Mike Bonner, Carolina Panthers, Director/Executive Producer of Game Presentation and Production

Mike Bonner is a 27 year veteran in the sports business. He has been part of five World Series, three Stanley Cup Finals, two Super Bowls, one NBA Finals, and having recently returned from Beijing, eight Olympic Games. Bonner has worked for some of the most storied and iconic organizations like NBC, the New York Yankees, the Denver Broncos, the University of Notre Dame, and is now at Tepper Sports and Entertainment overseeing game presentation for the Panthers, Charlotte FC, and any other event that uses the videoboard. He resides in Charlotte, NC.

Gordon Brooks, Zixi, Executive Chairman and CEO

Gordon Brooks brings more than 30 years of software and services technology leadership to Zixi, leading Zixi’s strategic direction and the day-to-day execution of Zixi’s strategic plan. Brooks has served as CEO for five different companies – founding, launching, or turning around eight companies in total. Two of his IPO’s and five private sales created over $13 billion in value.

Before joining Zixi, Brooks was president of C3 IoT, a big data, IoT, and predictive analytics software platform company which provides the capability to design, develop, deploy, and operate complex large-scale AI applications. As CEO of Symphony Services, a commercial software product development services company, he grew the business from 100 people to over 4,000, and sold it for $800 million. As the CEO and co-founder of Breakaway Solutions, a full service B2B commerce solution provider, Brooks took the company public with a market cap of over $6 billion. At Cambridge Technology Partners (CTP), as co-founder he grew the company to over $850 million in revenues and conducted a successful IPO with a market cap over $5 billion.

Brooks holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of New Hampshire. He has attended advanced graduate programs at Seton Hall University and Northwestern University.

Daniel Casados, LA Clippers, Director of Game Presentation

Daniel Casados is the director of game presentation for the LA Clippers.  He is currently in his fifth season with the Clippers after spending 11 seasons with the San Antonio Spurs.

Casados graduated from the University of the Incarnate Word in San Antonio, TX with a sports management degree. He always knew that he wanted to work in the NBA since the age of seven and to be working in entertainment for his favorite sport is a dream come true.

Brandon Costa, SVG, Director of Digital

Brandon Costa covers the sports video production industry with a focus on live streaming, over-the-top (OTT), social media, and other digital distribution technologies and platforms. He also directs SVG’s internal digital strategies launching the company’s video outfit, ‘SVG On Demand,’ designing and overseeing its mobile application, ‘SVG Mobile,’ and serving as executive producer and host of The SVG Podcast. Costa serves as program director of networking events serving the SVG College and SVG Digital communities. Prior to his time at SVG, Costa spent five years producing digital content for MLB Advanced Media.

Jason Cothern, SoFi Stadium, VP of Broadcast Operations & Productions

Jason Cothern is the vice president of broadcast operations and productions for SoFi Stadium at Hollywood Park in Inglewood, CA. Cothern began his career in the post production industry managing digital assets. He traversed production and post production worlds, managing projects and staff for various corporations. Cothern advanced from post to live productions with a focus on streamlining the foundation of operations. From his successful administration of solid workflows in Atlanta for the Mercedes-Benz Stadium, he brings a balance of technical ingenuity and creative insight which will actualize the remarkable SoFi Stadium sports and entertainment complex. Cothern’s role with SoFi Stadium is in developing, directing, and implementing the structural practices for systems and teams that operate the largest video screen in the world. An accomplished and progressive leader with over 30 years of expertise, he navigates corporations at the forefront of change and constructs an environment of innovation and advancement in the live event experience.

Career highlights for Cothern include the new Centerhung / Control Room development for video production at the FLA Live Arena, home of the NHL Florida Panthers, in 2015. He implemented the Halo and Video Control Room systems for the Mercedes-Benz Stadium, home of the Atlanta Falcons and Atlanta United, in 2017. The 2018 NCAA Football Championship, Super Bowl LIII, the 2018 MLS All Star Game, and the 2018 MLS Championship were also all managed under his tenure. The ideation and development of Stadium Broadcast technology and practices for the new SoFi Stadium and You Tube Theater of Los Angeles are his focus of the day. Since the opening of SoFi Stadium in 2020, the Broadcast Operations have successfully executed two NFL seasons for the Los Angeles Chargers and Los Angeles Rams, the launch of YouTube Theater, and an exciting conclusion of the 2021 season; hosting Super Bowl LVI and crowning the home Champions, Los Angeles Rams.

