Bright, flexible and cost-effective: why LED offers opportunities to the Leisure and Museum sector
Easy visibility in high ambient light conditions, customisable installations and a range of applications combine to give LED technology the flexibility to meet the changing needs of the Leisure and Museum sector.
One of the most fascinating aspects of the Leisure and Museum sector is its variability; it’s not just the difference between a museum and a zoo or a pub and an opera house. Not only does every venue have specific needs, but those needs change regularly.
It is an industry on-the-go because it’s an industry whose deep relationship with its customers, fans, congregations, audience members and attendees make it particularly responsive to their changing needs and wants. That means its tools have to be equally flexible.
NEC’s Jonathan Cooper understands the unique needs of this intriguing sector which is so susceptible to macro-economic trends, and identifies LED as the hero technology to take it into the future.
Jonathan Cooper, Sales Consultant EMEA, Leisure and Entertainment at NEC Display Solutions
Displays play a broader role
Across the board, signage frequently plays a crucial role, one that is expanding with access to technology. Some vertical sectors have always used signage but have seen its role grow as they move from traditional signage solutions and introduce LED signage.
Stadiums, for example, have gone from wood tiles that show the score to fine pitch LED displays that show creative player videos and detailed replays which can be seen from any seat. Other verticals, such as museums, are exploring LED video walls as a new and exciting communications medium.
There are many reasons for this evolution, but a key factor is the development of LED technology. Its application has become so flexible that each usage case can get a tailored solution, whether that means choosing from the wide variety of existing solutions or commissioning a bespoke one.
Additionally, the advent of fine pitch LED technology meant a much longer product life, particularly for indoor displays. With a typical lifetime of 7-10 years and a range of less expensive price points, it has become cost-effective for smaller and medium-sized organisations.
LED installation in SAP arena by NEC LED Solutions Center, formerly known as S[quadrat]
Outdoor vs indoor
While needs are specific to the individual use, both indoor and outdoor installations are well served by LED displays. The advantages of LED are most notable in bright environments. No other technology manages to show imagery with such clarity in bright ambient light.
The excellent viewing angles of quality LED are often important in outdoor installations, as they tend to be in places that need people to see it from all angles and from distance. The UK’s Royal Opera House uses our LED displays around its entrance to broadcast its “Open Door” campaign across Covent Garden.
Indoor usage, on the other hand, is growing at both ends of the display range. Fine pitch LED is replacing video walls and projections for seamless and vivid content.
The higher quality and lower prices in the HD ‘bundle’ ranges are driving a surge in usage. At the other end of the scale, smaller LED screens are replacing posters in messaging, wayfinding and branding.
Their durability, easy usage and vivid colours make them a useful and cost-effective tool for smaller organisations.
NEC dv LED installation at the entrance to the Royal Opera House
Flexibility leads to creativity
The flexibility of LED, however, is its most useful quality across the Leisure & Museum sector. It helps create engagement and grabs attention through unusual formats. The displays can be shaped to their environments; curved displays are even on offer.
The unique shapes and specialist resolutions allow designers and content creators to build something spectacular. Specialist LED solutions can be installed to overcome environments with high humidity or chlorination. At the Lazy River in Rulantica Water Park in Germany, our LED display is protected by a diffuser screen and with an external power supply design that is located far from water.
NEC LED A Series Poster in a Gallery
The massive variation and pace of change within the Leisure and Museum sector will continue to drive LED display usage. Its easy visibility in high ambient light conditions, customisable installations and range of applications give LED a flexibility to meet changing needs.
With its longevity, durability and reducing price points, LED is now a display technology to consider and embrace.
Find out more about NEC’s high quality direct view LED solutions: