Medien Werkzeuge, European provider of LED screens for sports and outdoor events, is bringing this year’s football highlight to Europe.

Millions of football fans will want to experience the 2010 FIFA Football World Cup in South Africa (11th June to 11th July, 2010) from as close up as possible. Those not flying to South Africa will bring “the beautiful game” into their homes. Those who want to express their emotions outside their own four walls will seek out fellow supporters at public viewing venues, where they expect high-quality live broadcasts on a large-scale format. Only a handful of LED video wall providers in Europe are able to ensure smooth public viewing with high capacity and logistics standards. And, in addition to know-how and experience, organizers will need enough equipment to give fans what they crave.

1000 m² or 55 Football Goals of Screens in five Models
Medien Werkzeuge is an “enthusiastic, unofficial” technology partner of the 2010 FIFA World Cup in Europe, thanks to intensive practice sessions and excellent materials. Medien Werkzeuge will set up a total of approximately 1000 m² of screens – equal to the area of 55 football goals. Medien Werkzeuge will select the most suitable models depending on the space available and viewer numbers, as well as the viewing distance, angle and the resolution required.

This means Medien Werkzeuge’s full range of products will be used for public viewing: starting with the digiTILE T12 LED Display, which was launched successfully in the winter sports season as the “Sir Edmund Hillary” of LED displays. This model provides excellent picture quality even on compact video walls from 9 m² in size for 100 to 200 viewers, thanks to SMD technology and the higher resolution this brings. Medien Werkzeuge will also provide efficient video walls of 200 m² and greater, where thousands of football fans can follow the matches to fever-pitch levels. For this, the team of Lighthouse LED screens -- models R7, R10, R12 and R19 -- will be fielded. Of course, the screens are suitable for all weather and light conditions.

World Champion at Major Football Events
Medien Werkzeuge can look back on numerous successes in the field of public viewing in Europe. In addition to the UEFA EURO 2004 in Portugal and the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany, audiences were enthralled by events on the pitch during the EURO 2008 in Austria and Switzerland while watching the LED video walls in the fan zones.

The EURO 2008 provided Medien Werkzeuge with impressive figures: 1200 m² of screens were set up at 13 locations in three countries (Austria, Germany, and the Netherlands). In Austria -- a more than successful home game for Medien Werkzeuge -- these were the official UEFA screens (Rathausplatz, Heldenplatz) and screens in numerous fan zones (Ringstrasse, Hanappi-Stadion, Kaiserwiese/Prater). The technical highlight was the so-called “ORF Cube” at the Vienna Burgtheater with screens on three sides and an inbuilt TV studio for the Austrian state broadcaster (ORF).

Pulsating Match Behind the Scenes
High-tech equipment, optimally interlinked logistics and reliable partners can be compared to wins in the group stage: a solid basis, but not quite enough for the title. As in the play-offs, everything is at stake in the set-up phase. Those losing their composure in dangerous situations are not cut out for this business. Preparation time is short. During the construction phase, the constructor is dependent on other service providers (scaffolding, power, sound, cameras etc.). “Our employees must have a head for heights and be nocturnal – and, above all, they have to have nerves of steel. When our schedule gets tighter because of supplier delays and we have to put in nightshifts two days before the fan zone opens its gates, there is no room for mistakes. Our team is proud to have a quota of zero screen failures,” explains Wymetal, detailing the company’s own high quality requirements and the particular challenges faced in this job. For the LED specialists the heartbeat final is basically over when the whistle first blows at kick-off.

About The Company
Wiener Medien Werkzeuge Kommunikations-Veranstaltungs GmbH owns more than 600 m² of LED rental equipment and is one of the top three LED rental companies in Europe. Medien Werkzeuge, established in 2000, has offices in Vienna and Munich and generates an average annual turnover of EUR 3.5 million. Along with its global project partners, the company and its 11 full-time staff (8 in Austria, 2 in Germany, 1 in the Netherlands) set up flexible indoor and outdoor LED formats (display boards, video walls) for major international events in the fields of sports, culture and trade fairs.