Guests in VIP areas are entertained by new Samsung screens.
During the construction process, General Manager Brian Crowne knew he didn’t want Walmart Arkansas Music Pavilion (Walmart AMP) in Rogers, Ark., to be just a sparse outdoor space.
“A lot of amphitheaters are kind of bare-bones if you think about it,” he said. “You do anything you can to take what is a minimalist construction project and give it some life, warmth and action, so it’s important to have some technology.”
Founding partner Samsung agreed, turning the facility into a showcase for its products. In what amounted to an estimated mid-six-figure investment, Samsung contributed items from all three of its product categories — digital computing, visual display and printers — to create a case study for how the company’s technology can be used together in a venue space.
Two vertical videowalls hang on each side of the main stage, measuring 25 feet high by 14 feet wide, making up the most visible part of the visual experience. Each videowall is created by piecing together 36 Samsung UD Series ultranarrow 55-inch bezel displays with full HD resolution.
“While we may not be the biggest venue, we strive to be one of the best,” said Crowne of the 10,000-capacity, $11-million facility that opened in June. He added that the amphitheater benefits especially from the in-your-face technology when hosting “some of the mid-range acts that might not be carrying as much production.”
“We wanted every event that came in to have a ‘wow’ factor, even a Saturday morning Walmart committee meeting,” he added.
Installation of the stage-side screens wasn’t completely seamless, with FedEx losing 28 of the monitors two days before Walmart AMP was scheduled to open.
“They found the screens, thank goodness, but we had a lot of people at the building working at a very high rate of speed,” Crowne said.
The main screens essentially have three roles: preshow, during the show, and postshow. Most of the fan engagement activity is seen during the preshow portion of an event, when the screens are used as an advertising platform for upcoming events, as well as featuring rolling content that recognizes sponsors.
“It solidified the support that our private partners gave us to see the level of professionalism and modernism that we put into the venue,” said Crowne, adding that the screens can also be used to communicate to the crowd during an emergency situation.
As a founding sponsor, Samsung receives recognition in perpetuity with ongoing marketing throughout the year and signage around the facility and on the digital screens.
“The fact that we are able to utilize video screens rather than static banners really does elevate the patron experience unlike any other amphitheater in the area,” said Darcey Ballew, VP Communications at Walmart AMP parent company, Walton Arts Center.
Conversations about what Samsung products would be a good fit for the venue began in January 2013, with the rollout in June 2014.
“We started with the two large video walls, which were very impressive, then had to think, ‘where else should we go with this?’ We had conversations about VIP lounges, green rooms, everywhere,” said Linda Hofflander, director, vertical Marketing, for Samsung Electronics America’s Enterprise Business Division. “That’s frequently what happens when you’re trying to create an experience. It starts with one thing, then you realize it’s about the interactivity of all these areas and creating overall solutions.”
Samsung products can be found throughout the facility, including the green room where artists are entertained by 40-inch DM Series displays. From a customer-facing standpoint, Samsung installed additional 40-inch DM Series Smart Signage displays at Walmart AMP’s concession stands. This gives the facility the option to change content quickly, including pricing.
“We strive to create an environment comfortable for the patrons and demographic, so we may change offerings for each show,” said Crowne, who added that though there will always be concert staples like hamburgers and hot dogs, the facility included Mexican food and Tex-Mex items during shows that drew a large Hispanic audience.
“Pricing is an ongoing process as you learn what the market will sustain,” said Crowne. “It’s always important to us to have reasonable prices — big city offerings, but not big city pricing.”
The VIP Lounge offers its own tech-savvy experience, featuring not only customer-facing technology with 55-inch Samsung ME Series Displays suspended from the ceiling, but also solutions that aid the staff in creating a great customer experience. Wait staff use 8-inch Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 tablets on the Android platform to take orders, which are then integrated with Walmart AMP’s custom order processing software and sent to one of six printers in the kitchen or bar. There are two menu boards at each concession stand, 20-25 screen configurations in the VIP Lounge, and about 50 tablets for order taking. All of this technology, including the hardware, software and services, is covered by Samsung’s sponsorship deal.
“Whenever you start throwing around numbers it gets really tricky because of all the things that were done,” said Hofflander. “You’re not talking about a couple of screens here and there, but a whole immersive experience.”
Hofflander will be presenting a roundtable discussion, “Reinventing the Fan Experience,” at the Digital Signage Expo 2015 on March 12 at Las Vegas Convention Center. For more information about DSE, to register for the expo or other educational seminars and learn about digital signage, visit dse2015.com.
Interviewed for this story: Darcey Ballew, Brian Crowne, and Linda Hofflander, (386) 447-0018