Our work with Izod Center (formerly Continental Airlines Arena) first began in 1996 when we were asked to evaluate the acoustics. The arena had been receiving complaints of poor sound quality during sporting events. At the time, we were brought onboard for the project, the general consensus was that additional acoustic treatments were needed for the arena. With regard to acoustics for arenas, there has to be a balance between the live acoustic needed for the room to feel a certain sense of excitement from the crowd and the prevention of echoes from the audio systems.

Our study showed that the issue for Continental Airlines Arena was primarily a sound system issue. When the arena was built, a horn loaded "central cluster" speech reinforcement system was installed. As more high impact, contemporary music and "visual effects" were integrated into the experience of going to an NBA or NHL event, the arena had augmented the sound system and added the scoreboard cube. The "central cluster"sound system was physically blocked by the scoreboard and in areas additional speakers were canceling out some of the frequencies from the center cluster. AD made recommendations to solve these issues and they were implemented by the arena.

In 2001, we were contacted to create the spec and RFP for the upgrades to the scoreboards and production systems at Continental Airlines Arena.

It was planed to remove the existing four displays from the center-hung scoreboard and replace them with four new video displays. The original displays were moved to the four corners of the arena.

As part of this scope, we reviewed the existing electrical, mechanical and architectural systems that facilitate the existing large video displays and made recommendations on how to best integrate the upgrades. We then completed the technical specifications for each system which were issued to bidders as part of the RFP process.

AD provided full services from contract administration through systems commissioning.