“We knew what we were getting into, and we knew that it was going to be unique and we had to learn along the way,” Mayer said. “We got to school on a venue that is state-of-the-art, unbelievably ahead of the curve.”

Unique challenges

Mayer said he likes to think the NHL and the venue have learned a lot from each other as they prepare for The Sphere’s first live event.

Most of the building’s production elements are packaged beforehand. The NHL is going to test the limits on what it can do on the fly. It wants live graphics and up-to-the-minute stats as part of the draft experience.

“For us, we can’t do (preproduction). We have to react to what’s happening in the moment,” Mayer said. “When you do get drafted, your photo, your image, your stats, everything has to populate on that media plane (the LED board) in real time. This has been quite an opportunity for us, a production we’ve never experienced.”

Everything going on inside will also be shown outside.

The draft’s TV broadcast will air on the Exosphere, the outside of the Sphere, in another first for the venue. Fans can walk down Sands Avenue and Koval Lane on Friday and see everything taking place.

Mayer said the NHL took note of certain elements Formula One utilized during the Las Vegas Grand Prix in November that hinted at being able to transmit a live feed on the exterior.

“I think everyone understands how different and unique this could be,” Mayer said. “The Exosphere will be a significant piece of our creative. We’ve talked to our broadcasters about this — you can’t approach this remotely how you have in the past. You can’t cover a draft and make it small. You’ve got to go big, think big.”

Last of its kind

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