2025 EVENT PROGRAM
CASE STUDY SPONSORS
EVENT SPONSORS
9:00 a.m. REGISTRATION OPENS
9:30 – 9:35 a.m. WELCOMING REMARKS
PRESENTERS:
Jason Dachman, SVG, Editorial Director, U.S.; SVG GFX Program Director
Tim O’Shaughnessy, ESPN, Creative Director; SVG GFX Committee Chair
12:40 – 1:35 p.m. NETWORKING LUNCH
1:35 – 2:10 p.m. THE FOX SPORTS WAY: Super Bowl LIX, EURO 24, and the Power of Technology for Storytelling
Discover how Fox Sports leverages AR graphics, XR multicam technology, and advanced LED displays to elevate storytelling across the biggest stages in sports, including Super Bowl LIX and EURO 2024.
9:35 – 10:10 a.m. FROM THE SIMPSONS TO MICKEY MOUSE AND BEYOND: How ESPN Is Blazing the Live Animated Broadcast Trail
Get an inside look at how ESPN pulled off two of the most groundbreaking broadcasts of 2024 just weeks apart. ESPN Creative Studio leaders go behind the scenes of The Simpsons Football Funday NFL altcast and Dunk the Halls NBA altcast, including the creative strategy, technological innovation, and more.
PRESENTERS:
PRESENTERS:
Zac Fields, Fox Sports, SVP, Graphics Technology and Integration
Gary Hartley, Fox Sports, EVP / Creative Director
2:10 – 2:50 p.m. VISUALIZING VICTORY:
The Latest in AR, XR, and Virtual Production
Amy Nelson, ESPN Creative Studio, Manager, Graphics Innovation
David “Sparky” Sparrgrove, ESPN Creative Studio, Senior Creative Director, Animation, Graphics Innovation and Production Design
Michael “Spike” Szykowny, ESPN Creative Studio, VP, Edit, Animation, Graphics Innovation, and Creative Production
10:10 – 10:50 a.m. REBUILDING YOUR BRAND 101: Creative, Holistic Strategies for Rebranding
Take a look at “the how” when it comes to approaching a major rebrand. The on-air look is just one piece of a much bigger picture; it’s essential that all the departments that touch the brand are together from the get-go. Hear how this holistic strategy is paying dividends for rightsholders while also better serving the fan.
MODERATOR: Tim O’Shaughnessy, ESPN, Creative Director PANELISTS:
Marissa Dempsey, ESPN Creative Studio, Senior Manager, Creative Strategy & Integration
JP LoMonaco, CBS Sports, VP, On-Air Graphics & Design
Chase Oliver, TNT Sports, Art Director
10:50 – 11:05 a.m. PGA TOUR TEES UP THE FUTURE OF SPORTS BROADCASTING
Discover the groundbreaking story of how the PGA TOUR is redefining sports broadcasting. Hear directly from the team about how they’re captivating global audiences with fan-focused content, powered by advanced graphics and virtual production tools — all from their new, state-of-the-art 165,000 sq. ft. production hub.
MODERATOR: Kristian Hernández, SVG, Senior Editor
PRESENTER: David Piccolo, PGA TOUR, SVP and Executive Creative Director
11:05 – 11:20 a.m. NETWORKING BREAK
11:20 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. STATE OF THE TECH: Leveraging Today’s Graphics Tools To Create Tomorrow’s Cutting-Edge Looks
Discover how advances in playout systems, graphics engines, virtual studios, and AR elevate the fan experience and redefine what’s possible in live sports production.
MODERATOR: Jason Dachman, SVG, Editorial Director, U.S.
PANELISTS:
Kevin Dresser, Ross Video, Sr. Manager, Global Business DevelopmentGraphics Solutions
Mark Friedman, Chyron, VP, Strategic Accounts
Gerard Hall, SMT, Founder and CEO
Paul Jamieson, AE Live, GM North America, AE Live & VP Creative, Ignite Per von Rosen, Vizrt, Head of Sports, North America
12:00 – 12:40 p.m. GRIDIRON GRAPHICS: A Creative Roundtable With NFL Rightsholders
There is no property in sports that attracts more eyeballs than the National Football League. Join representatives from major NFL rightsholders as they delve into the cuttingedge creativity and technological advances driving NFL broadcast-graphics packages.
