400 Acres of Specialized AtlasIED Speakers Keep World Equestrian Center in Top Form
The World Equestrian Center (WEC) in Ocala, Florida is a vast 400-acre equestrian complex with a myriad of facilities including stadiums, arenas, retail, restaurants, hotels, and recreational spaces, all interconnected by 40 miles of fiber optic cable. As the largest equestrian complex in the U.S., the facility necessitates robust technology infrastructure to maintain seamless operations, with a particular focus on expansive audio systems for providing background music, event information, race-day announcements, and more.
The diversity of events, the sheer size of the facility, and the requirements of different environments created significant complexities for the audio integration. To tackle these challenges, WEC partnered with AtlasIED, a commercial audio manufacturer, and All Pro Integrated Systems. The goal was to create a multi-zone audio environment that could cater to the complex’s diverse needs, which range from large outdoor and indoor arenas to small outdoor arenas, retail spaces, hotels, and more.
AtlasIED’s wide catalog of speakers was extensively used across the facility. Different styles of speakers were installed in various environments, such as in-ceiling speakers for audience areas and event floors in buildings, all-weather surface-mounted speakers in outdoor arenas, pendant-style speakers in hotel lobbies, ceiling-mounted speakers in restaurants and retail establishments, and weatherproof speakers along walkways. Mobile trailers fitted with outdoor-rated LED walls and AtlasIED horn speakers added a flexible and portable way to engage visitors and spectators.
One crucial consideration was the needs of the animals. The audio system was designed and calibrated to prevent startling the horses while ensuring intelligibility for the riders. Audio zoning was also applied for different scenarios; for example, arenas were divided into warmup and competition zones to prevent distractions during events.
Overall, the AtlasIED audio systems have enhanced the user experience at WEC by providing high-quality, diverse, and situation-appropriate sound across the massive complex. The success of the implementation in Ocala has paved the way for AtlasIED’s systems to be integrated into the WEC’s sister location in Wilmington, Ohio, as well as future expansions of the Ocala facility.
