IRVING, TEXAS (May 15, 2012) – Golf fans attending this week’s HP Byron Nelson Championship won’t have to strain to see their favorite players thanks to the Texas-size LED video screens stationed around the TPC Four Seasons Resort. And as they approach the 18th green, they’ll be treated to something truly awesome: The largest LED screen ever placed at a PGA Tour event.

GoVision LP, one of the nation’s premier suppliers of customized modular LED walls and turnkey mobile LED units, is providing the massive, daylight-visible LED screens, along with live camera production throughout the course, and live coverage of the evening concerts and day-time caddie races.

The 18th green LED screen – measuring a record 39-feet-high by 32-feet-wide – is comprised of state-of-the-art Daktronics PST-12HD tiles. Another massive screen – a 12-foot x 20-foot LED on the 17th green — will also provide larger-than-life video coverage for spectators during the tournament, which runs from May 17–20.

“We can’t wait for fans to see the giant screen GoVision has constructed on the 18th hole,” said Jon Drago, tournament director for the HP Byron Nelson Championship. “It’s all part of our continuing effort to make our tournament the most exciting and enjoyable spectator experience possible. GoVision is a huge part of what we’re doing on-site.”

Two more large LEDs will be stationed inside the world-renowned Byron Nelson Pavilion. The 7-foot x 13-foot screen is built with GoVision’s new inventory of Panasonic 8mm tiles. The Impact 8mm panels are the highest resolution outdoor rental LEDs in the world. GoVision is the first company in the industry to offer these “true 8mm” outdoor products.

“We’ve provided our jumbo LEDs to the Nelson for many years, but they wanted to create a real spectacle this time around; so we suggested going larger vertically to meet that challenge,” said Chris Curtis, CEO of Argyle-based GoVision. “They want the on-site spectator experience to be even better than you can get by watching the coverage at home on TV, and we’re bringing that goal to fruition.”

The HP Byron Nelson Championship is the second stop on the “Texas Sweep” of PGA Tour events. GoVision provided similar big-screen coverage at the Shell Houston Open in March, and will be stationed throughout Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth for the 66th Annual Crowne Plaza Invitational. GoVision screens were also on-hand during the Zurich Classic of New Orleans last month, and will be featured during the 2012 Ryder Cup at Medinah Country Club outside Chicago this fall. For more information about the HP Byron Nelson Championship, visit
www.hpbnc.org/byronnelson.

ARGYLE — Call it the ultimate man cave.

A 15-by-34-foot Panasonic LED video wall sits in the warehouse offices of GoVision, an Argyle company that rents truck-mounted video screens and larger modular video walls to sporting events, festivals and block parties across the country.

GoVision, which is marking its 10th year, recently signed an exclusive deal with Panasonic to lease LED units and is doubling the company’s modular-unit inventory, said company President Chris Curtis. The video wall breaks down into 100 smaller modules for easy transport.

It’s the third time GoVision has significantly boosted its inventory. The company reached a deal in 2009 with Cowboys Stadium to lease its big exterior video units, removing them between games and in the offseason. A year earlier, GoVision struck a deal with TCU to rent its video screens at Amon Carter Stadium.

The first big event for the Panasonic units will be the U.S. Open tennis tournament this summer in New York, where GoVision will dispatch four trucks and four technicians and hire about a dozen local workers to erect four video walls.

In its 10 years, GoVision has rented video units to 1,860 events, including the last two presidential inaugurals, the Carrier Classic college basketball game last fall on the deck of the USS Carl Vinson, the Boy Scouts of America 100th anniversary, Texas Motor Speedway races, the 2010 PGA Championship and the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial in Fort Worth. Its screens have popped up at the NBA All-Star game and events connected to the Super Bowl and Major League Baseball All-Star game. GoVision will handle the Ryder Cup golf tournament for the first time this year.

Curtis, 50, a TCU alum, founded GoVision after several years in the field, including working for Jumbotron and buying an ownership stake in another firm. He discussed his business recently with the Star-Telegram.

How did you get your start in the business?

I had been in the business with Jumbotron. I was the first person to put a Jumbotron video unit on a truck in the U.S.

