Quick view:
- Absen’s A Series and NX Series LED solutions deliver durability, energy efficiency, and high-performance visuals.
- Through close collaboration and flexible engineering, the displays were adapted for evolving structural needs while delivering high-quality visuals for auctions, concerts, sporting events, broadcasts, and emergency communications.
- By combining durable, environmentally rated displays with energy-efficient performance and flexible configurations, we're helping venues like the National Western Center create visual experiences that can adapt to virtually any event while standing up to demanding operating conditions.
Denver's National Western Center is transforming the historic site into a 2.2 million-square-foot campus dedicated to agriculture, education, research, entertainment, and culture. Designed to serve as a year-round destination, the expanded campus will host everything from concerts and trade shows to livestock competitions, international conferences, farmers markets and the annual National Western Stock Show. To support the campus' diverse programming, project stakeholders selected Absen as the dvLED display partner.
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At the center of the redevelopment is the new 350,000-square-foot Sue Anschutz-Rodgers Livestock Center, a flexible, multi-use facility. The campus includes a new CoBank Arena featuring a nearly 4,000-seat arena and climate-controlled barns, creating a modern venue capable of accommodating a wide range of indoor events while preserving its agricultural heritage.
The National Western Center required an LED solution capable of performing in one of the industry's most demanding environments. Unlike traditional entertainment venues, the displays would be exposed to dust, moisture and the daily rigors of a working livestock facility. Absen's A Series LED displays were selected for the center-hung display and ribbon wall, along with the NX Series for the facility's auction wall. Together, the display systems deliver the durability, image quality and reliability required for everything from rodeos and livestock auctions to concerts, sporting events and community gatherings.
Absen's A Series was selected for the ribbon wall and center-hung display because it combines outdoor-rated durability with high-performance visual capabilities. The displays deliver brightness levels up to 10,000 nits while consuming up to 50% less energy than conventional LED systems. Absen's lower power consumption reduces heat generation, contributing to longer product life while helping the National Western Center manage operating costs across a venue designed for year-round use.
"We worked together extensively to produce high-quality drawings for the other trades, and Absen supported us throughout that process," said Darren Smith, senior director for E2 Optics. "The mounting options for the center-hung display were vitally important to the overall structure of the project, and we worked very closely with Absen to model all of those components."
The facility's auction wall utilizes Absen's NX Series, featuring a 16:9 cabinet design that simplifies installation while delivering a seamless viewing experience. With refresh rates exceeding 7,680 Hz, the NX Series produces smooth, scanline-free imagery for live production, broadcasting and in-venue cameras. The NX Series' high-definition image quality ensures that auction information, event content and live video remain clear and readable for audiences both inside the venue and watching remotely.
As construction progressed, the team adapted the display system to accommodate design changes while preserving the intended visual experience.
Per Mitchell Blystone, senior AV project manager for E2 Optics, a couple design changes were required. One included breaking up the ribbon wall without losing the integrity of the image. His team also had to make a change to accommodate emergency power so that, during a life safety event, they can display emergency messaging on the wall.
“The National Western Center represents the type of environment our displays are built for," Weskeal West, channel manager for Absen concluded. "By combining durable, environmentally rated displays with energy-efficient performance and flexible configurations, we're helping venues like the National Western Center create visual experiences that can adapt to virtually any event while standing up to demanding operating conditions.”
