The South Shore Convention and Visitors Authority expects to have a new video board on wheels delivered in time for the start of summer festival season.

The SSCVA Board Thursday approved the purchase of the LED video board from Insane Impact for $147,500. Delivery of the unit is expected the first week in July. The video board is a weatherproof self-contained unit that can be towed behind the SSCVA tourism mobile and set up by staff at various sites around Lake County in about 15 minutes, David Uran, president and CEO, said.

Uran said he and board president Andy Qunell first saw a similar video board in use at Griffith’s Rock n’ Rail festival. The board was set up away from the stage and festival attendees gathered around the display to watch the musical performances.

The unit purchased by the SSCVA is larger than the one used in Griffith. Uran said the tourism bureau is purchasing a 10-by-17 foot monitor that can be raised 20 feet high. The board can broadcast live or stream video including promotional materials in between performances.

This video board will debut during Festival of the Lakes in Hammond and will help create another viewing area for attendees who can’t see the stage. Uran said the bureau for the second year has committed $20,000 in support of Festival of the Lakes. Use of the video board can be part of an in-kind contribution instead of cutting a check for $20,000.

Board member Attorney John Buscemi question how the rental and use of the video board would be allocated.

Bureau partners would be able to rent the unit for use at their events on a first come first serve basis, Uran said. A pricing policy would have to be determined and adopted. The unit would be wrapped with SSCVA branding to help advertise the agency regardless where the video board is being used.

Board Member Taryl Bonds, executive director of the Gary Housing Authority, said he expects the units will be very popular with the bureau’s partners. He asked if there would be a discount if they purchased two.

“That’s a good problem to have,” Qunell said.

He advised Uran to look into whether they could receive a discount if a second unit was purchased within six months.