EverBank Field, home of the Jacksonville Jaguars, will unveil approximately $63 million in enhancements to the public this Saturday evening with an event that promises to offer be one of the more memorable moments in the history of the city and stadium.
In addition to new video displays and a new two-level plaza area, the featured element of the project that will come to fruition on Saturday is two enormous video boards, spanning 60 feet high and 362 feet long, making them the largest in the world.
To celebrate Saturday's unveiling, the Jaguars will host a friendly soccer match between London-based Fulham Football Club and D.C. United of Major League Soccer, followed by a concert by country music superstar Carrie Underwood.
EverBank Field gates will open on Saturday at 5 p.m. for the 6 p.m. soccer match. The video board unveiling is expected to take place around 8 p.m., follow by Underwood in concert at about 8:30 p.m. The entire event is free for Jaguars season ticket members.
"We are truly excited about Saturday's unveiling because it will give our fans an idea of how great the in-stadium experience will be when the Jaguars take the field here next month and well into the future," Jaguars Owner Shad Khan said. "Our vision from the beginning was to make EverBank Field a destination, to give our fans the best game day experience possible, and to keep and attract world-class events to downtown Jacksonville and the surrounding community. I am confident that all of these goals will be met."
It has taken a virtual army of workers and numerous companies to complete the work on time, including Daktronics, Hunt Elkins, Haskell, Populous and Troika.
"I felt early on that we were hiring the best partners to see this project though, and today I know that to be true," Jaguars President Mark Lamping said. "We were coordinated and committed, and came in on time and on budget. That doesn't happen without partners like Daktronics, Hunt Elkins, Haskell, Populous and Troika.
"Mayor Alvin Brown and the City Council also deserve our respect and appreciation for their vision and support in this initiative. Without it, this project doesn't happen. And finally, we must thank our fans for inspiring us to be the best sports franchise we can be. I know they'll be blown away by what they see on Saturday and beyond."
Video boards
The world's largest HD video displays were manufactured and installed by Daktronics (NASDAQ-DAKT) of Brookings, South Dakota.
"The Jaguars have done a great job in preparing an exciting unveiling event for the world's largest video displays," Daktronics Vice President of Live Events Jay Parker said. "These displays will set a precedent in professional venues in terms of the fan experience and what can be witnessed by going to the stadium. The team can show a never before seen combination of content with essentially three huge HD screens on one massive LED display. It's going to be amazing when they fire them up to host their first home football game."
The two massive end zone displays will each measure 60 feet high by 362 feet wide and feature a 13HD pixel layout. With more than 21,700 square feet of digital canvas, each display is longer than a football field and can feature three full-size HD windows for maximum versatility during any event. A section of 60 feet high by 106 feet wide provides enough real estate for such a feat while also providing an extra 44-foot-wide buffer space for additional graphics, statistics and other content.
The 13HD technology was selected for this installation for many reasons, chief among them being the high brightness that helps overcome the Florida sunlight – especially in the direct sunlight received by the north end zone. The high contrast and wide viewing angles are unmatched in the industry for this type of product, thus providing the outstanding visual impact desired by the Jaguars for their fans.
Content strategy and visual identity
The Jaguars tapped Hollywood-based Troika to help re-imagine the in-stadium experience based on their breadth of entertainment and sports branding expertise and passion for innovation across broadcast television, sports properties, and experiential design.
Troika's Creative Director Seton Kim stated, "We set out to create an innovative, entertaining, and immersive environment in the stadium for fans to experience the Jaguars and the NFL like never before. Content and technology are working seamlessly to optimize the fan's live game experience."
The game presentation is driven by a* Cinematic Look *and intuitive information design. Troika created a dynamic grid with adaptable content zones that delivers the most relevant information to the fan throughout the game. The framework allows partner brands to connect with the team and its fan base through unique storytelling and vibrant messaging – all within a unified Jaguars experience.
Gilbert Haslam, Creative Director Troika Sports, stated, "It has been an exciting opportunity to partner with the Jaguars on such a ground-breaking initiative where their vision to deliver something extraordinary and our ability to leverage our expertise was combined to re-set the standards of in-game experience for fans on a whole new scale."
