Lambeau Field upgrades designed to make stadium more user-friendly for Packers fans
GREEN BAY – Green Bay Packers fans will encounter a more user-friendly Lambeau Field this season.
The third-floor concourse in the stadium has new signs, LED video screens to convey information, advertising and on-field action, and a bolder, eye-pleasing green and gold color scheme, all while retaining the industrial/factory theme put in place when Lambeau was renovated in 2003.
"The theory was to modernize the building without losing the historic feel," said Aaron Popkey, director of public affairs.
The concourse includes larger informational signs painted on bright yellow steel beams, which are more noticeable, with larger writing than the signs they replaced. In addition to telling fans which sections they are in, the signs provide directions to the nearest gate, to the atrium and other information.
Above the beams are video screens that can provide information or advertising. The concourse also includes larger video screens for relaying on-field action. All told, 60 new video screens were added throughout the concourse.
"Wayfinding and other information is clearer on the beams," Popkey said.
Here are some other changes fans will notice.
Grab-and-go in a cashless Lambeau
Ten new grab-and-go concession stands were added to the concourse. Checkout scanners have tap-to-pay technology, which provides an alternative to swiping or inserting a card into a card terminal and can process transactions up to four times faster.
"We encourage that," said Eric Sampson, general manager for Delaware North, the Packers' concessionaire. Sampson said workers will be in the new concession stands to assist with managing the technology, which may be new for some fans.
Lambeau Field is now completely cashless, including the parking lots.
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The grab-and-go stands, introduced two years ago, have increased the speed with which fans can get food and drinks and return to their seats. Popkey said data collected from the stands already in operation indicated 66% more fans can be served in the same time as at convention concession stands.
Mini-Pro Shops and a wine sponsor
Three mini-Packers Pro Shops were added to the concourse as well. The shops will carry the most popular items purchased by fans.
On the third level, in section 354, is the new Wollersheim Bar. Wollersheim Winery & Distillery of Prairie Du Sac is a new Packers sponsor. Wollersheim wine will be available wherever else wine is served around the stadium.
The Packers say the third level concourse in under-utilized. They encourage fans in rows 45 and higher to use services on the third level, although it is, of course, open to anyone at the game.
Video scoreboards
Also new this year are the much-talked-about video scoreboards in the bowl. The Packers spent $51 million on the Daktronics-produced video boards which, measuring 48 feet tall by 220 feet wide, are twice as wide as the boards they replaced.
Auxiliary displays on the east and west sides of the bowl were upgraded to 75-foot-wide digital displays. Those video boards are required to clearly show coaches on both sidelines key game details, such as time left, score, down and distance. But the wider displays will provide more space to provide things such as fantasy football stats or other game scores for fans.
Technology was upgraded from high definition 1080i resolution to 4k with 6-millimeter pixel spacing, which Daktronics says is the first in professional football.
Control room expanded
The stadium's control room was expanded and upgraded appropriately. Hardware was moved to a different floor, allowing for more monitors and more staff in the control area. The team's gameday production staff grew from 34 to 52, said Kregg Shilbauer, director of digital, production and game presentation.
"We've expanded what we've done threefold," Shilbauer said. "I think we're going to be able to cover the action a lot better."
The control room has improved replay capability and can monitor 16 network feeds, compared with eight previously. The control room programs about 65 screens throughout the stadium, not including suites, and will have access to multiple cameras throughout the stadium and at Titletown.
The equipment also is used for non-game day projects, such as the weekly coach's show.
Contact Richard Ryman at rryman@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @RichRymanPG, on Instagram at @rrymanPG or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/RichardRymanPG/.
This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: Upgrades designed to make Lambeau Field more user-friendly for fans
