HLES 2015 It in a high level event

IT in a high level

eventSolutions, Checklists and general workshop

High Level Event Seminar,

Tallinn 2015

Key outcomes

• Know that IT...

– is a big part, complex

– has many integration points

– is critical for event success

– consists of many sub elements

that must come together

• Ask the right questions

• Buy or build?High Level Event Seminar,

Tallinn 2015

Agenda

– Technology - overview

– Sourcing

• «build or buy»

– How to advise, manage, and control

• