SVG Sit-Down: Live Media Group’s Ryan Jones on Exponential Growth, New Production Trucks, the Rise of REMI

Client-provided equipment, HDR needs are current key trends

Although Live Media Group has roots dating to 2002, the company has grown exponentially in recent years through both acquisitions and in-house buildouts, becoming one of the largest live-event-production providers in North America. Most recently, the company undertook significant upgrades to its production-truck fleet and added new production-control rooms at its Nashville office, which is home to its TNDV entertainment division. Last year, LMG launched GameTime Productions, offering clients a dedicated team of professionals for fully produced live events.

At the beginning of this year, Ryan Jones took over as SVP, internal operations, following nearly two decades at NEP Group in various engineering, operations, and management roles. As he approaches the six-month mark, SVG sat down with Jones to discuss what he brings to the LMG team, the company’s continued investment in its fleet, the new control rooms in Nashville, the launch of GameTime Productions, the evolution of the industry, the rise of REMI and cloud-based productions, and what’s next for LMG.

Live Media Group’s Ryan Jones: “With LMG continuing to invest in cutting-edge technology and mobile production units, I am committed to ensuring that each project meets both our internal standards and our clients’ expectations.”

Tell us a bit about your background and what you bring the LMG team. Why were you interested in joining LMG?
I began my career at NEP as an apprentice in 2005. Over the course of nearly 20 years in the industry, I’ve held a variety of roles, including mobile unit engineer, integration engineer, senior systems engineer, engineering manager, and director of systems integration. I see tremendous opportunity at LMG: the company’s momentum is clear, and I’m excited to contribute to its continued success.

What are your primary goals at LMG, and how are you looking to enhance internal operations?
My goal is to bring my knowledge and experience to the LMG team to support and enhance the company’s ongoing growth and success. With LMG continuing to invest in cutting-edge technology and mobile production units, I am committed to ensuring that each project delivers a final product that meets both our internal standards and our clients’ expectations. I take pride in bridging technical execution with strategic goals, making sure every system we build or deploy reflects the quality, innovation, and reliability we expect.

How is LMG investing in the fleet? Can you provide some details on recent upgrades to its production-truck fleet?
Even prior to my being on staff, LMG has been going through tremendous improvement and change. Through my conversations with [LMG President] Michael [Sullivan], it became clear that the organization was in an extremely exciting position. In 2024, enhancements were made to every truck in the fleet, with a focus on increased flexibility and capability as well as new video, audio, and terminal gear. We have an aggressive plan for 2025 that focuses on HDR and better integration and connection between trucks, while continuing to roll out new IP trucks to better serve our clients and partners.

As a veteran of the industry, how are you seeing the live-production-facilities business evolve these days? How has the growth of REMI affected workflows and strategy? Will the rise of cloud have a major impact in the coming years?
We need to be flexible. There is a growth with REMI and non-traditional shows, but we also need to be malleable enough to support the full-production shows at a moment’s notice. It comes down to our strategy, which is to provide the best customer service for every level of truck and have a truck fleet that is primed to achieve those goals.

What key trends are you seeing today in systems integration, operations, and engineering for live production? How is LMG looking to embrace these trends to serve your customers’ needs?
Client-provided equipment and HDR needs. For us, there has been a priority to make sure we are providing enough rack space and infrastructure to support the client-provided equipment. It seems like the clients are needing to bring in gear more often, and, in the IP world now, it’s equipment that is very deep. So we must consider rack depth, airflow, connectivity, and access when designing new trucks or upgrading existing units. The other trends are HDR shows. We continue to upgrade our fleet to meet HDR needs.

What can we expect from LMG throughout the rest of 2025? Any new builds or refurbs on the horizon? Any major system-integration projects coming up?
For 2025, we will be launching new ST 2110 trucks, along with several HDR upgrades, new cameras, new lenses, and interior fit and finishes. We’re incredibly excited about all the new opportunities that we’ve received and look forward to continuing to service them with our new and/or refreshed fleet. As I mentioned, the momentum and excitement around this organization was one of the things that motivated me to join this team.