Planar LED Video Walls Highlight Array of Amenities at Newly- Opened Westport Social

The new Westport Social opened its doors in the Maryland Heights suburb of St. Louis, introducing a 13,000-square-foot classic bar and gaming lounge packed with amenities and entertainment. Created and owned by Lodging Hospitality Management (LHM), the sophisticated yet casual concept includes an elevated food menu, two private karaoke rooms, an outdoor patio and a spacious interior teeming with a diversity of games such as bocce ball, shuffleboard, ping-pong, pop-a-shot basketball, darts, foosball and snookball.

The main bar features a large open room with 20-foot ceilings, booths and lounge-style seating, and installed on different facing walls—creating a dynamic sports-viewing environment—are three 16-foot-long, 9-foot-high Planar TWA Series LED video walls with 1.8mm pixel pitches (TWA1.8) from Planar.

Offering a crisp, high contrast image from using the highest quality black LEDs and delivering excellent off- axis uniformity and maximum full color and brightness, the Planar TWA Series offers a vibrant video wall solution for the expansive sports bar area.

The Planar TWA Series is architected to support the highest pixel density and delivers benefits unique to its "flat panel" design including a 16:9 form factor optimized for the most popular high-resolution standards.

Engineered for 24x7 operation, the Planar TWA Series is available with a redundant video and power option to ensure continuous operation for demanding operations.

Jim Conaway, LHM Vice President of I.T., said the Planar TWA Series was the optimal choice for Westport Social, providing a clear and sharp picture across the entire viewing range in the sprawling, open space.

"Westport Social is a really unique place to watch sports—there's no other place like it," he said. "Based on feedback we received, the video walls deliver a significant 'wow factor' and that impression does not fade away—when customers return, they are still blown away."

While dramatic, the video walls offer simple operation. "All of the control is accomplished via an iPad," Conaway said.

"Staff can arrive in the morning, push one button and everything turns on. They can also easily make changes, such as going from a single screen to a quad view."

According to Conaway, the video walls compliment the upscale lounge furnishings and industrial bar design, providing a novel atmosphere to watch sports and socialize—a formula that is proving to be successful. "Business has been so good that I would venture to say that Westport Social has become the top revenue producing bar in the whole state," he said.