Show Time

In 2011, convention industry technology provider Smart City Networks began planning a first-of-its-kind digital signage network designed to drive new advertising revenues for the Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC) and its tradeshows. The network would consist of 14 digital display configurations throughout the North, Central and South Hall public areas, ranging from a single 55” screen to a massive 6x6 video wall of 36 - 46” monitors dominating the center’s Grand Lobby. Beyond the sheer scale of the installation, the project faced a key technical challenge: how to mount the 97 displays in all 14 configurations quickly, evenly and with easy service access to individual monitors without having to remove screens.

At the recommendation of its hardware distributor, Smart City Networks solved these problems – and slashed bracket mounting and display adjustment time by 20% - by using Peerless-AV’s DS-VW765-LAND Video Wall Mount. Debuting in 2012, the LVCC digital signage network went on to earn a Trade Show Executive Magazine award as the most innovative technology initiative serving show management, exhibitors and attendees.

Advertising Innovation

As the first permanent digital signage system at a convention center, the high-profile LVCC project opened a new era in convention industry advertising. With multiple locations to choose from, show managers and their exhibitors can now purchase single locations near their exhibit hall, central locations like the food court, or simultaneous advertising across multiple walls – all extending advertisers’ reach beyond their own show space. Also, interactive features can be used to engage show attendees with live social network feeds, contests, surveys and games.

In addition, instead of selling space on a convention-by-convention basis, the new model launched by Smart City Networks in conjunction with the new digital signage network requires local, regional and national advertisers to sign longer contracts in order to generate a more continuous revenue stream for the convention center. This in turn is expected to attract new advertisers like local restaurants and national brands that want to reach more of the 1.4 million visitors who pass through the LVCC every year – not just those interested in a specific show.

With so much at stake as well as the need to squeeze the installation work into short timeframes between conventions, the speed, quality and serviceability of the installation were critical. That’s where Peerless-AV and its DS-VW765-LAND Full-Service Video Wall Mount came in.

Peerless-AV: Problem Solved

From a speed perspective, the Peerless-AV solution made quick work of preparing each array by providing an easy means of hanging display mounts in a perfect grid. The strategy involved the use of Peerless-AV wall plate spacers designed for specific display sizes. Sliding the spacers onto the top and both sides of each mount as it was hung ensured that the next mount would be installed at the same height and at an equal distance from all the others without time-consuming measurements or error-prone guesswork. The spacers also eased the process of maneuvering the brackets onto video walls that were suspended from cross-beams, compensating for the awkward installation angle that would have complicated alignment.

From a quality standpoint, Peerless-AV technology made it possible to assemble even the largest video wall in the project into a perfectly flat canvas without the visible display edges that plague some video wall installations. Quick-turn micro-adjustment knobs built into each mount enabled display positioning to be fine-tuned at eight different points, including up-down vertical, left-right horizontal and in-out tilt of the whole display as well as up-down roll at the display corners, without separate tools. The result is a smooth surface for advertising messages.

In the serviceability arena, a patented scissors-like pull-out/prop-open mechanism on each Peerless-AV mount eliminates the time and expense of dismantling the entire video wall for display, cabling or component service. Any individual display in the matrix can be accessed from either the top or bottom using a quick-release lever, stay in the open position while the technician works, and securely return to the proper place with an audible click when pushed.

Saved by the Mount

Along with other abilities such as a smart cable management system that simplifies display-to-display cabling, these Peerless-AV features saved hours of installation labor for the LVCC project at a typical cost of $100/hour and will save on maintenance costs every time a display needs to be serviced or replaced. This reduces the total cost of ownership and helps maximize the value of the digital signage investment.

“One of our priorities was to reduce operating costs and ensure easy access for maintenance,” said Mark M. Haley, President of Smart City Networks. “Peerless-AV has built features into their video wall mounts that help control installation and maintenance expenses as well as deliver a first-class appearance that helps sell advertising.”

With Peerless-AV’s help, Smart City Networks has been able to execute an effective digital signage network at the LVCC that is growing in popularity and usage, resulting in new advertising revenues exceeding the company’s one-year projections.

Going into its second year of operability, Smart City continues to expand the capabilities of the digital signage network. The options for usage seem endless, making Smart City’s digital signage network an integral element of any successful event at the LVCC.