Diversified electronics maker Toshiba America Business Solutions Inc. is supplying digital displays for LA Interactive, a new section of the Staples Center that opened over the weekend.
The Irvine-based company—a U.S. unit of Japan-based Toshiba Corp.—makes and markets a lineup of products that range from printers to software and various kinds of digital displays.
Its branded section at the arena in downtown Los Angeles—featuring a 6-by-13-foot LED video wall, two 46-inch touch displays and a 60-inch kiosk—is set up to “enhance the fan experience with interactive content,” such as live action and out-of-town game clips, as well as player stats and scores, according to AEG, the company that owns the venue.
The deal names Toshiba the “Official Electronics Provider and Founding Partner of Staples Center” and provides ongoing opportunities for product placements and signs throughout the venue.
The agreement with AEG centers on Toshiba’s fast-growing digital display business, which is currently bringing in “tens of millions of dollars,” said Scott Maccabe, Toshiba’s president and chief executive.
Toshiba appeared on AEG’s radar a couple of years ago when the arena operator—a subsidiary of Denver-based Anschutz Corp.—was “looking to refresh” some of its facilities, Maccabe said.
“We brought LA Interactive to the table,” he said. “We proposed to them an interactive social media destination within the Staples Center. They were very interested, so we worked together in partnership to create the concept idea.”
‘Large Endeavor’
The digital displays for LA Interactive are just some of the 800 Toshiba plans to replace at the Staples Center within a year’s time. The company is working on setting up new displays in private suites and along some corridors.
“It’s quite a large endeavor,” Maccabe said.
Toshiba also provided LED lights for the sports arena and the parking garages at the adjacent L.A. Live retail and entertainment center, as well as delivered a new backup power system and replaced the Staples Center’s point-of-sales technology. Some of the work was done through Toshiba’s partnerships with subcontractors or its sister companies, such as Toshiba Global Commerce Solutions in Research Triangle Park, N.C.
“When we look at a relationship with an organization like AEG, even in one venue, there is many ways Toshiba technology can enhance the fan experience,” Maccabe said.
Expanding
Their partnership is expanding geographically—AEG, along with MGM Resorts International, is building a $350 million, 20,000-seat indoor arena on the Las Vegas Strip that will host a variety of events, such as boxing, concerts, professional sports games, and mixed martial arts competitions. AEG has tapped Toshiba to be its marketing partner for the venue.
“They were looking for someone … that would participate with digital displays, lighting, marketing and branding,” Maccabe said. “And we have the experience.”
Toshiba has provided digital displays for the San Diego Chargers’ Qualcomm Stadium, the Houston Astros’ Minute Maid Park, and the ballpark of the Charlotte Knights, home of the minor league baseball team that’s affiliated with the Chicago White Sox.
Toshiba entered the digital display sector roughly two years ago. The segment is expected to surpass the $5 billion mark in annual sales in the next year or so, Maccabe said.
“We have opportunities to work with several large grocery chains that will implement digital signage in their facilities to engage the consumer and present real-time information,” he said. “Hospitals are implementing them for wayfinding or providing information at (the) surgical level, (for) X-ray. (Digital displays are) so widely accepted and broadly growing now across so many vertical markets; it’s really an explosive opportunity space.”
