As one of North America’s only multi-purpose stadiums able to accommodate a variety of events suited for an arena, a domed stadium, and an open-air facility, Rogers Centre has deployed a security plan that is flexible and readily adaptable to meet the needs of any event—ranging from 5,000 visitors at a tradeshow to 50,000 during a Blue Jays Major League Baseball game.

“Because we host a range of events with different configurations, we wanted a powerful, flexible, and cost-effective surveillance solution—one that could give us access to information needed to make staffing decisions and review incidents more successfully to better serve our customers,” said Mario Coutinho, vice president of stadium operations and security at Rogers Centre. “The Avigilon HD Surveillance System provides us with superior clarity, maximum coverage, and ease of management—key features we needed to enhance our incident management capabilities at all events.”

With a fibre network infrastructure already in place, Rogers Centre was able to cost-effectively add the Avigilon HD surveillance system as a key element of its surveillance solution. Nineteen Avigilon HD 16MP security cameras cover the entire seating bowl while a mix of Avigilon HD 1MP, 2MP, 5MP, 11MP, and 16MP security cameras monitor the building’s exterior. Using Avigilon Control Center Enterprise network video management software (NVMS) with HD Stream Management, security personnel in the command post monitor the areas live during events. Three Avigilon HD network video recorders (NVR) store continuous surveillance footage.

Rogers Centre leveraged its existing fibre network infrastructure to reduce installation and management costs and leveraged Avigilon’s use of JPEG2000 compression technology to reduce bandwidth requirements for additional efficiencies. Further cost savings were achieved because the Avigilon HD surveillance system delivers complete coverage with dramatically fewer cameras and less staff than would be required to operate a traditional analogue-based PTZ solution. In fact, Rogers Centre would probably have had to install hundreds of analogue security cameras to achieve the same coverage as 19 Avigilon HD 16MP security cameras. Avigilon’s reliability, superior image clarity, and advanced management features facilitate investigations for quick and efficient resolution, dramatically improving the customer experience. The Avigilon HD surveillance system also captures operational information that is used to make strategic business decisions regarding customer service delivery and risk management issues.

“Rogers Centre has a strong history of embracing technology to gain efficiencies and enhance the spectator experience,” said Keith Marett, director of marketing and communications at Avigilon. “By transitioning to Avigilon’s High Definition surveillance system to improve spectator safety, boost operational efficiencies, and enhance customer service, Rogers Centre has set a new standard for stadium managers worldwide.”