The Daktronics Experience

In this episode, we sit down with Cody Smithies, a former student at Payette High School. Cody shares his incredible journey from starting Floww Photography in 7th grade to expanding it into Floww Media, an umbrella company covering sports production and media. He dives into his hands-on experience with graphic design and event production at Payette High School, where he was instrumental in creating game-day graphics and managing media for school sports events. Cody also offers valuable advice for students interested in media and event production.

Sean Miller – Owner and Director of Orion Creative Services, shares his path into live event production, from his early career experiences to his current work. He talks about his role with Brentford Football Club and gives an inside look at what happens behind the scenes on game day, including the coordination and challenges that make each event run smoothly. Whether you’re interested in football or curious about the logistics of live event production, Sean provides practical insights and real-world examples from his time in the industry.

Links:

• Brentford FC: https://www.brentfordfc.com/en 
• Show Control Software: https://www.daktronics.com/en-us/products/software-and-controllers/show-control 
• Venus Control Suite: https://www.daktronics.com/en-us/products/software-and-controllers/venus-control-suite 
• Daktronics Services: https://www.daktronics.com/en-us/services 

Not all live events have a full season of event production. To hear how our team handles week-long major events, Justin and Matt spoke with Brent Smith, Senior Art Director for Daktronics Creative Services. He shares his history of making digital content, how the Creative Services team works with these large events to create content on the fly and much more.

Links:

• Daktronics Creative Services Webpage: daktronics.com/creativeservices
• For inquiries, please email us at Professionalservices@daktronics.com

Inside the walls of Daktronics, engineering and assembly of displays isn’t the only thing taking place. Every component used in our systems is tested. To hear all about the testing and so much more, Justin and Matt are joined by Paul Gilk, Daktronics Vice President of Quality, Reliability and Serviceability.

Links:

• Daktronics Lab Services Webpage: www.daktronics.com/labservices

Joining us for our Women In Sports Online Event, Myra Miles shares her experiences with Vestavia Hills Schools including her journey from coaching to athletic directing. She expands on what it takes to oversee successful athletic programs and how her experiences could help others reach their goals.

Links:

• Women in Sports Webpage:  https://www.daktronics.com/en-us/events/women-in-sports
• Women in Sports News Release: https://www.daktronics.com/news/women-in-sports-event-returns-with-focus-on-overseeing-successful-athletic-programs

When it comes to installing an LED video display on the side of a mountain for ski slopes, Auviso and Daktronics come together to find a solution. To hear about this project and the use of helicopters to complete the installation, Justin and Matt sat down with Martin Elmiger and Markus Bucher with Auviso at the Daktronics International Partner Conference in Madrid. They also shared the uses of this display and whether they see it as a trend for future projects.

When providing the best possible game-day presentation, it’s critical to have the most up-to-date systems and applications at your fingertips. Justin and Matt discuss this aspect of event production with Daktronics Applications Engineer Mark Natale as well as many other aspects of the control room.

If you’re interested in video and technology in high school, the door is open with opportunities! To hear how one student turned his hobby into a part-time job that led to game-day production at the college level, Justin and Matt sat down with Brandon Shih, a Business Marketing Student and game-day operator at Mizzou.

Links:

• Daktronics Crew Connect Web Page: https://www.daktronics.com/en-us/markets/sports/high-schools/crew-connect

When demonstration times are limited and showing the details of how something works is critical, high-resolution LED technology is certainly the answer. This is what Justin and Matt learned by talking with Mike Winter, President of Worthington Tractor Parts, Inc. He shares his company’s story from getting started to becoming a global enterprise including the integration of a direct-view LED display into their showroom at their headquarters in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

Links:

• Worthington Tractor Parts website: https://wtpinc.com/ 

The University of Colorado Boulder added new LED technology to its stadium to ensure Folsom Field was ready for Prime Time in 2024. To hear all about the project, from ideation to installation and much more, Justin and Matt sat down with Jason Depaepe, Deputy Athletic Director, and Deric Swanson with BuffVision, both at the University of Colorado.

Links:

• YouTube Version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDveZsQT9nU 
• Daktronics News Release: https://www.daktronics.com/news/university-of-colorado-calls-on-daktronics-for-new-led-display-system 
• Daktronics Stadium Drone Video: https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=820540796894416