Bakersfield's Dignity Health Arena Installs New LED Pylon Sign
2026-10-08 · via Digital Signage Today
The Dignity Health Arena, Theater and Convention Center in Bakersfield, California has replaced its outdoor marquee with a new LED pylon sign, giving the 10,000-seat venue a higher-resolution display it can use for both event content and advertising revenue.
The arena is owned by the City of Bakersfield and managed by ASM Global. It was formerly known as Mechanics Bank Arena and is home to the AHL's Bakersfield Condors. The Bakersfield City Council approved the marquee project a year ago, and the city contracted with LED manufacturer SNA Displays in May 2025 to carry it out. Technology consultant Anthony James Partners handled design, procurement and construction administration, while Sign Factory handled demolition of the old sign and installation of the new LED system.
The finished structure stands 36 feet 6 inches tall and includes illuminated graphics, channel lettering, structural accent lighting and the city's colors. It houses two vertically oriented LED screens, each measuring 18 feet tall by 10 feet 6 inches wide with a resolution of 552 by 320 pixels. The screens are installed at a 30-degree angle, a choice SNA Displays says was made to improve visibility for traffic moving in both directions along Truxtun Avenue, the road fronting the venue.
For an operator running a multi-purpose venue like this one, the pylon serves double duty. It needs to display event and wayfinding content for whatever is happening inside, whether that is a hockey game, concert or convention, while also generating digital out-of-home ad revenue for the city and supporting sponsor or client content tied to specific events. Barbara Barry, director of sports and live events at SNA Displays, said in an email interview that the project required technology that was "flexible, reliable, and capable of delivering clear content to traffic" while also balancing cost efficiency against resolution and pixel pitch.
Barry's advice to other venues considering similar upgrades is to lock down goals, budget and operational requirements early, including how the display needs to integrate with existing or planned venue infrastructure and digital signage networks. She also recommended bringing in the display provider and designer early in the process so the technology fits the physical space, and said more complex builds, such as adding illuminated lettering or a new steel support structure, put a premium on experienced project management.
The announcement does not specify the project's cost, the LED pixel pitch, or the content management or ad-sales software the city will use to run campaigns on the sign. It also does not say when the installation was completed or when the pylon went live. SNA Displays says this was its first project with the City of Bakersfield directly, though the company has prior experience working with ASM Global at other venues.
The announcement in full
Reproduced from Digital Signage Today for reference. Digital Signage Magazine did not write the text below.
The Dignity Health Arena, Theater and Convention Center, a 10,000-seat multi-purpose arena owned by the City of Bakersfield, in California, now boasts an upgraded sign system featuring a pair of higher-resolution LED screens in a freestanding pylon.
October 8, 2026 by Judy Mottl — Editor: RetailCustomerExperience.com & DigitalSignageToday.com, Connect Media
The Dignity Health Arena, Theater and Convention Center, a 10,000-seat multi-purpose California arena owned by the City of Bakersfield and managed by ASM Global, plays host to everything from games and concerts to shows and live events all through the year. Once known as Mechanics Bank Arena, it is also home to the American Hockey League's Bakersfield Condors.
A year ago the Bakersfield City Council approved the development of a new outdoor marquee sign featuring an LED pylon to both improve the venue's exterior and just as importantly, foster a better visitor experience.
"This project aims to bring new appeal and functionality to attending events by providing a new LED Freestanding marquee that enhances the exterior of the building and guest experience," the council stated in a press release.
An added benefit of the LED pylon is the ability to drive revenue to the city via digital out-of-home advertising. There will also be revenue from arena clients using the sign to share themed content with attendees at events.
The council partnered with SNA Displays in May 2025 for the LED pylon project.
Technology consultant Anthony James Partners provided design, procurement, and construction administration services for the upgrade and Sign Factory provided demolition and LED installation services.
"This was our first time working with the City of Bakersfield, who own the venue, although we have significant experience with arena managers ASM Global," Barbara Barry, director of sports and live events at SNA Displays, said in an email interview.
SNA Displays is an LED video display manufacturer across several market sectors including sports and live-event venues, OOH, commercial real estate, retail environments, museums and commissioned digital art and many others.
The upgraded sign system sports a much sleeker design than its outdated predecessor, incorporating illuminated graphics and a pair of higher-resolution LED screens, all as part of a freestanding pylon.
It stands 36 feet and 6 inches tall and includes City of Bakersfield colors, channel lettering, and structural channel accent lighting.
The video displays are vertically oriented, each measuring 18 feet tall x 10 feet by 6 inches wide (552 x 320 pixels), and installed at a 30-degree angle to improve visibility for east- and west-bound traffic along Truxtun Avenue.
When it comes to a huge arena and so many different events taking place, the goal was to provide sign technology that met all the center's needs as well as those of the clients.
"The Dignity Health Arena LED pylon needed technology that was flexible, reliable, and capable of delivering clear content to traffic along Truxtun Avenue," said Barry. "Not only does it support themed content, but it also generates revenue for the City of Bakersfield through digital-out-of-home advertising."
Choosing the right technology required balancing all those usage requirements with cost efficiency while optimizing the resolution and pitch for the best video experience possible, said Barry.
Way before the design and display decisions, an organization needs to map out more than a few things, according to Barry.
"Organizations should establish their goals, budget, and operational requirements early, including how the display will support live events and integrate with the venue, both the infrastructure and current or future digital display networks," Barry said.
Early involvement from the designer and LED provider can help ensure the technology fits the space and application.
"An experienced provider can also coordinate with other trades and develop custom solutions when necessary. The more complex an upgrade is, such as adding illuminated channel lettering or building a brand new steel column support structure, the more a history of solid project management becomes," said Barry.
Judy Mottl is the editor of RetailCustomerExperience.com and DigitalSignageToday.com at Connect Media. She is an award-winning editor, reporter and blogger who has worked for top media for nearly four decades, including AOL, InformationWeek and Internet News, as well as for leading technology providers including HP. She’s written everything from breaking news to in-depth industry trends and reported on technology long before the internet arrived, including the debut of the first smartphone. When she's not sharing insights on digital signage deployments and trends in retail customer experience she's on the beach or watching the latest live murder trial.
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