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North end zone plaza
While the 13 new video boards throughout the stadium may get most of the attention, the north end zone plaza area will be a big hit with fans as well. The area includes spa cabanas and party cabanas for parties of 20 to 200 on two levels with all-inclusive food and beverages. The area, which was designed by Populous, also includes video boards, two swim spas, bar rail seating with all-inclusive food and beverages, and men's and women's restrooms. The swim spas measure 12 feet wide by 25 feet long by 3 feet, 5 inches deep and will be staffed by lifeguards.
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About Daktronics
Daktronics helps its customers to impact their audiences throughout the world with large-format LED video displays, message displays, scoreboards, digital billboards and control systems in sport, business and transportation applications. Founded in 1968 as a USA-based manufacturing company, Daktronics has grown into the world leader in audio-visual systems and implementation with offices around the globe. Discover more at www.daktronics.com.
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About Troika
Troika is an entertainment & sports brand consultancy and marketing innovations agency specializing in building audiences and enhancing the brand experiences for entertainment and sports media companies. The agency's team of strategists, anthropologists, creative directors, marketers, writers, designers and animators is known for building foundational brand and marketing strategies, and seamlessly activating them through world-class creative executions. Troika's client roster includes ESPN, HBO Sports, Charlotte Hornets, MSG, NBC Sports, NFL Network, CBS Thursday Night Football, Time Warner Cable Sports (Lakers), multiple NBA and NFL teams and ABC, Amazon, AMC, CNN, FX and Univision. For more information, visit www.troika.tv.
About Hunt Elkins
Headquartered in Jacksonville since 1955, Elkins Constructors is a premier commercial contractor providing services throughout the Southeast. The company has completed more than $900 million in local projects including the iconic Jacksonville Main Library. The company is ranked in the Top 400 of National Contractors by Engineering News-Record and Top 100 National Green Contractors. Elkins has been a Jacksonville Jaguars season ticket holder since the team's inception. Hunt Construction Group is the leader in new sports facilities construction and renovation nationwide. Hunt has completed more major sport facilities renovations than any other company in the U.S. and is consistently ranked as one of the top sports and entertainment facilities contractors by Engineering News-Record.
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About Haskell Architects and Engineers
Haskell Architects and Engineers, P.A., is providing architectural and engineering services for the EverBank scoreboard enhancement project. Haskell has teamed again with Bliss & Nyitray, Inc. of Coral Gables, Florida, the original structural engineer for the current scoreboard. Haskell served as construction manager in a joint venture with Hunt Construction Group (formerly Huber, Hunt & Nichols) on the 1994 renovation of the original Gator Bowl which was completed in a record 22 months. In 2003, Haskell along with Populous (formerly HOK Sport) performed design-build services on the Bud Zone and Terrace Suite renovations for the Jacksonville stadium. Haskell, one of the leading Design-Build, EPC and construction management organizations, offers client-focused solutions in the industrial, commercial, government and civil infrastructure markets. Haskell provides planning, architectural, engineering, construction, systems integration and program management services with a history of delivering the right solution for every client for 48 years.
About Populous
Since its inception in 1983, Populous has grown into the world's leading design firm dedicated exclusively to creating environments that draw people and communities together for unforgettable experiences, from stadiums to ballparks and arenas. The firm has completed more than 2,000 projects around the globe with construction value exceeding $30 billion. Populous has worked with 30 NFL franchises, 130 universities, 40 convention center clients, 80 professional and civic arena clients, 24 Major League Baseball franchises, 40 global soccer and rugby teams, 30 equestrian clients and has planned more than 30 major worldwide events. At Populous, we enthusiastically embrace the expertise we claim – drawing people together around events, places, teams and ideas they embrace and adore.
About the Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars are one of 32 member clubs of the National Football League, aligned in the South Division of the American Football Conference. Founded in 1993, they are entering their 20th season of play in 2014. The team is owned by Shahid Khan, who purchased the franchise in January of 2012.
