Planar, a global leader in visualization technology, announced today that Thunderbird School of Global Management at Arizona State University (Thunderbird) selected the company as the display technology partner for its new global headquarters in downtown Phoenix. In celebration of Thunderbird’s 75th anniversary, the new five story, 110,000-square-foot, high-tech facility features an impressive selection of Planar display solutions, supporting the world-class institution’s mission of being the most technological and digital leadership management business school in the world.
Planar’s impressive selection of display installations appear throughout the new headquarters, including the Digital Global Forum, Global Decision Theater, Founders Ring, classrooms, meeting spaces and more. This includes award-winning LED, LCD, transparent OLED and custom display solutions delivering new ways for Thunderbird to recruit, instruct, collaborate and visualize data.
“It’s an incredible privilege to power Thunderbird’s new global headquarters with Planar’s industry-leading display solutions,” said Executive Vice President Adam Schmidt. “Thunderbird is a world-renowned institution with a reputation of being at the forefront of innovation. In addition to elevating viewing and learning experiences, our extensive portfolio of groundbreaking visualization technologies is a perfect match for Thunderbird’s vanguard capabilities for global connectivity in its new high-tech facility. We’re thrilled to be making history with one of the most technologically sophisticated global management schools in the world.”
An assortment of striking, smoothly curved LED displays serves as a key attraction near the building’s ground-floor entrance before visitors are surrounded by an extensive range of LCD display technologies that support teaching and next-generation collaboration.
“Our vision is to not only reclaim our position as the most global leadership and management school in the world, but to also be the most digital and technological,” said Sanjeev Khagram, director general and dean of Thunderbird. “That was our mantra for designing and building this fantastic new global headquarters, and it’s the long-term partnerships with collaborators like Planar that has brought it to life.”
In addition to helping Thunderbird become the most technologically sophisticated graduate school in the world, the new leading-edge facility and Planar’s best-in-class visualization technologies are instrumental in the School’s pursuit to lead the Fourth Industrial Revolution. The partnership merges Planar’s nearly 40-year history of designing, deploying and supporting display solutions and leadership in delivering unparalleled visual performance with Thunderbird’s global enterprise management expertise and renowned leadership success development programs.
Thunderbird students, faculty and visitors will experience the following display installations from Planar:
Facility Entrance, Digital Global Forum and Visualization Room
Nearly 9-foot diameter Planar® CarbonLight™ CLI Series LED video display with a 1.9 millimeter pixel pitch forming the Founders Ring, featuring the names of the Schools’ founders and a canvas for branding, key messages or welcoming guests.
Custom 8.2-foot diameter LED sphere with a 3 millimeter pixel pitch suspended from the ceiling hangs in the Digital Global Forum, a dynamic open rotunda used to host a variety of events and presentations.
A Planar CarbonLight CLI Series LED video wall in an 18-foot-wide, 5-foot-high array with a 1.5 millimeter pixel pitch and motion-responsive technology controls content on the custom LED sphere.
360-degree LED video ribbon of Planar® CarbonLight™ CLI VX Series LED displays with a 2.6 millimeter pixel pitch measures 146-feet-long and 6.5-feet-high and supports 12 video conferencing or camera feeds.
A second Planar CarbonLight CLI VX Series LED video wall with a 2.6 millimeter pixel pitch is installed directly below the LED ribbon. Measuring 26-feet-wide and 10-feet-tall, the video wall is used for presentations or live camera feeds.
A 55-inch Planar® LookThru™ Transparent OLED Display is located at the front entrance and serves as a virtual greeter to welcome guests.
Classrooms and Meeting Spaces
A curved, 30-foot-wide Planar® CarbonLight™ CLI Flex™ Series LED video wall with a 1.5 millimeter pixel pitch provides a spectacular presentation and broadcast background in the Global Decision Theater.
Nine multi-touch tables, each comprised of 55-inch ultra-narrow bezel optical touch LCD displays in a 3x1 configuration for next-generation collaboration.
Three Planar® UltraRes™ X Series 100-inch touch 4K LCD displays in the 5th-floor Thunderbird Pub.
Two Planar® HB Series 75-inch Huddle Board touch screen displays in the Dean’s suite.
Hundreds of additional Planar large format 4K LCD displays ranging from 55 to 98 inches deployed throughout the facility’s classrooms and learning spaces.
Thunderbird’s new global headquarters and Planar’s extensive selection of display solutions were unveiled during a special global reunion event in celebration of the School’s 75th anniversary in April. Explore One Global Place as if you were there in person through this virtual reality tour.
A graduate of DeVry Institute of Technology, Doug has been in the Technology industry since 1976 and actively oversees Fearing’s daily operations. Along with his wife, Lois, and three others, Doug started Fearing’s in a 600 square-foot facility in Portage, Wisconsin. In the 25 years since, the company has grown to over 30 employees with offices in Madison and Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Doug likes to say he’s a “TV Technician with a dream� going back to his history with the family’s original business-Fearing’s TV and Appliance.
Doug values time with family, watersports, hiking, snowshoeing and skiing. In addition to being a devoted member of his church, Doug serves as Board President for Kinship Mentoring of Columbia County, Board member of Schools for Haiti and Scripture Chair of the Gideons-Portage camp.
A graduate of MATC, Lois oversees Fearing’s daily book keeping along with various HR responsibilities.
Along with Doug, Lois is deeply connected to community outreach, serving as a Board member and Fundraising Committee Chairperson for Kinship Mentoring of Columbia County. She also serves on the Schools for Haiti Fundraising committee. In addition, Lois’ ongoing passion and commitment to provide care for the elderly comes from her 10-year history of working in a Reedsburg, Wisconsin Nursing home.
Lois enjoys singing, hiking, sunny days on the pontoon, and spending time with her 4 grandchildren.
Ehren drives Fearing’s technology by continually seeking out trends to enhance capabilities while supporting Sales, Engineering and Installation teams. Throughout his years with Fearing’s, Ehren’s talent and vision have joined forces to create a wide variety of projects and strategic solutions that exceed expectation.
Ehren loves music, family time, movies, nature, sustainability efforts and electric vehicles.
With 10 years with Fearing’s and over twice that long in the industry, Ben continues to lead, coordinate, and develop the Commercial AV team.
By consistently delivering an outstanding experience and outcome, Ben contributes to the Fearing’s legacy of long-lasting partnerships that truly make a difference. Whatever the Commercial AV need may be, Ben and team deliver at the highest level.
Ben is an avid fisherman and photographer. He enjoys coaching his sons and other youth.
Chris has been with Fearing’s for 20 years and in the industry for over 2 decades. As a Certified leader in Sales Acceleration and trained in EOS (Entrepreneurial Operating Systems), Chris successfully utilizes his skills to lead the Fearing’s Salesforce. Chris and team are motivated and driven to develop new client partnerships while continuing to reinforce loyal long-term relationships with ongoing Service excellence.
Married for 19 years with 3 children, Chris enjoys skiing, hiking, fishing, boating, hunting, camping and golf. He’s also been actively involved as a Youth Football and Softball coach for his family and others.
