Inside Daktronics Services with Melissa Carson
Melissa Carson, Market Service Manager for Live Events and Spectaculars, about how Daktronics supports customers throughout the entire lifespan of their displays.
Matt Anderson on 10/22/2025
Categories: Pro Sports and Colleges, Spectaculars
When you talk about Daktronics Services, there’s a good chance you’ll come across the name Melissa Carson. She’s been part of the Daktronics family for more than a decade and has spent her entire career focused on helping customers keep their systems running strong before, during and long after an event.
Melissa joined us on The Daktronics Experience Podcast to share how her background, passion for technology and experience in customer service all come together in her current role as Market Service Manager for Live Events and Spectaculars.
From Music Videos to Stadium Control Rooms
Melissa didn’t always picture herself in live events. Growing up, she wanted to be a music video producer, even creating videos for local bands in high school. That creative spark led her to Florida State University’s media production program, where she discovered sports broadcasting and found her true calling.
It was there, while working at Seminole Productions, that she was first introduced to Daktronics technology. Her team got hands-on with a Venus 7000 control system, and she quickly realized how powerful the platform was. That experience eventually led her to join Daktronics as a field customer trainer, traveling the world to teach operators how to run their control systems.
“I still think that’s the coolest job at Daktronics,” Melissa told us. “You get to meet customers, help them bring their shows to life and see your training in action.”
A Career Built on Support
After years in the field, Melissa transitioned into leadership and now oversees service operations for live events, sports venues and some of the biggest digital spectaculars in the world — Times Square displays, cruise ships, casinos and more.
Her team is responsible for keeping those systems online 24/7. “When you call Daktronics,” she said, “you’re getting someone who can help from every aspect, whether it’s parts, technical support or escalation. We’ve got a whole team behind you.”
That level of coordination becomes especially critical in places like casinos or cruise ships, where downtime isn’t an option. “Cruise ships come into port at specific times of the year,” she explained. “If we miss that window, we can’t just send someone out to the ocean. We’ve got to hit those marks and we take that seriously.”
Learning from Every Visit
Even in a leadership role, Melissa still makes it a point to get out in the field. She’s visited venues like Gillette Stadium and the Intuit Dome, where she’s able to see first-hand how customers operate.
“You learn when you’re out there,” she said. “You see their challenges, their successes and how they run things. You can’t learn that all from behind a desk.”
Those insights are brought back into the company to help improve products and services. Melissa often participates in PI planning sessions, where she provides direct customer feedback to product development teams, helping shape features and improvements that better serve operators everywhere.
Defining Customer Success
Melissa summed up her philosophy on customer service perfectly:
“Flawless events are unrealistic when it comes to technology and as humans, we all make mistakes. What matters is being there to support our customers through it all.”
That mindset carries through every service interaction whether it’s helping a live event venue prep for game day or ensuring a Times Square display runs seamlessly through the holidays.
She also encourages customers to take a proactive approach: open those Daktronics service emails, schedule system checks and plan upgrades. “Doing that work ahead of time sets everyone up for success,” she said.
Supporting the Lifespan of Every Display
Daktronics’ commitment doesn’t end after installation. Melissa explained that the goal is to support every customer through the entire lifespan of their display, typically around ten years, with control system upgrades recommended around year five.
“We know budgets don’t always align perfectly,” she said. “So even as displays approach end of life, we’re still here to support you and keep things running as long as possible.”
Relationships That Last
After 13 years with Daktronics, Melissa says it’s the people both coworkers and customers that make it all worthwhile. From unforgettable experiences like opening day baseball in South Korea to seeing her grandfather honored as a ‘veteran of the game’ with one of her first customers, it’s clear she values the relationships that have grown along the way.
“There’s so many cool projects and so many possibilities,” she said. “We’ve got a lot to offer, and we’re really excited to share everything that’s coming.”
It’s always inspiring to talk with people like Melissa who live and breathe service and to hear how much pride they take in helping customers succeed. Whether it’s keeping displays running through the night, prepping for a big event or pushing new features forward, her team is a huge part of what makes Daktronics stand apart from the rest.
