Case Studies
Western Michigan University
Case Studies
Western Michigan University
Western Michigan University Stadium Club Suite Gets High Style AV
Waldo Stadium, on the campus of Western Michigan University (WMU) in Kalamazoo, is the home of the Broncos, a Division 1 football team in the Mid-America Conference. The stadium has been the home of the Broncos in one form or another since 1914 and has a capacity of just over 30,000 fans.
The main suite of the WMU Stadium Club is a venue within the facility used for many purposes beyond hosting visiting donors, alumni and other distinguished university guests on game day. Since its full-scale renovation by the University’s Advancement Team was complete in July 2024, the space has been used for a number of events during the year, including watch parties, award ceremonies and networking events.
The expansive suite includes a large gathering area near the main entrance, reminiscent of a deluxe living room, with tables and chairs for guests to lounge while enjoying food and beverage service. There is also a recessed section with seating and windows facing the field to catch game day action, a small outdoor terrace and a storage area with a coat room and restrooms.
“We sought to reimagine the WMU Stadium Club Suite to make it a distinctive venue that people would be excited to visit and return to with anticipation,” said Kristen DeVries, Western Michigan University’s VP of university advancement and executive director of the WMU Foundation. “The vision was to create an inspired environment that could be used throughout the year and not just on game day.”
A centerpiece for the project was the deployment of a state-of-the-art AV system.
Waldo Stadium, on the campus of Western Michigan University (WMU) in Kalamazoo, is the home of the Broncos, a Division 1 football team in the Mid-America Conference. The stadium has been the home of the Broncos in one form or another since 1914 and has a capacity of just over 30,000 fans.
The main suite of the WMU Stadium Club is a venue within the facility used for many purposes beyond hosting visiting donors, alumni and other distinguished university guests on game day. Since its full-scale renovation by the University’s Advancement Team was complete in July 2024, the space has been used for a number of events during the year, including watch parties, award ceremonies and networking events.
The expansive suite includes a large gathering area near the main entrance, reminiscent of a deluxe living room, with tables and chairs for guests to lounge while enjoying food and beverage service. There is also a recessed section with seating and windows facing the field to catch game day action, a small outdoor terrace and a storage area with a coat room and restrooms.
“We sought to reimagine the WMU Stadium Club Suite to make it a distinctive venue that people would be excited to visit and return to with anticipation,” said Kristen DeVries, Western Michigan University’s VP of university advancement and executive director of the WMU Foundation. “The vision was to create an inspired environment that could be used throughout the year and not just on game day.”
A centerpiece for the project was the deployment of a state-of-the-art AV system.
Challenge
The challenge for this project was to maximize the use of video to advance the university’s goals for the newly enhanced suite. This included creating a welcoming, luxurious and awe-inspiring environment on game day and for a wide array of business and social functions. University officials tapped SVT, an integration firm based in Brighton, Michigan.
“The WMU administration’s vision for this project was quite ambitious with respect to video technology and gear,” said Tom Weissert, senior solutions architect, SVT, who led the team effort. “It was to be designed to be much more than a mere hospitality venue, but an environment that would create truly memorable experiences and instill a sense of pride and admiration among visitors.”
Solution
To meet the project’s requirements for an AV system that delivers high performance, flexibility and ease-of-use, SVT recommended a software-defined video over Ethernet (SDVoE) solution that combines both uncompressed 4K and RF signal distribution.
The video system consists of multiple sources including a Roku streaming player, two BrightSign players and three ZeeVee STBi3 tuners that can decode digital RF content received over coax and h.264 video streams for distribution over an IP network. ZeeVee ZyPer4K encoders and decoders deliver content to the many Samsung monitors spread throughout the facility via a Cisco 9300 series switch – all so that no visitor would miss a moment of the action, no matter where they were seated.
The system is controlled via a Crestron touch panel in conjunction with the ZeeVee ZyPer Management Platform that provide a simplified user interface to power up components and select sources to be shown on individual or multiple monitors. Helping to keep the system intuitive and easy to use, SVT designed a number of one-button presets to satisfy the university’s needs. In addition, the ZeeVee ZyPer4K SDVoE encoders and decoders worked perfectly and provided key additional features including the ability to create advanced multiviews on individual monitors via a simple drag-and-drop interface.
The WMU Stadium Suite at Waldo Stadium is the showplace that university management and the Advancement Team imagined.
“The Stadium Suite at Waldo Stadium fully expresses a sense of pride for our athletic programs and our entire university community,” said DeVries. “It supports the fact that WMU is a formidable presence and special place in the collegiate sports and education worlds.”
Video Gear In This Project:
ZeeVee ZyPer4K SDVoE encoders and decoders
BrightSign media players
ZeeVee STBi3 tuners
Samsung monitors
Cisco 9300 Series network switch
Crestron touch panel controller
ZeeVee ZyPer Management Platform