HUNTSVILLE – At the annual Huntsville Havoc “Meet the Team” event Monday, fans were introduced to the players and a new feature of the Von Braun Center.
A pair of 22-foot by 75-foot videoboards on both ends of Propst Arena towered over the 3,000 fans, including Mayor Tommy Battle, on the arena floor.
With a project cost of $2 million, the two Daktronics boards create a stunning visual upgrade with each board’s display size measuring 22 feet tall by 75 feet wide with more than 4.2 million pixels per screen, along with a high-resolution, 5.9 mm pixel pitch display.
During the event, guests explored the arena’s backstage and see where the stars and athletes rest and get ready before performing. Stunning dessert displays were setup near the star dressing rooms, ping pong tables and shuffleboards were also available for use during the open house experience.
Since forming a partnership in 2004, the VBC has worked with the Havoc to transform Propst Arena into one of the most technologically advanced arenas in the Southern Professional Hockey League.
And they’re ready to create a new atmosphere of entertainment heading to Friday night’s season opener.
“Having the Havoc as a partner of the VBC and being their home rink is fantastic,” said VBC Executive Director Steve Maples. “Huntsville has a strong hockey-base and fans never fail to show up in support of our team year-after-year which shows in their attendance numbers.
“This season, we’re excited to showcase Propst Arena’s new videoboards and make the fan’s overall experience even better.”
The new videoboards will expand the standard for what guests expect when entering the facility. The boards offer near unlimited configurations for advertisers to stand out from the competition and deliver entirely new visual experiences to guests.
With the ability to accept multiple forms of content, the dynamic display means patrons can watch instant replays, up-close game action, game stats, interactive updates and more in high definition.
“This arena has been the focal point of live events in Huntsville for almost 50 years,” said Maples. “Since Johnny Cash performed in the venue on March 25, 1975, the VBC has continuously brought headlining shows to the market and our Huntsville community has always shown up.
“Whether it’s been concerts, live sporting events, countless graduations where thousands of eager young adults have walked across the stage and received their diplomas, or creating family traditions of cheering for Huntsville Havoc each season, the VBC Propst Arena continues being a place where people gather to connect and create shared experiences.”
Including this enhancement to the videoboards, Propst Arena has undergone several major renovations or upgrades over the years.
- 2010, new seating was installed, and the lobby and concourse areas were expanded with modern concessions, bars and a cook-to-order walk-up café with outdoor balcony seating.
- 2019, the interior lighting system was replaced with an Eaton’s Ephesus LED lighting system with full color-tuning fixtures, as well as 12 Daktronics LED video ribbon boards installed along the perimeter of the bowl.
- 2021, the backstage was expanded and remodeled to include star dressing rooms, state-of-the-art locker rooms, a catering kitchen and multiple offices for touring shows to utilize.
- 2022, the arena’s exterior received an overhaul that included new roofing, a complete refresh of the façade, and the installation of a decorative Lumenpulse LED lighting system. Also, two large digital boards were added to the arena lobby.
- 2023, the audio system inside the arena was replaced with an EAW ADAPTive system with speakers meeting aesthetic and electro-acoustic requirements.
During the last four years, the Propst Arena has been showcased four times on national television. Once, through ESPN’s SEC Network during the SEC Gymnastics Championships, later during “Lee Greenwood’s All-Star Salute,” during “Still Playin’ Possum: Music & Memories of George Jones” which was also picked up for multiple airings by PBS, and more recently during “Songs & Stories of Dean Dillon” which will be broadcast nationally on a later date.
“These enhancements are not only to enrich the experience of our attendees and performers, but to create a stunning focal point in the heart of downtown Huntsville that everyone can continue being proud of for at least another 50 years,” said Maples.
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