How many events do you expect to do this year?

Four hundred events this year.

Let’s talk about the technology.

The real change came from switching to the LED technology from the Jumbotron technology [before GoVision started]. It’s cheaper, lighter, it consumes less power, it’s longer-lasting and it’s brighter. [With the LED technology], we can be in the $4,500 to $7,500 [per-day rent] range. All of a sudden, the festivals can afford us.

What are the rents?

For the [four GoTron, three GoBig, and one GoBigger] vehicles, $4,500, $7,500, $15,000. For the modulars, it depends on which screen and what size.

How much of your inventory do you own?

Probably a third of it is ours.

How did the Cowboys deal impact the business?

The Cowboys deal quadrupled our modular inventory. We don’t talk about sales, but we were probably up 50 percent that year.

How did the recession treat you?

Our gross sales have grown every single year. The recession really cut into margin. Everybody wanted to negotiate with us. We were still able to eke some gross revenue gains out, and we will be back to pre-recession margin this year.

How big is the U.S. rental market?

We think it’s around a $200 million market.

How many competitors do you have?

There’s about 10 people our size. And there’s a lot of people who have one trailer or a small screen. We focus on the mission-critical, where [customers] are about quality. If the show goes on without you one year, it’s going to go on without you in the future.

What kind of client retention do you have?

In 10 years, I think we’ve lost one client from our doing.

What happened in that case?

It was a store opening. We had a screen malfunction that shouldn’t have been, because the technician didn’t know what he was doing.

What kind of video setup do you have in your own home?

That’s a funny story. I bought my first flat screen for my own home last week. When I sold my last business, I had a 65-inch rear projection TV that I kept. It was not the most up-to-date technology. I just paid so much for it.

(From the Fort Worth Star Telegram, March 26, 2012)

The PGA of America is installing a record number of video boards at Medinah for the Ryder Cup, including one giant screen that literally will rise up from the pond on the 15th hole.

“What we really hope to do is create a whole new level of fan experience at a golf tournament,” said Jake Miller, the tournament operations manager for the Ryder Cup. “We always say this is the biggest event in golf, that it’s the Super Bowl of golf, and we want fans to feel like they’re at the biggest event in the sport.”

The PGA will rent at least 12 video boards to go on the Chicago golf course from Texas-based GoVision and another three that will be placed at locations away from the course. Those 15 boards are more than the 10 the PGA used at Valhalla in 2008, and significantly more than the two to four boards used at a typical PGA Tour event. The PGA has worked with GoVision in the past at PGA and Senior PGA championships. GoVision also works with 10 PGA Tour events to supply them with anywhere from two to four large video boards each.

“This is the most screens we’ve ever done on a golf course,” Chris Curtis, GoVision’s president, said of the Ryder Cup, which will be Sept. 25-30. “There’s nothing like this in golf.”

It’s not just the number of video boards the firm is installing. Size matters, too. Some of the screens will be as large as 15 feet by 39 feet on holes 13 and 17. The screen in the pond on the 15th will be 13 by 32 feet.

More than half of the giant screens will be the newest Panasonic products with a resolution of 8 millimeters, bringing a high-definition picture to the course. The fewer the millimeters, the clearer the picture, Curtis said. In other words, fans will be able to see content on the video board from across the fairway or even from other holes.

The PGA and GoVision said that their contract forbids them to discuss the pricing for the video boards. But both said the Ryder Cup is well-suited for this technology advancement.

“The Ryder Cup is a different animal,” Miller said of the event’s unique format, which has just four matches going at a time during the team competition, with all of that action contained on a fraction of the golf course. “With the format the way it is, you naturally have large crowds around the four holes where the matches are taking place. The video boards are a key piece to keeping the fans informed while action is going on somewhere else.”

Ryder Cup officials also are taking new steps with the programming on the video boards, going well beyond the typical scoring and highlight components.

Big Screen Network, a Los Angeles-based firm that provides content for video boards and ribbon boards at the Final Four and other big sporting events, will feed programming to the big screens. Unlike past Ryder Cups, in which all of the video boards carried the same content at the same time, each of the screens at Medinah will have the capability to operate independently of the others. Big Screen is working on more TV-like content, such as player features and historical moments, as well as live footage from around the course, to entertain fans during lulls in the action.