MODERATOR: Tim O’Shaughnessy, ESPN, Creative Director
PRESENTERS:
Komal Bhukhanwala, CBS Sports, VP, Graphics Innovation and Design
Phil Guthrie, Two Fresh Creative, Founder and Executive Creative Director
Gary Hartley, Fox Sports, EVP / Creative Director
Thomas Maloney, ESPN, Senior Art Director
John Schleef, NBC Sports & Olympics, Art Director
Technology leaders delve into the latest advances in augmented-reality (AR), extended-reality (XR), and virtual-production technologies shaping the future of live sports production — both in the studio and on the field.
MODERATOR: Brandon Costa, SVG, Director of Digital
PANELISTS:
Nick DiNapoli, |drive| Studio, Founder & Executive Creative Director
Andrew Isaacson, The Famous Group, Partner / EVP
Amy Nelson, ESPN Creative Studio, Manager, Graphics Innovation
Kendra Russell, Warner Bros. Discovery, Director of Production Operations, XR & Virtual
Craig Silver, CBS Sports, Coordinating Producer, College Football
2:50 – 3:05 p.m. INTELLIGENT AUTOMATION: Your Best Work Without The Burnout
It’s no secret that sports require a high volume of changes in the replication process. That’s where the power of Dataclay’s Templater comes in. Put all your effort and energy into building a top-notch asset, then rig it up to a spreadsheet and let Templater tackle the rest. Hand it off to your marketing team or intern to create, personalize, and render from a bot. It’s the only way you can be in two places at once, delivering your best work without the burnout.
PRESENTER: Justin Peterson, BallerFX, Founder
3:05 – 3:20 p.m. NETWORKING BREAK
3:20 – 3:55 p.m. WE’LL ALWAYS HAVE PARIS: Inside NBC’s Groundbreaking Design Work for the Paris 2024 Olympics
Go behind the scenes with NBC Sports’ creative team to explore the vision, design process, and innovative techniques used to develop the graphics package and overall visual identity for its Paris 2024 Olympics broadcasts.
PRESENTER: David Barton, NBC Olympics, VP, Creative
3:55 – 4:35 p.m. CREATING ALTERNATIVE BRAND EXPERIENCES: From Fortnite to Meta Horizon and Beyond
From gamified campaigns to persistent virtual environments, this panel explores how media organizations are pushing creative boundaries to build alternative brand experiences that drive engagement, foster community, and open new revenue streams.
MODERATOR: Komal Bhukhanwala, CBS Sports, VP, Graphics Innovation and Design
PANELISTS:
Arturo Brena, KéexFrame, Founder and CEO
Shawn Grover, Meta, Executive Mixed Reality Producer, Entertainment Experiences
Zack Malet, ESPN, Senior Director, Sports Business Development & Innovation
4:35 – 5:00 p.m. A NEW PACKAGE FOR
A NEW ERA:
Building ESPN’s Expanded College Football Playoff Package
ESPN’s creative team offers a behind-the-scenes look at the transformative new look it built for this year’s expanded College Football Playoff. ESPN endeavored to not only revamp the CFP graphics package but rethink the entire on-air look for the next chapter in college football’s CFP era.
PRESENTERS:
Lisa DiNello, ESPN, Associate Art Director
Brian Girardin, ESPN, Principal Creative Director
5:00 – 6:00 p.m. NETWORKING RECEPTION
Does your job require you to produce huge quantities of creative outputs? Level up with our tools for production superpowers!
Templater® for Adobe After Effects®
Create dynamic, data-driven, master compositions within After Effects, and link them to data sources to automatically reversion output quickly and efficiently.
Dataclay QUE™
Easily push data from any app into your dynamic Adobe After Effects templates with our innovative platform for secure, flexible management of campaign data.
Dataclay Projector™
Automatically deploy creative outputs from Templater to wherever you need them to be — a cloud archive, streaming platform, or digital asset manager.
Visit dataclay.com to learn more and start trialling Templater, QUE, and Projector for FREE!
2025 SVG SPORTS GRAPHICS COMMITTEE CHAIR
TIM O’SHAUGHNESSY, ESPN, Creative Director
O’Shaughnessy is a creative director in the Visual Storytelling division of ESPN. In his current role, he focuses on the visual identity of ESPN and ABC’s live events and studio shows. He is primarily responsible for guiding teams of creatives through large-scale animation and insert design projects that push ESPN to the forefront of the sports industry.
* KOMAL BHUKHANWALA, CBS Sports, VP, Graphics Innovation and Design
Bhukhanwala has worked in the field of creative technologies for two decades in all forms from XR,VR, MR, and AR to most recently the implementation of generative AI within our workflow. She is instrumental in pushing CBS Sports’ virtual tech innovations and leads the charge across the sports landscape innovation and advancement.
ARTURO BRENA, KéexFrame, Founder and CEO
GERARD HALL, SMT, Founder and CEO
For over four decades, Hall has redefined the landscape of sports broadcasting. Under Hall’s leadership, SMT has introduced an array of groundbreaking technologies, from virtual insertion graphics to the OASIS data management platform. His relentless pursuit of excellence has earned SMT 37 Emmy Awards.
* GARY HARTLEY,
Brena has built a career in live television, commercials and film by merging his technical expertise with artistic sensibilities. With formal training in computer science, marketing, and 3D animation, alongside a natural affinity for design and aesthetics, Brena excels at the intersection of creativity and technology.
MARISSA DEMPSEY, ESPN Creative Studio, Senior Manager, Creative Strategy & Integration
Dempsey leads a group that manages workflow, process, and integration for all cross-platform content, including identity packages for major sports, animation, and insert packages for studio shows and artwork infrastructure for original storytelling content.
* NICK DINAPOLI, |drive| Studio, Founder & Executive Creative Director
Since founding |drive| along with partner Marco Bacich, DiNapoli now oversees the design, direction, and on-air branding of some of the world’s most watched events for clients including Fox Sports, NBC Sports, CBS Sports, Amazon Prime, Turner Sports, Showtime Sports, YES, Big Ten Network, Formula 1, and Bally Sports – among many others.
LISA DINELLO, ESPN, Associate Art Director
DiNello is an associate art director on the Visual Storytelling team within ESPN’s Creative Studio. She is responsible for designs and animations for a variety of live broadcast productions. DiNello most recently worked on the College Football Playoff and SEC on ABC design campaigns.
KEVIN DRESSER, Ross Video, Senior Manager, Global Business Development - Graphics Solutions
Dresser has spent nine years with Ross Video, overseeing global business development for Ross Graphics Solutions, including XPression, Piero, and Virtual Solutions. Ross Video is committed to being the leading provider of real-time graphics for sports content producers.
* ZAC FIELDS, Fox Sports, SVP, Graphics Technology and Integration
Fields oversees Fox Sports’ real-time graphic development and integration, software development, and new technology. This team provides design, implementation, and support for all of the Fox Sports Media Group. Along with the daily workflows across all FSMG networks, this group provides high-end graphic design with new ways to display information for large events.
MARK FRIEDMAN, Chyron, VP, Strategic Accounts
Friedman has an extensive background across various roles in the sports broadcast industry. Prior to leading Chyron’s creative services group, Friedman worked at NBC Sports Washington for 10 years fulfilling duties as a creative director using a mix of innovation and design. He was instrumental in creating innovative viewer experiences using Chyron’s PRIME and Paint Graphics Platforms.
BRIAN GIRARDIN, ESPN, Principal Creative Director
Girardin is a principal creative director in the Visual Storytelling team within ESPN’s Creative Studio. In 17 years at ESPN, Girardin has worked on a variety of package redesigns, show launches — currently, his focus has been ESPN’s NBA, NWSL, College Football Playoff, and more recently College Football coverage.
SHAWN GROVER, Meta, Executive Mixed Reality Producer, Entertainment Experiences
With a background in business, game production, and tech/creative management, Grover has been at the forefront of mixed reality since 2010, producing groundbreaking XR experiences that delight players worldwide. As an executive mixed reality producer on Reality Labs’ Metaverse Entertainment Content team, Grover plays a key role in shaping Meta’s immersive sports strategy.
* PHIL GUTHRIE, Two Fresh Creative, Founder & Executive Creative Director
Guthrie has had the opportunity to lead a variety of projects that range from music videos, film, installations, sports rebrands, and network broadcast packages. Over the years, the hard work by Guthrie and his team have earned an MTV Music, People Choice, Clios, and multiple Promax BDA and Webby awards.
