The new Atrium Health Amphitheater in Macon, GA, is a 12,000-person capacity setting designed as a multipurpose venue. Already hosting names like Lynyrd Skynyrd, ZZ Top, The Turnpike Troubadours, and hometown star Jason Aldean, the amphitheater is also expected to attract community events, such as the commencement ceremony for Central Georgia Technical College. The Oak View Group (OVG) turned to Metinteractive to ensure the technology was ready to awe visitors at each and every event.
The massive bat-winged structure is located in the repurposed parking lot of the Macon Mall. The leading edge of its 330-foot-wide rooftop subtly forms the letter ’M’ for Macon, a city with a strong musical heritage famous for launching the careers of Little Richard, Otis Redding, and the Allman Brothers.
“Macon has grown by leaps and bounds in the eight years we have been managing the historic Macon Centreplex auditorium and Macon Coliseum arena,” said OVG general manager David Aiello. Those venues, 100 and more than 50 years old, respectively, have been “the backbone” of Macon’s thriving music scene, but it was time to offer a new entertainment option, revitalize the old mall area and spur more development to come.
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Metinteractive was retained initially as a program manager for all production and technology and later charged with supplying and installing the amphitheater’s LED displays, blade signs, and security cameras, and managing the installation of Wi-Fi access points and related systems. Metinteractive’s Pete Briggs served as project manager with Greg Downing as the engineer.
“The Atrium Health Amphitheater showcases our scope in project management and engineering, our ability to take a holistic approach across multiple technology roles to make the project come together,” said Keith Book, Metinteractive’s support designer.
“We worked closely with OVG, with whom we have a long relationship, to go the extra mile to provide them with a finished project,” noted MI’s senior project manager Don Ellis. “We coordinated with general contractor Piedmont Construction, Piros Signs, All State Electric and their low-voltage contractor SouthTel to deliver a fully functional facility.” It was very helpful, Ellis noted, to use the former JC Penney store at the Macon Mall as an equipment staging area and on-site office during the project.
“I’ve known Metinteractive’s chief commercial officer Jeff Mele for about 25 years and have come to rely on him as a technology expert,” said Dan Rubino, VP operations at OVG360 in Philadelphia. “He has an understanding of all the technologies we use: sound, video, scoreboards, IT. Jeff acted as our consultant to oversee what everyone was doing and spot where any holes might be. Unlike some consultants who are pigeonholed in certain areas, Jeff is able to give every aspect of a project the attention it needs.”
Metinteractive’s primary equipment installation, however, was the LED video displays throughout the venue. Six permanent SNA LEDs are located off-stage. Two are curved videowalls facing the north entry for marketing and branding messages. Another LED display at the north entry is wall-mounted, and a fourth is a free-standing LED pylon facing the west entry. Two 3x127-foot and 3x200-foot LEDs are positioned above the concession stands for marketing, branding and event support. Additional Samsung menu boards and digital signage were also installed.
MI also provided two Ledman portable LED video displays for the stage wings, which can be oriented in portrait or landscape modes as desired by visiting artists. Two ElationLogic double-sided 4K blade signs serve as more outdoor displays. LED content delivery is driven by Ross Tessira graphics systems and ElationLogic Storyteller.
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“Jeff and his team are on call 24/7/365,” added Aiello. “They are able to do a lot of remote management and handle any fixes that might be needed so they don’t have to be on site.”
Aiello reports that the new amphitheater has been well received in Macon. “Ticket sales are strong, and we are drawing attendees from Orlando, Charleston, and Birmingham, outside the typical 70-mile range of the Centreplex and Coliseum. The venue also positively affects the city’s hotels, restaurants, and other attractions. This is a business model that works, and we hope to see more growth in the area.”