Jason Dachman, SVG, Chief Editor

Jason Dachman oversees all aspects of SVG’s North American editorial operations, including the thrice-weekly SVG Insider newsletter and SVG’s annual print publications. A member of the SVG team since 2009, Dachman also serves as program director for SVG’s RSN Summit, Sports Content Management Forum, Sports Graphics Forum, and TranSPORT event. Prior to joining SVG, he spent three years covering local sports for The Patriot Ledger in Quincy, MA, and two years on the production staff of SiriusXM Satellite Radio’s The Ron & Fez Show. Dachman began his career in the Sports Information Department at Northeastern University in Boston, where he also earned a B.A. in media communications and cinema studies.

Mike Flathers, Signiant, Chief Solutions Officer

With over 30 years of software engineering experience, Mike Flathers has a passion for pushing the technology envelope. He has a proven track record of working alongside customers to create solutions to some of their most complex problems with an API-first mindset. A media and entertainment veteran, Flathers has deep technical experience with media and its surrounding workflows. An Emmy Award winning technologist, prior to joining Signiant, he was CTO for IBM’s Aspera business unit and an IBM Distinguished Engineer. Flathers was part of the executive team at Aspera when it was acquired by IBM in 2014. Prior to Aspera, he held several hands-on technical leadership positions, including CTO at Sorenson Media. Flathers has deep networking experience having spent 14 years at Novell after the company acquired Excelan where he was a developer and technical leader for the LANWorkplace product, the first suite of TCP/IP utilities for DOS and Windows. As the chief solutions officer at Signiant, Flathers plays a hands-on role, where he works closely with customers and internal Signiant teams to bridge the gap between the solutions customers need and Signiant’s product and integration roadmap.

Lauren Fisher, The Famous Group, Chief Creative Officer

Lauren Fisher is an Emmy award-winning creative director with over 15 years of experience in the entertainment and sports industry. She specializes in creating visually arresting content that experiments with animation, live-action, and emerging technologies to tell compelling stories and delight audiences. Beginning her career in broadcast design, she then moved on to directing projects for some of the biggest brands in sports including the NBA, NFL, NCAA, and over 15 professional teams. In 2019, Fisher served as animation director for the Emmy award-winning series Greatness Code on Apple TV+. She currently serves as the chief creative officer of The Famous Group, a fan experience company based out of Culver City, CA.

Charley Haggarty, NFL Media, Broadcast Infrastructure Architect ST 2110

Charley Haggarty is an Emmy Award-Winning broadcast and IT systems engineer with a background in HD Video production, post-production, storage, and delivery. He is an industry technical leader in the adoption of SMPTE 2110, SMPTE 2022-6/7, and AES 67 in the transition to IP infrastructures from traditional baseband SDI.

Haggarty is an engineering technical lead capable of maintaining corporate infrastructures and developing technical engineering plans for future business growth. He has everyday experience with network, hardware, and software troubleshooting with a firm understanding of business logic and workflow streamlining.

Skarpi Hedinsson, Los Angeles Rams, CTO

Skarpi Hedinsson is the chief technology officer of the Los Angeles Rams. Hedinsson leads the team driving the vision for and overseeing the implementation of technology throughout the 298-acre district being built by Rams Owner/Chairman E. Stanley Kroenke. This includes SoFi Stadium, a 6,000-seat performance venue, as well as retail, office, a hotel, and more than 20 acres of parkland.

Previously, Hedinsson served as the Los Angeles Rams first chief technology officer. In this role, Hedinsson oversaw the team’s technology strategy, and shared service delivery and management of both football and corporate technology activities.

