The Daktronics Experience

To hear all about connecting with students at the high school level for video production, we spoke with Kyle Sydow, Daktronics High School Park and Rec Market Manager. He dives into DakClassroom, what it is and does, and what it provides for students and their communities. We also cover how this solution impacts high schools, colleges and even the professional levels of sports. 

Links:

• 227 – Capitalizing on Future Opportunities via Crew Connect with Brandon Shih
• DakClassroom Webpage: https://www.daktronics.com/en-us/markets/sports/high-schools/dakclassroom 

Join Justin and Matt as they look back on a big month for Daktronics! From the excitement of our annual Sales Expo and the record-setting installation at Oklahoma Softball, now home to the largest video board in all of college softball, to a full month focused on our Services team, there was plenty to cover. The duo also recaps the five podcast episodes released in October, featuring conversations with members of our Services group from across the U.S. and around the world.

Links:

• Oklahoma State Engages Fans with Largest LED Video Display in College Softball from Daktronics
• Sales Expo 2025 Strengthens Sign Company Partnerships and Showcases Design Excellence
• Daktronics Blog Site

Services Podcast Episodes:

• 272 – Inside Daktronics Services with Marian Verhaert
• 271 – Inside Daktronics Services with Jack Pickett
• 269 – Inside Daktronics Services with Melissa Carson
• 268 – Inside Daktronics Services with Brandon Johnson
• 266 – Inside Daktronics Services with Thair Kayed

Diving into the LED display upgrades for the Charlotte Knights, Justin and Matt are joined by Dan Rajkowski, Executive Vice President, Chief Operating Officer, and Chris Poindexter, Director of Game Presentation and Production. They give the inside story for getting a new display system for the 2025 baseball season including the installation timeline, system capabilities and using Show Control with Camino. They even describe how they customized the production as the season went along.

Links:

• News Release: https://www.daktronics.com/news/charlotte-knights-revamp-digital-display-experience-with-daktronics 
• Charlotte Knights Website: https://www.milb.com/charlotte-knights 
• Camino Webpage: https://www.daktronics.com/en-us/products/software-and-controllers/show-control/products/camino 

Rounding out our mini-series on Daktronics Services, Marian Verhaert, Service Manager for Europe, joins the podcast. She shares her role in supporting our customers, how the process works with the services team in her region, including multiple markets and applications, and more.

Jack Pickett, account service manager for Daktronics in the southeast region, is the next to join our services mini-series! He shares experiences from his 22 total years with Daktronics, how important a service agreement is for our customers, what success looks like for him and the Daktronics services team, and so much more.

What’s it like to add 23 LED displays totaling 20,000+ square feet on a college campus? We sat down with Iowa State University’s Tyler Rutherford, Associate AD of Digital Media and Cyclones.tv, and Philip Manley, Associate Director of Game Presentation, to hear all about it. From a massive new display at Jack Trice Stadium for football to a continuous centerhung display at Hilton Coliseum, there were some big changes in the past year. They also dive into digital content with Camino, production capabilities with Show Control and so much more.

Links:

• Daktronics news release: https://www.daktronics.com/news/led-display-upgrades-from-daktronics-will-improve-cyclone-fan-exper… 
• YouTube version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nWRe1HJfd4E 

Next up on our services mini-series, we were joined by Melissa Carson, Market Service Manager of Live Events and Spectaculars at Daktronics. She goes in-depth on her role in customer service and support, how the Daktronics team is there for customers before, during and after large events, and how the company supports 24/7 uptime.

Links

• Previous episode with Melissa: 113 - Daktronics Approach to Customer Training with Melissa Carson

Continuing with our services mini-series, we’re talking with Brandon Johnson, Daktronics Technical Support Engineer. He shares his role in Daktronics services and how the group is structured to support Daktronics customers around the world, how being proactive can help alleviate potential concerns, his goal of helping create customers for life and more.

Join Justin and Matt as they cover a packed month of announcements,10 news releases in total! From professional sports venues and universities to transportation hubs and international projects, the team recaps all the highlights and stories that made headlines in September.

News Releases:

• Daktronics Introduces All Sport Pro for Fixed-Digit Scoreboards
• CHI Health Center Omaha Refreshes Digital Video Experience with Daktronics Displays
• Daktronics Delivers 80-Foot Viewing Experience at Circa Kentucky Downs
• Daktronics Brings Messaging Opportunities to Pedestrian Bridges at Yas Bay Waterfront, Abu Dhabi
• Collaborative AV and Daktronics Partner to Upgrade Auditorium Experience at Marine Corps University Quantico
• OG&E Coliseum Brings Video Focus to Live Events with Daktronics Centerhung System
• Prospera Place Elevates Atmosphere With One of the Largest Centerhungs in CHL from Daktronics
• Eye On Crime Increases with Daktronics, High Point Networks Collaboration for Pueblo Police Department’s Real-Time Crime Center
• Daktronics Releases Data Studio Volleyball for 2025 Season
• University of Kansas Kicks Off Football Season with Huge Stadium Improvements Including New Daktronics Video Display

In this mini-series of episodes, we dive into Daktronics Services and all that entails. We’re starting with a conversation with Thair Kayed, Regional Services Manager in the Middle East. He shares his experiences working with Daktronics for 13 years, how our Dubai team sets customers up for success, how we remain available for support after the sale and much more.