CO’Met Arena

CO’Met Arena is a newly opened event complex in the metropolis of Orléans, France. The venue is designed to host large-scale international sporting, cultural and business events and features multiple spaces, including a four-hall exhibition centre, convention centre, and sports hall which can accommodate up to 10,000 people.

When designing the new facility, the owners of the CO’Met Arena wanted to create a dynamic visual experience for visitors by installing HD digital signage across the site.

The owners also wanted to ensure that networked video content could be managed and distributed efficiently to screens across multiple venue spaces. The VITEC range of encoders, servers, and management software was chosen to cope with the unique demands of the project.

he CO’Met Arena faced several challenges mainly due to the unique characteristics of the project. The venue needed to manage the distribution of video content across many screens in different areas, including the four halls of the exhibition centre, the convention centre, the sports centre and connecting halls throughout the venue.

This created the challenge of having different content put onto different screens dependent on where you are in the venue. For example, visitor information and content from business events needed to be streamed live to the breakout rooms on level two of the facility, while sporting events must be streamed live in the sports hall. The large number of screens distributed in different locations and the distance between them (up to 15 minutes’ walk between two display areas) added constraints in terms of both event and everyday operation.

To address these challenges, the venue management team chose Manganelli Group, who had previously collaborated with VITEC on complex IPTV and digital signage solutions to much success. VITEC were able to provide exactly what the client asked for; excellent user experience for CO’Met visitors and to have technologies worthy of an ‘NBA-type’ arena.

The VITEC solution has enabled CO’Met to see many benefits including dynamic display solutions which are easy to manage and promote high-quality, engaging content. The energy-efficient management and distribution of video content is also easy to use and update, which saves time and money and helps to ensure that the content is always up to date. The result was a captivating digital signage network, with strategically placed screens which guide, inform and entertain visitors.

Despite the unique installation challenges, VITEC successfully provided a solution that not only met but exceeded the client’s requirements.

The VITEC solution has enabled CO’Met to achieve several benefits, including the creation of a dynamic visual experience to display, and manage, high-quality and engaging video content. This has significantly contributed to attracting and retaining visitors, as digital signage can effectively educate and inform them throughout the venue.

In addition to enhancing the visitor experience, the VITEC IPTV solution has also added an extra dimension to the scheme by offering spectators in dressing rooms and hospitality areas the opportunity to follow events live via IPTV, leveraging VITEC’s reputation for low-latency, high-quality solutions. This is what allowed CO’Met to provide excellent service to the near 200 screens present in the boxes, common and sports areas.

This project should not only win due to the success of the collaboration between venue and VITEC, but also because it demonstrates VITEC’s creativity in enhancing their client’s venues. They work to ensure their client has the best possible networks, ensuring the best possible results for all. Their commitment to providing superior networks ensures that the visitor experience at CO’Met arena remains optimal.

Patrick Gond, CO’Met Project Manager, Orléans Métropole said: “It’s a total success and an achievement that 100% corresponds to our expectations. Drawing on my personal knowledge of NBA Arenas in the USA, we wanted to reproduce a similar installation at CO’Met, with screens everywhere, to enrich the spectator experience and build loyalty. This is what we achieved with nearly 200 screens distributed in the boxes, common and sports areas. The system is widely used, including by food stand service providers.”