Little Caesars Arena

As the epicenter of sports and entertainment, this multi-purpose venue is the home of the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League (NHL), the Detroit Pistons of the National Basketball Association (NBA) and world-class entertainment. The award-winning venue has become one of the busiest arenas in the world, welcoming more than 6 million guests since its September 2017 opening.

As the epicenter of sports and entertainment, this multi-purpose venue is the home of the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League (NHL), the Detroit Pistons of the National Basketball Association (NBA) and world-class entertainment. The award-winning venue has become one of the busiest arenas in the world, welcoming more than 6 million guests since its September 2017 opening.

“AS A MULTI-PURPOSE ARENA, WE NEEDED A LIGHTING SOLUTION THAT IS JUST AS DYNAMIC AS THE SPACE. BY STANDARDIZING ON CRESTRON LIGHTING, LITTLE CAESARS ARENA IS ALWAYS READY TO DELIVER AN EXCITING EXPERIENCE.”

Jim Bullo
Assistant General Manager,
Little Caesars Arena

The Challenge

Little Caesars Arena exemplifies modernization inside and out. With up to 20,000 guests per ticketed event, the venue is regularly being utilized for a wide variety of entertainment. While designing the space, officials wanted to ensure that the arena was not only visually stunning, but also energy efficient.

The Solution

Assistant General Manager Jim Bullo and his electrical team set out to provide a premier experience for visitors, while meeting the standards of multiple professional sporting organizations and public events. Working with the local Crestron agent and international lighting and lighting controls design studio, Illuminating Concepts, the group helped customize a Crestron lighting solution that provides tailored control to the operations group.

WE NEEDED A SOLUTION THAT COULD ADHERE TO THE RIGOROUS STANDARDS OF BOTH THE NHL AND THE NBA, AS WELL AS ASSIST US WITH MANAGING ENERGY EFFICIENCY. WITH CRESTRON, WE CAN DEPLOY A ROBUST LIGHTING INFRASTRUCTURE THAT MEETS THE REQUIREMENTS AND ALLOWS MY TEAM TO EASILY CONTROL THE SYSTEM 24 HOURS A DAY.”

Jim Bullo
Assistant General Manager,
Little Caesars Arena

The Technology

Lighting solutions have become vital to enhancing the experience within arenas. To create the perfect environment for any event, there must be a control solution in place that can switch between settings seamlessly. By standardizing on Crestron, the operations and electrical teams can easily manage the lighting across the entire arena straight from their tablet. Crestron provides advanced DMX lighting control throughout Little Caesars Arena, complete with tunable white light variations that can be adjusted for various professional sporting games or other public events.

One of the most appealing features of Little Caesars Arena is the ELFE transparent roof that covers a portion of the concourses. While letting in natural light, the roof protects fans from Detroit's cold and snow. The electrical team designed the lighting solution to illuminate specific areas that require additional light, helping save energy. By utlizing the preset modules on the Crestron lighting system, the lights can be adjusted during the day.

While the Crestron lighting system provides a granular level of control, management of the system remains easy for the operations and electrical team who are able to change the lighting across the entire arena directly from their table. The Crestron web interface allows them to switch between preset scene controls or manage the system manually to ensure that every inch of the arena is lit perfectly at all times. "With so many ticketed and private events taking place in the arena, the preset modules on our Crestron web interface help us efficiently and quickly manage the space," Bullo said.

By utilizing the preset modules on the Crestron lighting system, the lights can be adjusted during the day. For employees who work after-hours, the system has also been programmed to automatically shut down excess zones and only provide functional lighting in occupied areas. These additional steps not only contributed to the building becoming LEED Silver Certified, but also gives the venue an energy costs savings of more than 17% each year.

CRESTRON LIGHTING CONTROL PROVIDES UNIQUE FEATURES AND ELEMENTS THAT ENTICE GUESTS AS THEY NAVIGATE LITTLE CAESARS ARENA, PROVIDING THEM WITH GLIMPSES OF THE MAIN EVENT IN THE ARENA BOWL.”

Sonia Noble
Project Director,
Illuminating Concepts

The Results

Crestron has provided Little Caesars Arena with a lighting solution that helps create a welcoming experience for guests from the moment they enter the venue. With the flexibility afforded by their custom lighting infrastructure, venue operators can manage the facility for any event with the confidence that they can prep the arena with relative ease.

DMX Lighting Controls

DMX Lighting control stands for Digital Multiplex and is a digital control protocol that has been used primarily in the theatrical space. Over the past several years, DMX lighting fixtures have made their way into the architectural world to do everything from lighting the exteriors of buildings, bridges and artwork to offering a simple way to change the mood of an interior space by altering the color temperature of white light. But what is DMX and how does it work? What should you look for in a DMX lighting controller? Read on and we will answer these questions and more as we dive into the technology of DMX lighting.

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Lighting Control Systems

Lighting control systems play an essential role in today's modern commercial buildings. A well-designed lighting control system should achieve two primary objectives.

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