BC Place Stadium
Stadium Intercom System
The Project
BC Place picked Chroma to diagnose and replace the existing intercom system used throughout the stadium. This system is used for games and special events to keep personnel connected and communicating across the stadium. Locations are spread out across the 54,000-capacity stadium — from the playing field, broadcast studio, press-conference studio, camera operators, game officials, statistics, spotters and even pyrotechnics operators. The stadium had an existing analog system that did not allow easy expansion. It suffered from several partial, jury-rigged upgrades put in place over many years. The production team wanted to be ready for major landmark events like the Women's World Cup, Grey Cup or MLS Soccer Playoffs where a quick expansion of the system would be easy to accomplish.
The Challenge
Each operator has specific communication and workflow needs. Some operators need to connect with many groups at once with the flick of a switch. Some need individual personal one-to-one communication. Some sit at desks, others need a portable solution and a rugged gear that will survive game after game.
We also needed to allow external parties to connect to the system including visiting teams and broadcast trucks. Program audio would need to be mixed into some channels.
Each league also brings its own systems to the stadium on gamely, and we needed to find compatibility coordinate radio channels with these parallel systems.
The Result
Through analyzing the capabilities of different systems and surveying the stakeholders, a digital system was selected. This system met the needs of the production staff and the owner's budget.
Chroma facilitated a public RFP process with the owner.
We coordinated a switchover plan with the successful contractor so that the existing system could work in parallel to the new until we all staff was ready for the change. Once we commissioned the new system and staff was trained, the old system was decommissioned.
The install includes hundreds of feet of network, audio and control cable. There are 36 endpoints and 8 separate pre-configured party lines. The digital network-based system allows for future expandability. The system was designed with future capacity in mind to allow for future upgrades as the stadium's needs evolve.
