SVG Venue Summit: Detroit's Little Caesars Arena Welcomes 150+

SVG Venue Summit: Detroit's Little Caesars Arena Welcomes 150+ Fan engagement was the primary focus of the two-day event By Karen Hogan Ketchum, Director of Production

Friday, June 28, 2019 - 11:11 am

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SVG continued its whirlwind week, traveling to Detroit on Wednesday for the SVG Venue Summit at Little Caesars Arena. More than 150 industry professionals representing a wide variety of pro and collegiate teams, venues, systems integrators, consultants, broadcasters, technology vendors, and more attended the annual event, touring the venue and learning about the latest production, technology, and integration trends impacting fan engagement and entertainment.

On stage at SVG Venue Summit in Detroit: Olympia Entertainment's Pete Skorich (standing) gives the Inside Little Caesars Arena With the Detroit Red Wings presentation as Eric Angott (left) and Dan Mannes look on.

The event kicked off on Wednesday night, with an Opening Night Reception at the Detroit Foundation Hotel. On Thursday, it shifted to Little Caesars Arena for a day-long program that offered a behind-the-scenes tour and in-depth panel discussions and presentations. The first presentation of the day, a detailed overview of Little Caesars Arena, was delivered by Olympia Entertainment's Pete Skorich, VP, entertainment services and broadcasting, Detroit Red Wings; Eric Angott, video production engineer, Detroit Red Wings; and Dan Mannes, coordinating producer, Detroit Red Wings.

In 2019, the in-arena show is every bit as complicated as the television product, said Skorich. Our control room is as complex as any [production] truck you'll see in any compound.

Following the presentation, representatives of the Detroit Lions, Detroit Pistons, and University of Michigan took the stage to share their strategies for engaging fans through in-venue video.

Next on the agenda, attendees were treated to a tour of Little Caesars Arena, making stops in the control room, the gondola area, and the Belfor Training Center. A networking lunch followed.

After lunch, a pair of panel discussions pondered what's next in venue technology. The first comprised technology leaders from Daktronics, Anthony James Partners, and Van Wagner Sports & Entertainment. The second focused on the systems-integrator perspective, shining a spotlight on Diversified, Alpha Video, and KMH Audio-Video Integration.

Looking toward the future of sports venues, the SVG Venue Summit examined the hottest emerging market in the industry: esports. Leaders from Populous, MES Events, Washington Justice, and Grass Valley discussed the relative merits and drawbacks of building esports-specific venues and hosting esports tournaments in traditional venues and provided a primer on what the sports-venue industry should know about this burgeoning sector.

An afternoon case study by Venuetize explored how its mobile platform keeps fans at Little Caesars Arena and The District Detroit connected, setting the table for the event's Closing Keynote. The District Detroit SVP, Operations and Development, Keith Bradford capped off the day by sharing his insights into the vision and execution of The District Detroit - a 50-block entertainment district encompassing Little Caesars Arena, Comerica Park, and Ford Field - as well as his goals for this entertainment destination.

The SVG Venue Summit was made possible by Gold Venue Initiative Sponsors Canon, Daktronics, Grass Valley, KMH Audio-Video Integration, Panasonic, Quantum, Riedel, Ross Video, and VITEC and Event Sponsors Diversified, Evertz, Neutrik, and SOS Global Express.

Stay tuned to www.sportsvideo.org for more coverage from the SVG Venue Summit!

LINK:	https://www.sportsvideo.org/2019/06/28/svg-venue-summit-detroits-littl...
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