Prior to Hollywood Park and the Rams, Hedinsson was the chief technology officer for Disney/ABC Television Group. While there, he oversaw efforts to identify new technology talent, capabilities, and platforms. Hedinsson previously served as the company’s senior vice president, technology and platform, digital media. His team deployed the revolutionary WATCH ABC and WATCH Disney services, making the Disney/ABC Television Group the first entertainment company to provide authenticated users access to both live, 24/7 linear network streams as well as an extensive offering of advantaged window “on demand” episodes on desktops, mobile, and connected TV devices.

Hedinsson is the inventor or co-inventor of seven issued U.S. patents and 14 pending U.S. patents in the field of digital media and streaming video.

Kristian Hernández, SVG, Associate Editor and Social Media Manager; SVG Venue Summit Program Director

Kristian Hernandez handles day-to-day construction of the SVG Insider newsletter, oversees all social media content distribution, and covers various sports technology topics for Sports Video Group. In addition, he is the program director for the annual SVG Venue Summit and the Teams Summit.

Before joining SVG, Hernandez served as co-founder of CHC-TV, the first student-run television studio at Chestnut Hill College in Philadelphia, PA. While at CHC, Hernandez produced a daily sports show named “On the Hill with Hernandez” — covering all men’s and women’s athletics for the college. Also, Hernandez spearheaded the college’s newspaper, “The Griffin”, as its sports editor. Hernandez graduated with a B.A. in communications. Born in Brooklyn, NY, he currently lives in Queens, NY.

Ken Kerschbaumer, SVG, Co-Executive Director, Editorial

Ken Kerschbaumer is co-executive director of editorial services for the Sports Video Group and SVG Europe. He was a co-founder of SVG along with Paul Gallo and Marty Porter in 2005 and has been writing about how sports networks and leagues use video and audio technology to deliver a quality TV experience since 1991. Kerschbaumer began his career in 1991 at Television Broadcast magazine before joining Cahners where he was founding editor of Digital Broadcasting magazine. In 2000, he joined Broadcasting & Cable magazine as senior editor of technology where he covered all aspects of broadcasting, cable, and internet content creation and distribution.

Andrew Lahey, Ross Video, Manager, Solution Specialists, Sports & Live Events

Andrew Lahey, a graduate of California Lutheran University with a degree in multimedia, has been working in the sports broadcast industry since 2009. Splitting his time between producing and engineering live events, Lahey has worked a gamut of shows, from high school and collegiate level sports broadcasts, to on-location studio shows for the UFC and Strikeforce. Beginning his career at Ross as a trainer and demo artist in 2014, he became a specialist in production switchers and the XPression Graphics system. In 2017, Lahey moved to the Sports & Live Events team as a global solutions specialist.

Now a team manager, Lahey uses his experience to lead the Solutions team to develop successful workflows, and project manage both large venues deployments and specialized events, around the world.

Craig Laliberte, Unreal Engine, Senior Business Development Manager

Craig Laliberte is responsible for licensing Unreal Engine in the enterprise space. He came to Epic after 10 years at Vizrt, most recently as VP of business development, where he oversaw the expansion of Vizrt’s digital content technology. Laliberte has supervised many high-profile news and sporting events including presidential elections, the Super Bowl, the Daytona 500, Formula 1 Racing, the World Cup, the U.S. Open, and the Kentucky Derby.

John Mailhot, Imagine Communications, CTO, Networking & Infrastructure

John Mailhot has worked in the field of digital high-definition (HD) television systems since its North American inception in 1990. He began as part of the AT&T-Zenith team, responsible for system architecture and integration of the digital spectrum compatible high-definition television (DSC-HDTV) system prototype, and then served as technical lead for the Grand Alliance encoder at Lucent Technologies. Mailhot subsequently held engineering manager and general manager roles at Lucent Digital Video, Aastra Digital Video, and the Harris Broadcast Video Networking Group.

Today, Mailhot is chief technology officer of the networking and infrastructure team at Imagine Communications. He has dual bachelor’s degrees in computer science and electrical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and has been recognized as a SMPTE Fellow.

