The Daktronics Experience

The Texas Rangers opened their new ballpark, Globe Life Field, in 2020 during a pandemic. Justin and Matt talked with the Rangers’ Chris DeRuyscher, senior director of ballpark entertainment, and Colin Drake, Graphics Coordinator, to hear more about their new technology and control system, using the stadium during this year’s playoff bubble and much more.

• Texas Ranger Fact Sheet: https://daktronics.widen.net/s/dvru9hwt1l
• Texas Rangers News Release: https://www.daktronics.com/news/Pages/Texas-Rangers-Taking-Total-Control-With-Daktronics-Show-Control-System.aspx
• Texas Rangers Blog Post: https://blog.daktronics.com/2019/12/02/the-texas-rangers-daktronics-together-since-1994/ 

The University of South Alabama brought football to campus with the opening of a brand new stadium this year. Justin and Matt sat down with Joel Erdmann, Director of Athletics at the University of South Alabama, to discuss the new stadium and the Daktronics technology that helps bring it to life. They also cover what it is like to host events during a pandemic, the technology at other venues on campus and much more.

• South Alabama Project News Release: https://www.daktronics.com/news/Pages/Daktronics-Provides-LED-Displays-for-University-of-South-Alabama.aspx
• South Alabama Project Photo: https://www.daktronics.com/en-us/photos/details?pn=WP-024057&cid=124355-001

To recap this year’s Daktronics Sales Expo, Justin and Matt are joined by marketing strategist Jess Bern, on-premise market manager Taylor Nilson and sales manager Tom Coughlin. This discussion covers the history of the show, what it was like to go virtual this year, how it benefits sign companies and more.

• Daktronics Sales Expo Webpage: www.daktronics.com/salesexpo
• Brett Wendler Podcast Episode: http://podcast.daktronics.com/e/65-broker-vs-manufacturer-for-led-displays-with-brett-wendler/

What do you need to know so you can effectively operate your video board? To hear about the event production curriculum being used at Waunakee High School, Justin and Matt talk with their video content creator Jason McConnell. He shares how the school has implemented the curriculum for virtual learning and how he’s teaching his students all the details of producing live events with a video board.

• Event production curriculum webpage: https://www.daktronics.com/en-us/markets/sports/high-schools/game-day-production-program

How has COVID impacted the billboard industry? To hear one perspective, Justin and Matt are joined by Ike Wingate, president of Wingate Media Group, to hear how he’s adapted during the pandemic and the importance of his digital inventory. He also shares how he got started in the billboard industry and much more.

• Wingate Media Group Webpage: wingatemediagroup.com
• Ike’s Good Business News: goodbusiness.news

As Daktronics Big Stream option starts to catch on, Justin and Matt visited with Joey Struwe, Activities Director at Lincoln High School in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, to hear about his experience with the streaming feature. Joey also shares his role with the school, the features of the product that they enjoy and much more.

• Daktronics Big Stream Webpage: www.daktronics.com/bigstream  

During COVID-19, financing capital improvement projects can be tricky. So, Justin and Matt talked with Larry Leckonby, Catawba College’s Director of Athletics, to hear how they were able to finance the new video board at their stadium and how they will use the display in the future.

• Daktronics Financing Webpage: https://www.daktronics.com/en-us/services/financing
• Catawba College Athletics Webpage: https://catawba.edu/athletics

How has Daktronics been handling project management during COVID-19? Justin and Matt sat down with Seth Hansen, Vice President of Project Management for Daktronics, to find out. He also covers the company’s approach to project management as a whole, how they work with multiple parties to coordinate a project and much more.

• Daktronics Project Management Website: https://www.daktronics.com/en-us/services/project-management
• Syracuse University News Release: https://www.daktronics.com/news/Pages/Syracuse-University-Debuts-the-Largest-Centerhung-in-College-Sports.aspx
• Auburn Arena News Release: https://www.daktronics.com/news/Pages/New-Audiovisual-System-Installed-Auburn-Arena.aspx
• Alabama Tunnel Display: https://www.facebook.com/AlabamaFTBL/videos/1286345688381759/

To learn more about the National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association (NIAA), Justin and Matt are joined by Phil Rison, the Associate Executive Director of NIAAA. Phil shares the organization’s goals, details of their upcoming national conference, how they’ve adapted due to the impacts of COVID-19 and much more.

• NIAAA Webpage: https://members.niaaa.org/
• NIAAA Conference Webpage: https://www.adconference.org/
• NIAAA Professional Development Webpage: https://www.adconference.org/professional-development
• NIAAA Registration Webpage: https://www.adconference.org/register

From working on airplanes to working on video boards for Air Force, Jeremy Webb, scoreboard and scoring systems technician at U.S. Air Force Academy, has some interesting experiences. To hear about those experiences and the sports Jeremy works with, Justin and Matt visited with him for this episode.

• Daktronics Digital Audio Facades: https://www.daktronics.com/en-us/products/audio-systems/digital-audio-facade 
• Air Force Academy Photos: https://www.daktronics.com/en-us/photos/details?pn=WP-19843&cid=103725