BUDWEISER GARDENS MAIN BOWL
JBL LOUDSPEAKER CLUSTER
tems in venues of this size for years, so we’re
very proud to now be doing commercial
install and integration work in them as well.”
Commissioned in June 2018, the new
audio system at Budweiser Gardens – primar-
ily comprised of JBL loudspeakers and QSC
amplification and processing – seriously ups
the game for the venue and the experience
it can deliver to patrons for sports, entertain-
ment, and more.
Granted, the pre-existing system had
served the venue (formerly the John Labatt
Centre) well since it first opened its doors in
October 2002, but it was definitely time for
an upgrade says Jim Baroudi, IT/AV Manager
for Spectra Venue Management, which runs
the arena for the city. “It was a 15-year-old
Peavey PA system originally, which worked
well but was on its last legs.”
Budweiser Gardens upgraded to all
LED lighting in 2017 and the video system
remains in excellent condition, Baroudi adds.
“This year, we made the decision to overhaul
and upgrade the audio systems. The number
one thing we wanted was a system with
subwoofers so we could get more low end –
something we’ve been lacking for our entire
16 years.”
The bowl sound system is used primar-
ily for hockey and basketball games, as well
as special events like Monster Jam or Harlem
Globetrotters shows, but not concerts, which
typically carry their own production. That’s
part of the reason they’ve been able to op-
erate without a permanent low-end solution
over the years.
Choosing The PA
Shop for the project was
pretty much a no-brain-
er for Baroudi and
Spectra. Since opening,
the arena has been
using the company as a
resource for everything
from full concert PA to
small system rentals to
peripheral gear pur-
chases.
Baroudi and the
arena’s main audio tech-
nician, Cameron Grant,
have been in the industry since the 1980s
and were some of the first customers at The
PA Shop when Ron Schroeyens, Ryan’s dad,
was first open for business. “I’ve known Ron
for 40 years, so I’m going to lean towards
people that are going to do me right,” says
Baroudi. “Plus, my bosses and I, personally,
we love to go local when possible, and The
PA Shop came in with the best bid, so it was
a win/win for all of us.”
It’s also a fitting choice given Budweiser
Gardens is, in many ways, very much a local
concern.
Located in downtown London at 99
Dundas St., the arena occupies the former
site of The Talbot Inn, which stood for 125
years prior to its demolition. The venue’s
façade actually incorporates a replication of
the Inn on its northeast corner, and through
the years, the arena has been home to the
city’s OHL franchise, the London Knights,
and more recently, the National Basketball
League of Canada’s London Lightning.
It has also hosted events such as the
Canadian Figure Skating and World Synchro-
nized Skating Championships, the Scotties
Tournament of Hearts and Tim Horton’s
Brier curling events, the CHL’s 2014 Master-
Card Memorial Cup, and 11 NHL preseason
matches. That’s in addition to a diverse array
of entertainment events such as Stars on Ice
and Cirque du Soleil and, of course, major
concerts. In fact, in 2010 and 2012, it was
named the Canadian Venue of the Year at
the Canadian Music and Broadcast Industry
Awards.
The PA Shop is also a proud local fix-
ture, though the company is increasingly
extending its reach. As it grows, however,
Schroeyens makes it clear that they intend
to maintain that local, “just a few minutes
away” reputation and approach to customer
service. “The people who work here, all they
want to do is to work in the entertainment,
sound, and music industry,” he says. “Whether
it’s an install, a production, or a sale, we’re
excited to work with people like Jim Baroudi
and venues like Budweiser Gardens.”
Schroeyens’ role on the project was very
much that of a facilitator, he explains – not
unlike the work he does overseeing his fam-
ily’s other entertainment-related businesses
at 46 Charterhouse Crescent, such as Char-
terhouse Studios and London Guitars. He
essentially managed the project from begin-
ning to end, coordinating logistics, ensuring
equipment and machinery arrived when
needed, and acting as the primary point of
contact for the client.
He was also instrumental in choosing
the team that undertook the installation:
Steve Deline, Darren Morrison, and Aaron
Murray, each taking the lead in their area of
expertise.
“It was a group effort,” Schroeyens em-
phasizes. “Steve was the lead on hanging the
boxes, Darren handled the Q-Sys program-
ming, and Aaron led on the wiring, but all
three worked in close collaboration.”
“Bringing the best of our individual
abilities together and getting the right result
for the client is really what it comes down to,”
says Deline. He’s worked with the company
on and off since 2005, but returned full-time
as a lead installer, system designer, and ac-
count rep for PA Shop AV Solutions in 2015.
“This is a small town, so this is also a personal
thing for us. We don’t have the anonymity of
the big city. Clients call us personally when
they need us, and it’s nice to have a close
relationship with the guys at the biggest
venue in our city.”
Deline has significant experience work-
ing in Budweiser Gardens and similar venues,
which made him the optimal choice to lead
the loudspeaker hang and integration of
peripherals like playback devices, control
surfaces, and communications systems. “I
worked as an IATSE member here and at
other London venues for over 10 years, walk-
ing the beams myself, so I’m very familiar
with the venue and what had to happen to
accomplish their goal.”
PROFESSIONAL SOUND 39