Article

Thoroughbred auctioneer Fasig-Tipton implements portable digital signage solution

The entire unit, including LCDs, kiosks and servers, is designed to move several times a year to various auction locations.

December 9, 2009 by Bill Yackey

Fasig-Tipton, a Lexington, Ky.-based thoroughbred auctioneer, has worked with Hammond Communications Group to design, implement and manage a mobile digital signage solution for its auction arenas. A horse auction is an information intensive event where buyers and sellers demand access to content that is both visual and data driven.

Fasig-Tipton needed to enhance the way information is disseminated requiring both real-time data and on-demand access to workout videos. Furthermore, Fasig-Tipton needed a system that could be moved nationally from facility to facility during the course of a year's auctions. Auctions are held several times each year in each of Fasig-Tipton's sales locations, such as Lexington, Ky., Saratoga Springs, N.Y., Miami, Fla., Grand Prairie, Texas, and Timonium, Md.

Real-time info is shown on digital signs as auctions are in progress.

The system centers on a mobile control unit comprised of multiple equipment racks housing servers, media players, HD camera switching and control, audio, SD and HD playback and recording devices as well as HD cable head-end A/V distribution equipment. From this control center, Hammond manages all the equipment, media transmission and content the system requires.

LCD panels are located in high traffic dwell areas and feature a multi-zone content layout. From these displays, Fasig-Tipton customers can view catalog updates and videos, real-time sales information, a live feed with current hip data & price from the sales ring and more.

For the Two-Year-Old sales, where horses "work out" prior to the sale, there is a bank of 18 LCD panels in a separate tent that features a different set of horse workout videos per LCD.

Customers can get information and even buy horses through interactive kiosks.

Beyond the components and infrastructure, Hammond provided a number of services for the system. Starting with system design, Hammond's staff of managers and engineers formulated a content delivery strategy, component mix and implementation plan. Hammond's graphic's department designed the branding for the multi-zone displays, interactive GUIs and tote board system. Hammond's video production services are used to shoot and edit the HD workout videos critical o the information library. Programmers have developed applications to allow Web-based maintenance of sale information (which also drives Fasig-Tipton's Web site data) as well as integration of real-time sales information from an off-site AS400 database.