When the golfers are on the course, however, producers will have to be careful that they don’t show a big moment from a different hole while golf is being played on the hole where the screen is located. Tournament officials don’t want fans reacting to something on the video board that might interrupt the live action.

There will be social media components, too, including Twitter posts from golfers and others who are writing or talking about the Ryder Cup.

The PGA, which has control over any advertising, has not yet determined how sponsors will be integrated into the on-screen content. The PGA’s patron sponsors, American Express, Mercedes-Benz and RBC, are expected to get first crack at any inventory that evolves, while official partners National Car Rental and Omega likely will have opportunities as well.

“For traditionalists, this is pushing the envelope,” Curtis said. “But you have to look at this as an entertainment venue. I remember in 1995, there was a screen on the driving range at the Ryder Cup for the first time. Now we’re providing people at the event a truly modern fan experience.”

(from Street and Smith’s Sports Business Journal – March 12, 2012)

DALLAS, TX (March 22, 2012) – An epic-size concert merits an epic-size LED screen. So when TCG Productions and CBS Radio bring the Arena-size Broadway-style “Do You Hear the People Sing” show to the American Airlines Center tomorrow night, music fans are assured of seeing the performers as well as they can hear them.

The cultural extravaganza, on a scale seldom seen in Dallas, is being produced and promoted primarily by the American Airlines Center (AAC). Featuring the music of Les Miserables, Miss Saigon, and more, the performance is the first of what organizers hope will be a long line of mega-sized Broadway-style shows to grace the AAC’s stage in the months and years ahead.

The AAC hired Argyle, TX-based GoVision LP, one of the nation’s premier suppliers of customized modular LED walls and turnkey mobile units, to provide a 12-foot x 20-foot high definition LED screen comprised of Daktronics PST-12HD video panels, for the March 23rd event.

“This is a very different event than we’re used to at our facility, so we wanted to make certain that every person in the audience has an excellent view of the stage and performers,” said Ken Kuhl, Assistant Vice President of Event Development for the American Airlines Center. “We turned to GoVision because we knew they had both the ideal LED screen and the technical know-how to pull off an event of this magnitude.”

“We’ve done several concert tours and provided delay screens for opera performances over the years, but we’ve never operated an internal set piece for a Broadway-type production like this,” said Chris Curtis, CEO of GoVision. “We’re excited to take on this latest challenge, and gratified that Ken and his team at the AAC entrusted us with this important job. It’s going to be an amazing show!”

Do You Hear the People Sing celebrates the music of two of the world’s most prolific writers of musical theatre, Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schonberg, in a dramatic, over-sized production rarely seen outside of New York City. The arena spectacular show is presented on the 25th anniversary concert of Les Miserables held at London’s famous O2 Arena. The concert features music from Les Miserables, Miss Saigon and much more on a grand scale.

For more info on the show, visit http://www.americanairlinescenter.com/events-andtickets/event_details.php?eid=1986.

More than 1,500 New Year’s Eve revelers in Dallas, TX, texted in photos and toasts that were shared on screens sponsored by Korbel sparkling wine.

Attendees of Dallas’ annual Big D NYE celebration as well as those watching it on TV were asked to offer toasts to the upcoming year, which were exhibited on a dedicated Korbel GoVision screen during the celebration. Eligible participants were also entered into a sweepstakes for a chance to win a trip to the Korbel winery in Sonoma, CA.

“Mobile gave us the ability to extend the reach of the campaign,” said Brian Teague, chief technology evangelist at Pocketstop, Dallas.

“Anyone watching the event on TV who had a phone with them could register right then and there,” he said. “If they were on site, they could do the same thing be sending in a text message to a keyword.

“They didn’t have to go to a Web site or pull out an iPad – we made registration extremely simple.”

Big-screen engagement

Korbel was looking to drive awareness of its sparkling wine on a night when champagne and other sparkling wines are top of mind for consumers. It also wanted to engage the audience with a branded screen at an event.

