The Daktronics Experience

LED video displays are everywhere in today’s culture. Sideline Productions’ Nick Schmeichel joins Justin and Matt to talk about his business of bringing mobile LED displays to any live event you can think of to give attendees a better view. From snowmobiling to festivals, and even the unexpected, Nick shares the personal story of becoming a business owner and all that it entails.

Sideline Productions Website: http://www.sidelinemediagrp.com/

Daktronics Product Webpage: https://www.daktronics.com/en-us/products/video-displays/mobile-and-modular

Carrier Classic: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carrier_Classic

NY Times Story on Carrier Classic: https://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/12/sports/ncaabasketball/unc-and-michigan-state-tip-off-on-an-aircraft-carrier.html

With the IDEA Conference coming up in sunny San Diego, Justin and Matt sit down with Mark Eisenstadt and Angie Wilson to talk about the conference and what attendees can expect this year. They also share some of their favorite stories from years past and give a little insight into the Daktronics Video Summit held prior to the conference getting underway.

• IDEA Landing Page
• Daktronics IDEA landing page for registration of the Video Summit, booth information and a form if you would like to meet with us at IDEA.
• News release on Al Kurtenbach and his induction into the IDEA Hall of Fame

Baseball, it’s America’s pastime. So why not talk with an avid baseball fan about the sport and how Daktronics helps people take in a ball game? Justin and Matt round the bases with Kyle Harris, Daktronics account services manager and super-fan, to talk about his love for the game, some of the big projects the company is involved in and how the minor leagues swing for the fences with fun for their fans.

• Texas Rangers: https://daktne.ws/2H57bDW
• St. Louis Cardinals Ballpark Village:
  • https://www.daktronics.com/news/Pages/St-Louis-Cardinals-The-Cordish-Company-Select-Video-Display-Enhancements-for-Their-Fans-from-Daktronics.aspx
  • https://www.daktronics.com/en-us/photos/details?pn=WP-18435&cid=166913-002
  • https://www.daktronics.com/en-us/photos/details?pn=WP-18437&cid=166913-002

Justin and Matt go behind the scenes of live event productions at Purdue University with Les Eller, post-production manager for Hall of Music Productions, the university’s production house. Les shares some stories of producing events, third-party integrations and even how he’d get into deep discussions about Star Wars with the basketball team’s tallest player.

• Purdue University: https://www.purdue.edu/
• Purdue Athletics: https://purduesports.com/
• CUE Audio: https://www.cueaudio.com/

Angie Wilson returns to the podcast to talk about Daktronics Live Clips, a Show Control System improvement that brings broadcast-quality elements to live event productions. Angie gives a few feature updates such as customizable workspaces including putting buttons anywhere as well as how easy it is to plug-and-play Live Clips. She also gives a little preview to the Video Summit coming up just before the 2019 IDEA Conference.

• Video Summit Link
• IDEA Conference
• Daktronics Live Clips

While watching a sporting event on TV or streaming on the internet, something is almost always present and visible: the score. Matt and Justin were visited by Yani Figueras and Jhonneal Perez with AJT Systems, a division of Daktronics, which provides the dynamic graphics for those scores and other information to be shown on broadcasts. The team talks about their experience with ESPN, the PGA and even Axe Throwing.

• AJT Systems website: www.ajtsystems.com
• Library of graphics and networks they support: www.dashboard.ajtsystems.com

Join Justin and Matt as they go behind the scenes with Digital Artist Gerry Shaw. He shares what he does on a daily basis and the programs he uses. He also talks about the importance of creating content for the specific displays and their dimensions, such as ribbon displays, and how the Daktronics Creative Services team helps customers see what a new display might look like in their venue. And that took us on a turn as we learned it can be hard to say the word “previsualization.”

• Daktronics Creative Services YouTube Channel
• Daktronics Creative Services Webpage

Adam Kaminski joins Matt to talk about his role as a Daktronics Control Systems Specialist including training key operators on their new system after it’s installed. He also talks about other Daktronics services he helps to provide at all levels of events from high schools to the pros. He even shares a fun story about what it was like working on the new system at Wrigley Field for the Chicago Cubs.

• Wrigley Field – Chicago Cubs project highlight video: https://www.daktronics.com/en-us/video-gallery/Wrigley-Field
• Tottenham Hotspur Stadium news release: https://www.daktronics.com/news/Pages/Daktronics-Supplying-Complete-Street-to-Seat-Experience-At-Tottenham-Hotspur-Stadium.aspx
• Little Caesars Arena – Detroit Red Wings & Detroit Pistons project highlight: https://www.daktronics.com/en-us/video-gallery/Little-Caesars-Arena-Virtual-Tour
• Fiserv Forum – Milwaukee Bucks project highlight: https://www.daktronics.com/en-us/video-gallery/Milwaukee-Bucks-Fiserv-Forum-Testimonial
• Target Center – Minnesota Timberwolves project highlight: https://www.daktronics.com/en-us/video-gallery/Minnesota-Twins
• Great Lakes Loons project highlight: https://www.daktronics.com/en-us/video-gallery/Great-Lakes-Loons-Hear-It-From-Them
• Contact Professional Services: www.daktronics.com/professionalservices

Bringing new and exciting engagement opportunities to live events is at the core of CUE Audio’s plan. Ira Akers, the company’s co-founder and vice president of sales, visits with Justin and Matt to explain more about their inception, what they can do and a few projects they’ve worked on recently.

• CUE Audio website: https://www.cueaudio.com/
• CUE Audio on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwmWBDblwAZHTlDjEyyfKUw
• Iowa State project: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N3dw4PFGays

Mike Dewsnap, game-day producer for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, visited Brookings for the Daktronics Football User Group and stopped in to talk with Matt about his life in event production from college to the pros. He gives some advice for those looking to get into event production, shares what he learned during the user group event and tells us what he’s most excited about for the upcoming Bucs season.

• Tampa Bay Buccaneers end zone video displays: https://www.daktronics.com/en-us/photos/details?cid=122036#pn=WP-20267