Peterborough Petes scores new digital scoreboard

by courtney_bachar | 11 March 2022 1:04 pm

By Marty Dolson

The perception that partnerships between businesses concede or reduce the bottom line has never been accurate. In today’s competitive market, strategic partnerships increase the bottom line. Ultimately, a partnership of two companies within the same industry expands the experience and knowledge for the customer.

Each partner has strengths and weaknesses—nobody does everything well—and when partners share responsibilities and resources, it creates shared success for the client. 

Every project has its challenges, whether it be in the supply chain, labour force, or equipment. These challenges can have a higher value with less burden when shared. The sign industry has many companies operating at a high level, and for decades, has always utilized installation, service, fabrication, and manufacturing partners.

Signarama Peterborough has been sharing services within the Signarama brand for decades to expand the services to all its locations who can then offer greater capabilities to the client base they are serving.

An elite industry partnership was recently celebrated when Signarama Peterborough and Media Resources teamed up to provide the Peterborough Petes hockey club, a team in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), with a new state-of-the-art digital video scoreboard. The proposal showcased the strengths of both companies, and the cost-effective methodology led to the successful award of this project.

 

The project

The proposal included the removal of the existing scoreboard and operating system, the supply and installation of a four-sided digital scoreboard with four 1.8 m x 4 m (6 ft. x 13 ft.) digital displays at 3.9 mm (0.15 in.) resolution and a 13.7-m (45-ft) circular ring below the scoreboard, also at 3.9 mm (0.15 in.). This is the highest resolution on the market today and was coupled with a dynamic gameday entertainment system. The entire package was created to facilitate the marketing vision of the Peterborough Petes hockey club, as well as creating excitement in the building for fan experience, along with local business advertising and sponsorship opportunities.

Marty Dolson, VP of operations/business development at Signarama Peterborough, and Tim Monk, senior account executive at Media Resources, spearheaded the project for their respective teams, working directly with Peterborough Petes’ director of hockey operations, Burton Lee, and marketing director, Eric Ebenbauer.

From the initial proposal and negotiation stage, through the budgeting, procurement, fabrication, and installation stages, the three teams worked in harmony during all stages of the project.

Upon contract award, it was apparent timelines were critical to hockey operations, the launch of the 2021-22 OHL season, and ongoing contract commitments at the Peterborough Memorial Centre (PMC). There were engineering requirements to make significant reinforcements to the building’s structural steel roof members. Engineers from VB&S Engineering in London, Ont., were engaged to perform weight load calculations on the supporting beams and prepare the scope of work required. While manufacturing of the digital display modules and game-day entertainment operating system was underway at Media Resources, Signarama’s production manager, Dave Cartier, designed and engineered the receiving structure for the modules and the lifting points that attach the scoreboard to a fully automated hoisting system, which was procured by Jaimar Winches from Woodstock, Ont.

The structural platform was mounted in the ceiling, and the winch assembled on site in a maintenance and operational friendly mechanical catwalk area. Signarama’s field installation team did all the heavy lifting and prepared the facility with the steel beam reinforcements, cable pulleys, and winch installations, working closely with Peterborough Welding Services’ Paul Walker, who provided all the certified welding.

The PMC facility staff, headed up by Jeremy Giles and Paul Wannamaker, were also instrumental by providing access, staff, and additional support co-ordinating the tight schedule. Tom Elliot, president of Kawartha Metals and a long-standing Petes’ sponsor and season ticket holder, procured and supplied Signarama with all the steel and aluminum products for the project.

It took three weeks to install the automated hoisting system, and roof truss structural reinforcing was performed using locally provided high-reach, heavy-lift equipment from local business partner Rapid Lift, owned and operated by Chuck White. White, president of the Peterborough and District Construction Association, and Signarama have partnered on many projects over the past 15 years.

The electrical requirements were prepared and completed by Sean Gilbert of SGP Electrical, Signarama’s local contractor of choice. New electrical services to the scoreboard and operation of the hoisting system were also completed. The lifting equipment was removed from the building and the ice went in for ongoing commitments to local clubs and minor hockey.

Completion of all preliminary structural and mechanical requirements was achieved in just 18 days by a total of seven different companies partnered as one uniform group.

Production and assembly

The second phase of production, fabrication, and assembly was still ongoing, both at Media Resources in Oakville and Signarama in Peterborough. Structural aluminum framework was custom fabricated to receive the digital modules. Due to its size, the framework had to be made in two pieces to get into the building and then assembled on the ice pad.

When the OHL announced that all teams were to play six exhibition games prior to the season opening, the dynamics changed, and the execution of the project had to be drastically re-formulated. The existing scoreboard needed to remain in place until the last home exhibition game on September 23. This left only 21 days until the season home opener on October 14. The scoreboard would need to be up and running with at least a week of onsite training and commissioning of the gameday system.

There was no turning back and zero room for error when the old scoreboard came down and was removed from the building on September 24. PMC staff placed ice protection down for the removal and structure install. This was only available until September 29 due to contracts in place for ice rentals.

It was all hands on deck from Signarama and Media resources during assembly and interconnection of displays, wiring, and attachment to the hoisting system. The hoist, now operational, permitted ongoing daytime operations by lifting the scoreboard up into the rafters and ongoing assembly during off hours and through the night by lowering it back down to working height at the ice level.

Planning and execution paid off on October 4 with the game-day system running content on a fully lit scoreboard. The Petes’ marketing and game-day team were well ahead of the training and had content running with a spectacular gallery prepared for the opener. The commissioning and training were seamless, and the finishing cosmetics were completed over the next few days.

Lee stated, “Marty, Morgan, and the entire team at Signarama Peterborough could not have made better partners on the Peterborough Pete’s new state-of-the-art Peterborough Memorial Centre videoboard install. From project scope and design, costing, install, and all the ‘little things,’ the videoboard was completed on time and with a keen eye for the needs of our players, staff, and, most importantly, Pete’s fans. Every time I had a question for Marty, he was three steps ahead of me, going above and beyond to make this project happen, therefore allowing my staff and I to focus on everything else going on in the business.”

The challenges of this project were successfully accomplished as a direct result of the partnership between Signarama and Media Resources, sharing the long list of requirements, and having skilled and knowledgeable personnel working in their respective areas of expertise.

Ebenbauer was the developer of the strategy to create a new fan experience within the building and expand marketing opportunities for the local business community. His courage to dream big, and with the support of Burton and Dave Pogue, president of the board of directors, was the foundation this project was built upon. Signarama and Media Resources were honoured by their trust and confidence in the team to create such a valuable asset to the marketing team. Just two months into the 21-22 season, the marketing goals for the entire season have outpaced original projections as a result of the Peterborough Pete’s vision. 

 

[BIO] Marty Dolson is the VP of Operations/Business Development for Signarama Peterborough.

Source URL: https://www.signmedia.ca/peterborough-petes-scores-new-digital-scoreboard/

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