranty. When replacing fitness equipment in the past, SLU’s Campus Recreation &Wellness team was required to work with the University’s Business & Finance team to go through the time-consuming and costly competitive bid process. Saint Louis University was aware of Core Health & Fitness and knew about its quality products. So finding that E&I had a more competitive bid and contract with Core, SLU moved forward with the process much quicker than anticipated. SLU saved over 8% from using E&I and received all purchases before the end of the fiscal year. 

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