Fox Sports, EVP / Creative Director
Since 1995, Hartley has been responsible for conveying Fox Sports’ signature irreverent attitude through its on-screen innovation. Currently, as executive vice president, graphics, creative director, Hartley oversees the make, model and feel for nearly every on-screen graphic, across Fox, FS1, and FS2.
ANDREW ISAACSON, The Famous Group, Partner / EVP
Isaacson oversees TFG’s business development, both live action and post production divisions, as well as operations and technology for sports, brands, and live entertainment. He has produced countless projects including content for 19 Super Bowls and 7 NHL All-Star games.
PAUL JAMIESON, AE Live, GM North America, AE Live & VP Creative, Ignite
With over 25 years of experience, Jamieson has worked across various roles within broadcast and creative and is currently leading operations for the U.S. and creative design globally. Prior to joining AE four years ago, Jamieson has worked for some of the biggest names in broadcast, including FOX, BT Sport, ESPN, ITV, and the BBC.
* JP LOMONACO, CBS Sports, VP, On-Air Graphics & Design
LoMonaco oversees all of the design, production, and execution of graphics for the largest sporting events on CBS Sports Broadcast and CBS Sports Network — including the NFL, College Football, the Masters, the PGA Championship, and the March Madness Tournament.
ZACK MALET, ESPN, Sr. Director, Sports Business Development & Innovation
Malet negotiates and manages ESPN’s existing and new third-party business agreements, with a specific focus on strategic innovation and technology partnerships. Since joining ESPN in 2012, Malet has worked in Disney Platform Distribution where he managed distribution of Disney properties and more.
AMY NELSON, ESPN Creative Studio, Manager, Graphics Innovation
Nelson manages a team focused on research and development for broadcast graphics in ESPN’s Graphics Innovation department. She has spent the last 10 years immersed in everything real-time, specifically centered around live broadcast for sports.
JUSTIN PETERSON, BallerFX, Founder
Peterson is an eight-time Emmy winning motion designer on a mission to make sports motion design more accessible. After spending time working for teams in the B1G, NFL, and NBA, he founded BallerFX, a sports template and toolkit company that helps teams create content at scale.
DAVID PICCOLO, PGA TOUR, SVP and Executive Creative Director
Piccolo is an award-winning senior vice president and executive creative director with the PGA TOUR. He is responsible for the overall PGA TOUR brand, advertising, visual brand identity, and broadcast graphics. Piccolo has been in the sports and entertainment industry for over 25 years.
KENDRA RUSSELL, Warner Bros. Discovery, Director of Production Operations, XR & Virtual
Russell works at the intersection of creative, production, and technology. With over 20 years of experience in the entertainment industry, she possesses expertise in all facets of production, including shoot production, postproduction, and live broadcast production.
JOHN SCHLEEF, NBC Sports & Olympics, Art Director
In his over 20 years with NBC, Schleef has led the design on various properties including the NHL, the Premier League, the Kentucky Derby, Notre Dame football, Formula One racing, Wimbledon and French Open tennis, to various studio shows, as well as 10 Olympic games and five Super Bowls.
CRAIG SILVER, CBS Sports, Coordinating Producer, College Football
For more than four decades, Silver has served as one of the nation’s leading college, amateur, and professional TV sports producers, winning 10 Emmys and countless other recognitions for his tremendous work in bringing to life through our TV screens so many memorable athletics moments.
DAVID “SPARKY” SPARRGROVE, ESPN Creative Studio, Senior Creative Director, Animation, Graphics Innovation and Production Design
Sparrgrove has years of experience in the sports graphics space working on on-air identities too numerous to list, including the X Games, Monday Night Football, Top Rank Boxing, College Football, and most recently dabbling in alternate broadcasts like The Simpsons Funday Football, Dunk the Halls, and more.
* MICHAEL “SPIKE” SZYKOWNY, ESPN Creative Studio, VP, Edit, Animation, Graphics Innovation, and Creative Production
Szykowny has worked at ESPN for 27 years and is a 10-time Emmy Award winning visionary, team builder, and problem solver. He leads a team of editors, animators, producers, and graphic innovators who focus on creative ways to improve the art of storytelling.