RJ McNichols, UCLA Athletics, Creative Content Producer for Marketing

Kevin Parks, Zixi, Senior Director, Field Engineering

Kevin Parks is a senior media technology executive with over 20 years of experience developing and deploying solutions for major media companies including Comcast, Disney, Viacom, and others. Parks leads the Zixi Field Engineering team as part of Zixi’s customer success organization that maintains best-in-class service for Zixi customers. Prior to joining Zixi, he lead sales engineering teams at Comcast Technology Solutions, at Disney Streaming Services, and at Vubiquity.

Cassidy Phillips, Imagine Communications, VP, Networking Solutions

Cassidy Phillips is the VP of networking solutions architecture for Imagine Communications. Since the ratification of the SMPTE ST-2110 standard, Phillips has specialized in SDI, IP, and hybrid video systems using the standard for live events, sports, broadcast media, and distributed campuses.

Before moving into system design, he worked in air-affecting operations roles at KEZI (ABC affiliate), DirecTV (Los Angeles Broadcast Center), and Newscorp (Fox News, Fox Business) for a combined 12 years.

Phillips has been integral in several successful COTS 2110 IP and hybrid IP router and networking projects. He is an industry expert in IP and hybrid IP workflows for video.

Stuart Reynolds, Diversified, Director, Sports and Live Events

As a strategic member of Diversified’s Sports and Live Events specialty, Stuart Reynolds plays a balanced business development role for the team, helping deliver vital technology solutions to stadiums and arenas both at the professional and collegiate level. He brings 30 years of focused live video production engineering and facility design experience to the Diversified team, helping clients meet evolving fan experience demands. His personal resume includes project management and design engineering work for Oakland Alameda Coliseum, Hard Rock Stadium, Coors Field, Kauffman Stadium, Honda Center, Dickies Arena, Rio Tinto Stadium, Avaya Stadium, Peoria Sports Complex, and Colorado State University RAM Productions.

Chadwick Richardson, Los Angeles Rams, Director of Game Production

A visionary and intuitive sports production leader with success guiding game day production and delivery of top-flight fan experiences, Chadwick Richardson currently delivers strategic oversight and direction to the overall run of show and creative programming for the Los Angeles Rams. A born storyteller from Michigan, Richardson believes each game script has a unique narrative. When you combine an NFL theme, the opponent, internal game presentation strategies/tactics, and other contributing external factors, each game should leave fans with a clear message and a lifetime of cherishable memories.

Richardson plays a vital role in engineering how game information, videos, interactive SMS content, game GFX, and Rams signature and traditional moments display on the 120-yard, double-sided, 80 million pixels Infinity Screen. He manages end-to-end delivery and production for thousands of in-stadium assets that include graphics, video content, and in-stadium native builds for the Infinity Screen, 5 levels of LEDs, and IPTVs.

With over ten years of show calling experience, Richardson leads the Rams 90 plus game day staff members in executing a comprehensive script that creates awe-inspiring, visceral moments for fans. He engages spectators through immersive experiences and enhancing depths of fan energy by leveraging cutting-edge technology with the Rams game day cast and crew to establish the best possible home-field advantage and experience in the NFL. Richardson will begin his 4th season with the Rams this fall.

Daniel Riess, WJHW, Associate

Daniel Riess has worked as a consultant with WJHW since 2015 after working as a broadcast and venue engineer for Texas A&M’s Sports Broadcast and Production Department, 12th Man Productions. He has experience in college and professional environments working with both end users and project teams. Riess has extensive experience in both traditional format video production and productions for non- standard aspect ratio video displays, using both traditional baseband and cutting edge IP based technology. He has worked on some of the largest and most innovative displays in professional sports such as at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Progressive Field, Mercedes-Benz Superdome, and SoFi Stadium. Riess was also involved with the system design and workflow development of the first continuous 360-degree video displays at Fed Ex Forum and State Farm Arena, as well as the Broadcast Production Facilities at many of the leading sports venues.

