The Daktronics Experience

When heading to James Madison University, Sarabeth Ellis had a plan that changed in a very exciting way when she joined the JMU Dukes production team. She joined Justin and Matt to tell her story, how she worked her way up from a replay operator to a production intern, and more about her experiences behind the production curtain.

As the College Basketball Madness tips off around the country, we take a look at what that means from a Daktronics perspective by bringing back David Reynhout, Daktronics Customer Success Specialist in the Live Events Business, to break it all down. We cover how many venues are featuring Daktronics equipment, how our services team supports those venues and so much more. We even dig into an industry-specific topic on which clock is official for those buzzer beaters! Spoiler alert – it’s not the timer you see at the bottom of the TV screen on the broadcast graphic.

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.

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.

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.

When Sidney Public Schools decided to install an outdoor video display at their stadium, they turned to Daktronics for consistency with their indoor installation from 2021. To hear the details of how they incorporated video displays into the high school setting and involved their students, Justin and Matt talked with Matt McKay, Sidney Public School’s Director of IT Services. He expands on the integration as well as his experiences of learning the product, attending the recent Daktronics High School Video Summit and much more.

Links:

• DakClassroom: https://www.daktronics.com/en-us/markets/sports/high-schools/dakclassroom 

When event production takes center stage at Waunakee High School, Justin and Matt call up Jason McConnell to hear about it! Jason is the Director of Warrior Media and Video Content Coordinator for Athletics and he’s been part of a student-centric team that won a Daktronics DakClassroom Student Showcase Award this year for Best Overall Production and Best Use of Students in Production. He shares how their team works, the great things they are doing and where some of the students have gone from there.

Links:

• Daktronics Project Page: https://www.daktronics.com/en-us/photos?k=waunakee&project=199127-001&media=WP-022546
• Event production curriculum webpage: https://www.daktronics.com/en-us/markets/sports/high-schools/game-day-production-program

(Jason McConnell)

(Director View)

(Stream)

As our Creative Services team expands, we’ve added Keith Haeberle as Production Manager. We spoke with him earlier this year to hear about his previous experiences and how they relate to his new role with Daktronics, including a focus on processes and operations.

Links:

• Daktronics Creative Services Website: daktronics.com/creativeservices

As the madness of March kicks into high gear, we sit down with David Reynhout to explore how Daktronics is playing a crucial role in this iconic tournament season. David dives into the impressive number of venues featuring Daktronics equipment, from cutting-edge displays to immersive fan experiences. He also sheds light on the behind-the-scenes work of our dedicated service team, ensuring every game runs smoothly and every venue is fully supported.

Links:

• 236 – Preparing for College Football Bowl Games with David Reynhout