Amway Center's Terrific Technology

One would expect a new, $380 million sports arena to impress with its amenities. And, as I wrote in October, the City of Orlando's new Amway Center is nothing if not impressive. One of the many ways it manages to impress? Its seamless integration of technology with the Orlando Magic fan experience.

Amway Center houses more than 1100 high-definition screens on its eight levels of concourses, for instance, allowing the team to broadcast any number of messages to visitors. Most impressively, though, is the center-hung scoreboard and video screen. The bottom is configured in a standard, four-sided format to show the score and replays. Atop that unit sits eight smaller, auxiliary scoreboards, also with video capability, which can show league leaders, in-game stats, and sponsor messages.

The best use of the scoreboard comes during pregame introductions, when, as shown in this video, all the screens function as parts of a whole, which allows for absurdly larger-than-life images of Dwight Howard, Vince Carter, and their Magic teammates to pump up the crowd. Remarkably, the scoreboard and other LED lighting features can show 4.4 trillion different shades of color.

Technology comes into play even outside the context of the game experience. Touch-screen displays allow fans in certain ticket levels order concessions directly from their seats. Further, the 20 concession stands have digital displays, which allows for a menu customized to fit fan demand. As a bonus, these displays can show high-definition photographs of menu items, giving potential customers a better idea of what the day's offerings.

There are more benefits to Amway Center outside of technology, of course, not least of which is making the Magic a more prominent part of downtown. Yet the incredible features inside do indeed enhance the fan experience even more.