The screens featured real-time New Year’s toasts, photos and Korbel promotional announcements.

Leading up to the event, the Korbel “Toast Life” sweepstakes was promoted on TV. Consumers could register for the contest by completing an entry form on the Big D NYE Web site or by sending a text message with the keyword “NYE” to a short code.

Social CRM marketing agency Pocketstop coordinated the text-based sweepstakes and managed the interactive screen promotion at the event.

In order to ensure that each entrant was age appropriate, the Pocketstop Social CRM platform automatically responded to each text message with a reply asking for a date of birth.

Qualified participants were entered into Korbel’s database and given the option to get future incentives from the company. Those who were too young to participate were given a “Happy New Year” text and were not entered in the database.

Approximately 1,500 people texted toasts, an increase of more than 279 percent over the previous year’s sign-ups. More than 30,000 people attended the New Year’s Eve event.

The 5th Annual Big D NYE celebration was produced in partnership with WFAA television and American Airlines Center and held in Victory Park in Dallas.

“When you can get someone to look directly at the screen at an event like this, the brand recall is very high,” Mr. Teague said. “People could send in text messages, which really draws your attention to the screen.

“There were other screens at the event that weren’t interactive,” he said. “Based on the fact that ours is interactive and had personalized content made it different than the other screens that were there.”

(From Mobile Marketer 1/11/2012)

Next time you visit Cowboys Stadium, the New Years’ Eve celebration in downtown Dallas or a local music festival, check out the large video screens. Chances are they were created by Flower Mound resident Chris Curtis and his company.

GoVision jumbo event video produces, transports and displays mobile and modular screens of various shapes and sizes at about 400 annual events at nationwide venues large and small. They feature mobile units in three sizes: 19′ x 33′ called GoBigger, the mid-level 9′ x 16′ GoBig and the smaller 9′ x 12′ GoTron. Modular units run 3′ x 4′ and can be hooked together for any size.

Curtis and his 20 employees have worked from their specially-built facilities just west of Interstate 35E on FM 407 in Argyle since January 2010 after being located in Keller. They have provided screens and production services for everything from Highland Village’s Red, White and Blue Festival, sports venues including marathons, golf tournaments, the NCAA Final Four and the plazas outside Cowboys Stadium and Rangers Ballpark in Arlington, the last two presidential inaugurations and the George W. Bush Presidential Center groundbreaking.

“What’s cool about this has been the LED (light-emitting diode) technology,” said Curtis, a Flower Mound resident for the past 13 years who serves as GoVision president. “I get involved with what’s hot and in the news.”

Curtis, who admits he’s more of a sales and marketing person than technician, started his company in 2002. The Iowa native came to Texas to study journalism at Texas Christian University and remained in the Dallas-Fort Worth area after graduation. He worked for various companies and later owned a piece of Screenworks, a company similar to GoVision, which he sold in 1998.

“At that time it was a different business,” he said. “I believe they still are the biggest in the business.”

While at Screenworks, he traveled to Japan to learn about then-emerging LED technology such as the Sony JumboTron. He helped use what he learned at events like the 1994 men’s World Cup soccer tournament.”

“We are a pioneer in the business,” he said. “We built the first portable JumboTron while at Screenworks.”

Among the units GoVision has produced are one of the largest portable screens ever built (60-feet high) for the Boy Scouts Association of America’s 100th anniversary celebration and among the widest screens (128 feet) for a national aviation show, both in 2010.

“When we started the equipment was extremely expensive,” Curtis said. “Only the biggest events could afford it. In 2000 the technology changed to LED at one-fourth of the cost and it lasts five times longer. In the rental business you never use up that.

“What used to cost $3 million and last two years now costs $750,000 and lasts 10 years. That’s why you have the proliferation of signs at high school events.”
Curtis lives near the Tour 18 golf course with his wife and four children after moving to Flower Mound from Carrollton.

“At the time we were in the stage where we could have lived anywhere but we kept coming back to Flower Mound,” he said. “It was the trees and hills. We wanted to get out a bit and being a Midwesterner I liked hills and trees.