Sarah Schuler, Los Angeles Rams, Senior Director of Game Presentation and Brand Experience

Sarah Schuler is a marketer and producer who just completed her sixth season with the Los Angeles Rams and 13^th overall season in professional sports. As the senior director of game presentation and brand experience for the Los Angeles Rams, Schuler and team are dedicated to capitalizing on the most technologically innovative stadium in the world to deliver the best home field advantage for their football players and fans.

The focal point of the Rams show is the 360-foot long, 360-degree, 4K Infinity Screen which this team has leveraged to redefine the approach to content creation and live production. In partnership with Ram Studios, Schuler and team collaborate to develop an extensive graphics package in excess of 5,000 elements as well as unique video content, interactive fan engagement moments, rituals, and traditions, as well as a custom sonic identity.

Schuler and team have curated their gameday recurring talent including an award-winning DJ, a female guitarist, a Mariachi band, and two female hosts. Rams gamedays in 2021 also featured pregame and halftime acts starring globally recognized talent such as OneRepublic, the Chainsmokers, Warren G, Montell Jordan, Aloe Blacc, Ty Dolla $ign, Deorro, Brandy, and more.

Prior to joining the Rams, Schuler was hired by the New York Yankees in 2009 ahead of their World Series Championship season and spent seven incredible years developing new programs, fan experiences, and revenue opportunities for the historic franchise.

Schuler is a native of Newport Beach, CA and lives in Culver City.

Pete Soto, Los Angeles Chargers, VP and EP of Fan Experience & Production

Pete Soto is the vice president and executive producer of fan experience and production for the Los Angeles Chargers. Soto is responsible for designing and implementing innovative strategies to enhance the gameday fan experience and production.

Prior to joining the Chargers, Soto worked for the Atlanta Falcons, Atlanta United, and Mercedes-Benz Stadium. He oversaw game presentation, live events, and stadium production including the 2018 College Football National Championship, MLS All-Star Game, Atlanta United MLS Cup Championship Game, and Super Bowl LIII.

Prior to that, Soto worked for the Florida Panthers Hockey Club and Carolina Hurricanes Hockey Club, where he oversaw the 2006 Stanley Cup Finals Championship production. He also worked for the Florida Marlins Baseball Club, where he oversaw the 1997 World Series Championship Production.

Soto has also acted as video director for the 2002 Winter Olympics ice hockey venue in Utah, the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics ice hockey venue in Sochi, Russia, and the 2018 Paralympic Games in PyeongChang, South Korea.

Soto oversaw NC State basketball and football for 11 seasons in Raleigh, North Carolina and was part of seven Super Bowls.

A native of New York, Soto holds a bachelor’s degree in broadcast communication from Barry University in Miami Shores, Florida. He resides in Huntington Beach, CA.

Calvin Spencer, SoFi Stadium and Hollywood Park, Director of Broadcast and Technical Facilities

Tim Stevens, Verizon Business Group, Global Leader, Strategic Innovation for Sports, Media & Entertainment

Tim Stevens is Verizon Business Group’s global leader of strategic innovation for sports, media, and entertainment. Leveraging a deep understanding of business operations, technology, industry trends, and competitive landscape, Stevens is responsible for marketing strategy, product positioning, market intelligence, and business development. Prior to joining Verizon, he held senior technology roles at Newsweek, Viacom/ MTV Networks, Showtime, and New Line Cinema.

Josh Stoner, Canon, Senior Specialist, Product Management Team, Broadcast and Cinema Lenses

Josh Stoner is a senior specialist for Canon’s Product Management Team focused on broadcast and cinema lenses. For a majority of his career at Canon, Stoner has served as a repair engineer and field support for customers on the front line of productions, and often the sidelines of major sporting events. He has served as the face of Canon for most broadcast customers and done his utmost to ensure no customer ever misses a shot. Stoner’s intimate knowledge of customer needs, equipment operation and Canon technology now help drive product development and lifecycle management as part of Canon’s headquarters, Product Management Team. Stoner continues to serve Canon customers by driving implementation of the technology and solutions that modern productions and live streams require as he continues to ensure Canon customers never miss a shot.

