AmericanAirlines Arena and the HEAT Group Select A2aMEDIA to Design and Install the Largest Transparent Digital LED Spectacular in North America

BOSTON — MIAMI — A2aMEDIA and the HEAT Group today announced plans to install the first-of-its-kind large-scale digital LED Spectacular on the American Airlines Arena, home of the 2006 NBA Champion Miami HEAT. A2aMEDIA’s Mediamesh® technology is an energy-efficient digital motion graphic display medium that will integrate seamlessly into the American Airlines Arena’s existing digital sponsorship and promotional platforms. The Mediamesh facade will cover 12 of the concrete/glass bays that comprise a significant portion of the American Airlines Arena’s supergrid (front wall of windows)—approximately 3,400 square feet — making Mediamesh the largest digital LED media display in the Southeast. The Mediamesh installation is scheduled to begin in spring 2009 and is expected to be completed within two months.

“As part of our continued commitment to provide American Airlines Arena patrons with the most dynamic and exciting entertainment experience possible, we chose A2aMEDIA because its next-generation Mediamesh technology is the best in the marketplace,“ said Eric Woolworth, President of HEAT Group Business Operations. “The new Mediamesh LED Spectacular will provide the official sponsors of the Miami HEAT, American Airlines Arena and the events taking place at the American Airlines Arena with an innovative sponsorship platform, and serve as a way to establish a more interactive relationship between the American Airlines Arena and the people and tourists of South Florida. Most importantly, the Mediamesh installation will solidify the American Airlines Arena as a trendsetting landmark and reinforce its importance in South Florida history.”

Mediamesh is a high-grade architectural woven stainless steel mesh that is very flexible and can secure to any shape building or structure. Mediamesh is an elegant, proven product that has been installed on buildings around the world. Mediamesh is the only transparent large-scale media technology available that provides architectural aesthetics that enhance the look and feel of buildings, while providing a powerful digital media platform.

A2aMEDIA has applied the patent-pending Mediamesh technology to digital LED displays, creating a unique, transparent surface for showcasing digital images on large-scale buildings. Any content that can be displayed on a computer screen can be shown on an A2aMEDIA screen: images, graphics, text/words, movies and more.

When the screen is off, the Mediamesh screen blends with the building architecture. When Mediamesh is on, images float across the screen surface in high-pixel resolution. Best of all, the views from inside the American Airlines Arena will be unobstructed by Mediamesh up-to 70 percent transparent screen, allowing viewing from inside the American Airlines Arena out to Biscayne Boulevard. Simultaneously, onlookers outside the American Airlines Arena will see a full range of exciting, visually engaging digital media content — viewable from the steps of the American Airlines Arena, Biscayne Boulevard and beyond.

Mediamesh “curtains” are made of linear tubes filled with LED nodes that provide the “pixels” for a large-format display mesh. At only three quarters of an inch thick, the Mediamesh panel is incredibly durable, and has the ability to withstand extreme heat and cold.

“The American Airlines Arena is an ideal place to display the innovative features of our Mediamesh technology, which has unlimited size potential and can be tailored to fit virtually any structure,” said Andrew Melton, president of A2aMEDIA. “A2aMEDIA’s unique Mediamesh installations allow for a combination of visual transparency, breathability and powerful motion graphics, providing advertisers and sponsors with a visually exciting medium for sharing their messages in a dynamic and engaging way.”

A2aMEDIA is the first to bring Mediamesh technology to the U.S. and Canada through an exclusive agreement to purchase and sell the technology while developing a national network of transparent media facades. This unique motion graphics advertising platform represents A2aMEDIA’s and the HEAT Group’s commitment to applying unique technology to enhance the public’s media experience, while integrating creative and impactful sports marketing sponsorships.


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About A2aMEDIA and Mediamesh®
Boston-based A2aMEDIA, Inc. is a next-generation media company that designs, installs and operates large-scale outdoor LED displays as transparent building facades that use just one-sixth the electricity of conventional LED boards, require no external cooling and provide passive solar gain. A2aMEDIA has applied Mediamesh® technology — a high-grade architectural material made of woven stainless steel mesh — to digital LED displays, creating a unique surface for exhibiting digital images. When the display is off, it blends seamlessly with the building architecture. When it’s on, images float across the surface in high-pixel resolution; because it’s transparent, views from inside the building are unobstructed by the screen. A2aMEDIA installations harmonize building form and function, giving owners the ability to monetize real estate through an advertising-supported, visually engaging, digital media display that doubles as a platform for communicating marketing and branding messages.

About AmericanAirlines Arena
Since its opening on December 31, 1999, the 19,600-seat AmericanAirlines Arena has hosted such diverse musical superstars as U2, Madonna, Cher, Gloria Estefan, Andrea Bocelli, Luis Miguel, the Rolling Stones, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, Usher, Marc Anthony, Phish, Shakira and Paul McCartney. Home to the 2006 NBA Champion Miami HEAT, the American Airlines Arena has become South Florida’s number one entertainment destination with championship events in boxing, wrestling and gymnastics as well as rodeos and family shows such as the Harlem Globetrotters, Disney On Ice, Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, The Wiggles and WWE. The American Airlines Arena has also become the most important venue in the Latin Music industry, as every “A List” Latin artist schedules at least one stop at the arena when routing their tour. Multiple plays by artists like Shakira, Mana and Luis Miguel are evidence of the strength wielded by the American Airlines Arena in the Latin music market.

American Airlines Arena has also played host to several live televised events, including the 2004 and 2005 MTV Video Music Awards, Britney Spears’ “Onyx Hotel” Tour, Cher’s “Living Proof – The Farewell Tour” and the prestigious Latin Grammy Awards, each placing Miami in the international spotlight. Private events have included product launches, corporate basketball tournaments, gala dinners and a host of meetings, large and small, not to mention the 2006 NBA Championship Celebration, where over 250,000 fans showed up on the doorstep of the American Airlines Arena to celebrate Miami’s first basketball championship. In addition, the American Airlines Arena has hosted several special events utilizing the outdoor East Plaza with its stunning view of Biscayne Bay and the newly-renovated Dewar’s Suite Level, featuring the ultra-exclusive Dewar’s 12 Clubhouse. In March 2009, the American Airlines Arena will play host to “March Madness” as the 2009 NCAA Men’s Basketball Division 1 Championship comes to AmericanAirlines Arena for the first time.

The American Airlines Arena is a division of The HEAT Group, which includes the Miami HEAT of the National Basketball Association, American Airlines Arena and the Waterfront Theatre at American Airlines Arena.

AmericanAirlines Arena
601 Biscayne Blvd.
Miami, FL 33132
Lorrie-Ann Diaz
ladiaz@heat.com
786-777-4103

This release was published on openPR.