“We like that kind of rural lifestyle and the influx of stores and restaurants. We really love it.”

Curtis also has really loved some of GoVision’s more recent productions. On Nov. 11, there was the Carrier Classic basketball game between North Carolina and Michigan State on USS Carl Vinson in San Diego harbor. Two weeks later there was the Cowboys’ Thanksgiving Day halftime show featuring singers Enrique Iglesias and Pitbull.

It’s events like these that explain why Curtis truly enjoys his work.

“It’s the closest a short, fat guy is going to get to show business,” he said.

(from Flower Mound News Connection 12/09/2011)

Latin pop stars Enrique Iglesias and Pitbull provided the pulsing beat and hit songs that rocked Cowboys Stadium during the annual Thanksgiving Day halftime show last week. But the stunning visual effects were made possible by a North Texas company with a flair for the dramatic.

The massive stage constructed for the internationally acclaimed performers featured a Tshaped LED floor custom-designed by GoVision LP, one of the nation’s premier suppliers of turnkey mobile LED units and customized modular LED walls. The 41 1/4-foot by 48 3/4-foot floor was made of Barco MiTrix, while six 16-foot by 10-foot backdrop walls incorporated Barco Mistrips.

GoVision was hired by Media West Events, the production company engaged by the Dallas Cowboys to stage the halftime show. Media West built the floor in special roll-out stage pieces, and the backdrops were placed onto a truss that rolled out and then lifted up. Unique accommodations were necessary due to the short windows of set-up and take-down time afforded by the choreographed-to-the-second halftime show.

“We had a massive amount of equipment with a huge crew that all had to work in sync for the show to go off as planned,” said Michael Kuntz, Technical Director of Dallas-based Media West. “The team from GoVision held up their end in expert fashion, and their LEDs were absolutely fantastic.”

The annual Thanksgiving Day halftime show, which serves as the national kickoff for the Salvation Army’s Red Kettle Campaign, was seen by a worldwide audience of millions.

“We appreciate the faith Media West placed in us to perform on such a grand stage,” said Chris Curtis, CEO of Argyle, TX-based GoVision. “We always enjoy the excitement of working at Cowboys Stadium, and especially rising to the challenge of an intricately timed event that has to be perfect the first time.”

FORT WORTH, TX (November 8, 2011) – Loyal TCU fans and alumni that won’t be making the trek to Idaho for Saturday’s showdown with the Boise State Broncos have another festive option much closer to home. And GoVision is making sure everyone gets a great view of the action.

The Horned Frog Fiesta: Foodtrucks & Football TCU Game Watching Party will be held at Edwards Ranch in the heart of Fort Worth this Saturday, Nov. 12. Tailgating begins at 1:30 PM, with kickoff scheduled for 2:30 PM.

Argyle-based GoVision, one of the nation’s premier suppliers of turnkey mobile LED units and customized modular LED walls, is bringing a 9-foot x 12-foot “GoTron” LED unit to the first annual event, which organizers project will attract roughly 400 rabid fans. The TCU Young Alumni organization has designated the event as their official game-watching party. Proceeds will benefit the non-profit Purple People Seaters.

“We’re always excited to bring our LED screens to fun events, but it’s even better when we get to cheer on the Frogs at the same time,” said Chris Curtis, CEO of GoVision LP and a proud TCU alumnus. “Edwards Ranch is an awesome venue for tailgating, and we’re looking forward to being part of a great new game-watching tradition for the school.”

The Fiesta will be held in the Heart of the Ranch at Clearfork, a scenic, unspoiled area lying along the Trinity River within Edwards Ranch. A $25 donation includes the entry fee and all beverages throughout the day (including beer, margaritas, mixed drinks, sodas, lemonade and water). Foodtrucks from four outstanding caterers – Yum Yum Truck, Yes! Taco, Holy Smokes BBQ and Mint Leaf Yogurt – will offer a wide variety of delicious food for purchase, so no one will leave hungry. Kids under age 18, whose admission is free, will enjoy a number of outdoor games, including a bounce house.

