In the center of Washington, D.C.’s bustling Chinatown sits Capital One Arena, a popular 20,000-seat venue that has greeted over 47 million guests since 2007. Home to the Washington Wizards and Capitals, the arena hosts an average of 220 events per year. When it originally opened, Capital One Arena had technology and amenities that were state-of-the-art. Over time, technology has evolved, and the expectations of fans have changed.
To stay relevant, executives knew they had to revisit every corner of the D.C. fan experience. The arena needed a modern flair, and the technology offerings required a significant upgrade.
In 2018, The arena kicked off a $40-million renovation project to address these needs. A substantial investment focused on transforming the food and beverage experience for guests. Each concession area needed to be flexible enough to keep up with the high demands of such a busy arena. With events hosted daily, the stadium needed to change menus quickly to satisfy the many needs of patrons.Ping HD, A full-service digital signage solutions company partnered with Capital One Arena to help solve these problems.
Working closely with the onsite concessionaire, Ping HD installed more than 200 displays within the dining areas of the arena. These new digital signage displays give the venue the power to target digital content to guests in new and exciting ways. Within each concession area, multiple digital menu boards were installed. Digital content was designed for each display to educate and inform patrons and help speed up the ordering process.
The arena needed to manage and change their new menus quickly. EngagePHD digital signage software was chosen as the CMS solution for the project because staff can manage all 200 displays within a single cloud-based interface.
Video wall ribbons were installed above concession stands to serve as dynamic branded headers. These digital headers give the concessionaire the ability to change product offerings and rebrand the stand at any time. The high impact content and animations shown on the displays help grab the attention of patrons as they walk through the concourse.
Installation of the displays started in August 2018. To date, 180 have been installed. The project is scheduled to wrap up by the close of 2018.
