Introduction

SNØ is the world’s most spectacular indoor arena for snow experiences based in Olso, Norway. It boasts a 36,000m2 of snow-covered slopes and tracks. The  centre opened in January 2020 and is open all year round, uniquely offering cross country, snowboarding, alpine and free-ski all under one roof.

ZetaDisplay battled sub-zero temperatures, dizzying heights and strict deadlines to deliver a spectacular Digital Signage solution providing a transformative and future-proofed content strategy that is as engaging as the incredible slopes.

Challenges

The Digital Signage ecosystem needed to include digital displays on the slopes as well as screens in the hospitality areas to relay the live action back to waiting families. In terms of content, SNØ wanted a dynamic signage solution that could provide real-time information to skiers and snowboarders, capture and present action replays, provide an advertising revenue stream and show live TV feeds during crucial events and competitions in the ski and snowboarding calendars.

The ZetaDisplay team faced a challenging installation with temperatures of -16 degrees, freezing snow firing from overhead canons and having to traverse the steep slopes with kit, giving the project an extra layer of complexity. In total, 11.7 tonnes of steel, put in place using mobile cranes, and massive foundations hold the LED displays in place and professional climbers had to scale more than seven metres with the 75” displays to secure them safely to the truss. 

Handling the steel in these conditions was incredibly hazardous and whilst the screens were IP rated, some of the other kit including the players and PCs that were needed to test with were not. A lot of advanced planning went into making this project successful including working alongside the architects for the slope from very early on to make sure that everything was factored in, as there was no room for error.

ZetaDisplay delivered a Digital Signage solution that’s as engaging as the incredible new slopes for SNØ. The future proofed solution includes a transformative content strategy; infotainment, live camera streams within the arena, live TV and real-time social media and imagery integration.

The visual display solution consists of three large P 3.9 Expromo LED screens, originally located at the top, middle and bottom of the main slope, all with an IP 56 coating to protect them from the sub-zero temperatures. The flagship screen at the top of the big-jump area is 40msq and the second two are both 35msq. The top LED display has since been relocated as a hanging unit above the cross-country tracks (7,5 sqm) and in the children’s area (30sqm) for a better utilisation.

An additional eight Samsung OH75 outdoor screens are located on the ski lift, showing content including live footage of visitors on the slopes from their previous session, a reminder of the codes of conduct and advertising for the restaurants, sports shops and gym.

Benefits

The LED screens are connected with fibre from an external IT hub outside of the ski arena and each has its own player and PC, with content managed from one centralised platform. 

Throughout the arena, the focus for content is on delivering real-time, engaging and personalised messaging to entertain guests, making their experience memorable and bringing the Digital Signage displays to life.

The ZetaDisplay content management system integrates with the wider digital ecosystem to deliver real-time interactive content that can be updated in less than a second. Connections with social media channels, queue management, weather, news, transportation and menu availability enhance the guest experience.

All displays are controlled from the same platform through an omnichannel approach that streamlines the process for the SNØ team and creates a brand experience throughout. Content is scheduled across every display in the estate, dayparted to share relevant information and automatically scaled for resolutions, orientation and sizes.

Outside and relayed into the warm zone, live streams of the action and statistics are shared throughout the day including most trips, longest distance travelled and fastest run. This keeps both spectators and the skiers entertained.

This solution still has room to grow with the client, with elements that they are not using yet but know they can evolve into.

Inside, 21 LG 4K screens run 24/7 delivering real-time information, wayfinding and advertising, with dynamic content that changes for the different times of day.

ZetaDisplay had a focus on sustainability throughout this project, sourcing environmentally friendly display options working alongside manufacturer Expromo. The LED screens used are more efficient than most other light sources, consuming less power for a given task and only using energy in the part of the screen with content playing. This energy efficiency helps to preserve the LED and gives the display a longer lifespan than other conventional screens.

Morten Dybdahl, CEO at SNØ:

“ZetaDisplay Norway proved to be the perfect partner for this project. The team worked incredibly hard and acted as an extension of our own, with everyone working in unison in these tricky conditions to achieve this phenomenal end result.

“The Digital Signage solution encompasses features that we can use now and others that they foresaw we would need, and we have plans to utilise in the future without needing to add any extra infrastructure or cabling. That’s exactly what we needed from a partner who truly understands our vision.”