Mike Smith is director of operations at ROE Visual. His role is to bridge the gap between innovative LED technology and the technicians who bring it to life.
At LDI he will be leading ROE Academy, with two days of courses: Intro and Advanced as well as a combination course comprising both days, Friday and Saturday, December 5 & 6.
Price: $869 / Lunch included. 14 ETCP renewal credits (for 2-day combo course)
Use Promo Code ROE20 for a 20% discount on ROE Academy at LDI 2025.
Live Design: Please give a brief overview of your training/education/career path.
Mike Smith: I started as a freelance lighting technician straight from my high school's theater stage crew. The connections I made through freelancing ultimately led to long term recurring jobs that varied from concert touring, to corporate tradeshows to Halloween theme park events. I moved from lighting to LED video and ended up getting of the road and working full time for ROE Visual.
LD: Please describe your most recent project.
MS: These days I work day in and day out providing guidance from the manufactures point of view on successful LED installations and deployments, varying from virtual production and broadcast studios, to theme park installations, to rental and staging applications - as well as maintaining a top tier LED service and support team
LD: What are you teaching at LDI and who is your target audience?
MS: I'm teaching the ROE Academy at LDI in 2025 which will cover a wide range of basic and advanced topics related to LED video. The idea is you can walk in a complete novice and walk out with a solid understanding of how to plan and execute an LED screen deployment from the ground up. For those that already have experience building screens, we will cover multiple LED processing systems and the nuances of each that will provide a deeper level of understanding of an entire LED display system as a whole
LD: What has been the biggest challenge of your career to date?
MS: Continually expanding my scope and field of view as I've progressed from a technician being given singular tasks on a job-site to managing the technical service and support department for a top-tier manufacturer of high complex electronic devices.
LD: What is your advice for people just getting into the industry?
MS: Be aware that our industry is small and you will continue to work with the same colleagues throughout your career, even as they move between companies - the people often remain the same. Always be curious and don't be afraid to ask questions.