Elevated Experience Delivered to Western & Southern Open with Daktronics Creative Services

4,000+ pieces of digital content produced to support the Summer 2023 event

BROOKINGS, S.D. – Oct. 20, 2023 – Daktronics (NASDAQ-DAKT) of Brookings, South Dakota, partnered with the Western & Southern Open Cincinnati in Mason, Ohio, to bring 40+ LED displays to life with branded graphics and elements and to elevate the fan experience. In total, more than 4,000 individual pieces of digital content were produced and delivered for the Summer 2023 tennis tournament. 

“Daktronics has taken a tennis tournament in the middle of America and turned it into an international spectacle,” said Andrew Krasny, co-executive producer of Western & Southern Open. “They’ve taken a court and made it into something three-dimensional, bursting with color, bursting with excitement. And finally, we’ve met the excitement and level of talent that the tennis players have.”

Careful consideration was given to the tournament’s brand when crafting and producing the content for this event. Daktronics Creative Services team worked closely and cohesively with the Western & Southern Open team to translate their ideas into digital works of art that created big moments for players, sponsors and fans. 

“Our goal for the 2023 Western & Southern Open was simple: to elevate the experience for not only our fans, but also for the players,” said Jansen Dell, capital projects director for the Western & Southern Open. “What elements could we add to a good tournament to transform it into a world-class event? We knew that an enhanced digital production both on court and throughout the grounds would be a cornerstone of that goal. 

“It was only in working with Daktronics and capitalizing on their expertise, that we were able to collectively raise the experience to the highest level. Daktronics took our style guide and brought it to life in a dynamic, three-dimensional, immersive way that made the storytelling powerful and memorable. 

“The level of fan engagement we were able to create for each match, with new content each day, was unforgettable. I appreciate Daktronics’ collaborative spirit and partnership in what became a fun and engaging creative process.”

All of the digital pieces of content were custom designed and sized to fit more than 40 displays at the tournament. The content included crowd prompts, player matchup graphics, logo treatments, score layouts, daily schedules, sponsorship activations and much more. 

Ensuring the content on the displays delivered the intended “wow” reaction, Daktronics had an on-site content creator and editor at the event. This person worked daily to capture footage and edit hype videos to ensure current, up-to-date visuals were available to share with the audience.

“There was a huge investment made in infrastructure and we had to match the fan experience with that. And I’m really proud to say that we did,” said Stu Wiener, co-executive producer of the Western & Southern Open. “The vibe and the environment and the excitement was unparalleled. And that really made this tournament special.”

About Western & Southern Open

The Western & Southern Open, which has been held for nearly 125 years, is the oldest tennis tournament in the U.S. held in its original city and the second largest tennis tournament in the U.S., following only the U.S. Open.