Sean Tabler, Los Angeles Chargers, Director of Game Presentation

Pursuing adrenaline inducing experiences is Sean Tabler’s true passion. Sometimes that means jumping out of a plane but more commonly it involves operating in a high-stakes environment, captivating audiences, pixel peeping content, and brainstorming with like-minded individuals.

At the Los Angeles Chargers, Tabler has the unique privilege of tackling the majority of these situations on a daily basis. As the director of game presentation, he serves as the show caller on game days ensuring all aspects of the fan journey are executed as planned. Additionally, Tabler was the principal architect responsible for developing all in-bowl entertainment for two different stadiums in four years, including the design and presentation style for the one-of-a-kind video board at SoFi Stadium. Prior to 2017, he spent four seasons with the Seattle Seahawks, where he created video content for a stadium show that consistently ranked as the top fan experience in the league.

Before his time in the NFL, Tabler spent seven years honing his production skills in Los Angeles, by working on TV shows spanning multiple genres including documentary, reality, talk show, award show, and travel. He was able to get his hands dirty with every phase in the production process, which fostered Tabler’s professional development. He started his development at Brooks Institute of Photography where he earned a bachelor’s degree in film and television.

Danelle Winfield, Los Angeles Sparks, Senior Director of Events and Entertainment

Danelle Winfield is currently the senior director of events and entertainment for the Los Angeles Sparks. She is one of five people on the Sparks Leadership Committee and plays a critical role in the organization. Winfield is in charge of creating an engaging game atmosphere for fans and home-court advantage for the players. She oversees and manages over 70 people, including but not limited to the: in-arena host, DJ, PA announcer, dance crews, mascot, etc. Additionally, Winfield leads all game-day meetings with staff from Sparks, AEG, and Crypto.com Arena to bring the show to life. This process involves a heavy role in communication, scripting, and rehearsals. She also oversees and executes annual events such as the Draft Party, Media Day, Entertainer Audition Finals, etc.

Before her role at the LA Sparks, Winfield worked for the Houston Rockets in the Game Operations Department from 2010 – 2016. As game operations coordinator, she was in charge of planning and executing all on-court logistics, including recognitions, games/contests, and public announcements. She also directed the Pre-game Show for every home game, managed the Sonic Boom Drumline, and assisted with marketing and community events.

Throughout the decade, Winfield has worked many events: GCSAA Conference, NBA All-Star, MLB All-Star, U.S. Army All-American Bowl, NAACP Image Awards, and more. She has her Master of Science in digital marketing from Full Sail University and bachelor’s degree in mass communication (radio, TV, and film) from Texas Southern University. Winfield’s introduction into the Game Operations field came from a shadowing opportunity while in college and she has been hooked ever since.

Alan Wollenstein, NFL Media, Director, Engineering Systems

Alan Wollenstein as NFL Media’s director of engineering systems is responsible for researching, testing, and implementing the infrastructure for production and broadcast. Creating strategies that leverage emerging technologies has required Wollenstein to use his combined knowledge of computers and media gathered over 20 years, plus an ear to the concerns of the teams involved in the operations of the NFL Network. He collaborates with IT to standardize practices across the organization and increase resource availability. Recently, Wollenstein has been concentrating on the build of the NFL Media building and the adoption of IP-based workflows.

Duane Yoslov, Diversified, SVP

For more than three decades, Duane Yoslov has dedicated his career to the systems integration business; designing and installing professional video and audio systems worldwide. His passion and leadership have been instrumental in the success and growth of Diversified’s Media & Entertainment division.

Yoslov has led teams completing many groundbreaking projects from television’s first regularly broadcast high-definition program for NBC’s The Tonight Show to the Pac-12 Networks and their pioneering multi-cam remote production center. In addition to traditional media and entertainment broadcast, he spearheaded the creation of Diversified’s Sports & Live Events team by helping to complete more than 75 sports venues in the U.S.

His expertise and experience in designing, building, and managing all aspects of Media & Entertainment projects are key factors in why Yoslov is considered one of the most dynamic leaders in M&E system integration.

Yoslov is a 1990 graduate of the University of Arizona with a B.A. in communications.