“There won’t be a better place this side of the Rockies for TCU fans to watch Saturday’s game than at Edwards Ranch,” said Sarah Hargrove, director of marketing for Trinity Works, developer of the Edwards Ranch. “We’re going to have a great crowd out here, and our friends at GoVision will make certain everyone gets a front-row seat for the main event.”

For tickets, directions to Edwards Ranch and more details on the festivities, visit
http://www.edwardsranch1848.com/fiesta/

DALLAS, TX (October 13, 2011) – JCPenney is no stranger to glitzy new product launches and dramatic unveilings. So when it came time for the grand opening of its new, state-of-the-art store in Dallas, the leading national retailer decided to add some sizzle to the occasion.

The Plano-based company hired the messaging architects at Corporate Magic to plan and stage a festive ribbon-cutting ceremony on September 30 that would capture the attention of the local media and shopping public, while cementing a lasting impression of their newest location as the most exciting retail destination in the area.

The centerpiece of the grand opening production was a 9-foot x 16-foot “GoBig” LED unit provided by GoVision LP. The mobile video unit, which sported a custom JCPenney advertising wrap, was positioned in the middle of the stage throughout the program. For the finale, the unit drove away to reveal the new store in the background.

“You wouldn’t think a 40-foot truck could shield a massive retail store from view; but the way we positioned the audience and the staging, it worked like a charm,” said Jeff Kirk, general manager at Dallas-based Corporate Magic. “GoVision’s LED was a highlight of the program, and the dramatic effect created when the truck drove off was fantastic.”

GoVision, one of the nation’s premier suppliers of turnkey mobile LED units and customized modular LED walls, then took its mobile LED on a six-day street tour of Dallas. The eye-catching GoBig unit played a fast-paced JCPenney-themed video loop as it drove around town and stopped at designated locations for promotional events, including flash mobs orchestrated by Corporate Magic, high school football games and the Texas State Fairgrounds.

“This was no ordinary ribbon-cutting ceremony,” said Chris Curtis, CEO of Argyle, TX-based GoVision. “JCPenney pulled out all the stops, which explains why they hired Corporate Magic. Nobody does ‘spectacular’ better.”

The new store is located at Timber Creek Crossing at the intersection of Skillman and Northwest Highway. For more information, visit www.jcp.com.

TULSA, OK (August 11, 2011) – Eight seconds is an eternity when you’re clinging to an angry bull. But the seconds pass quickly when you’re a fan watching your favorite cowboy ride the 2,000-pound beast. When the Professional Bull Riders invade Tulsa for the Express Classic presented by American Hoggers on A&E this weekend, fans will be treated to high-definition replays of all the action on a massive LED wall suspended from the roof of the BOK Center.

The PBR hired Argyle, TX-based GoVision LP, one of the nation’s premier suppliers of turnkey mobile LED units and customized modular LED walls, to provide a 27-foot x 48-foot high-definition LED board for the August 12-13 event, which will be televised on Versus. GoVision transported the screen, comprised of 108 3-foot x 4-foot Daktronics PST-12HD video panels, from Arlington, TX, where it normally towers over the outdoor plazas at Cowboys Stadium. When fully assembled, the video board is the equivalent of a 55-foot HD television, and weighs in at a mere 13,500 pounds.

“We’re looking at options to enhance the PBR live-event experience. Traveling one of the largest video boards that you can fit into the average basketball or hockey arena is high on our list,” said PBR President and COO Sean Gleason. “Every seat in Tulsa will be in for a remarkable experience with a 55-foot high-definition video board showing live action and replays.”

GoVision also provided three video screens for the WinStar World Casino Invitational in late July in Thackerville, Okla. That event differed from other events in the Built Ford Tough Series in that it was held in an outdoor arena constructed exclusively for the event on a location adjacent to the casino.

“Whether it’s inside or outside, day or night, our screens can dramatically enhance the spectator experience,” said Chris Curtis, CEO of GoVision. “We’re excited to add the PBR to our list of blue-chip sports clients, especially because bull riding lends itself so well to dramatic replays and slow-motion close-ups.”

For more information or tickets to the Express Classic presented by American Hoggers on A&E, visit http://www.pbrnow.com/competition/bfts/eventload.cfm?id=3288.