Article

Thoroughbred auctioneer intros portable kiosk, 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 kiosk and digital signage solution for its auction arenas. According to the company, 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 during the event, requiring both real-time data and on-demand access to horse 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 including Lexington, Ky.; Saratoga Springs, N.Y.; Miami, Fla.; Grand Prairie, Texas; and Timonium, Md.

Real-time information 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 and 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 multizone 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, prices 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 graphics department designed the branding for the multizone displays, interactive GUIs and tote board system. The company's video-production services are used to shoot and edit the HD workout videos critical to the information library. Programmers also 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.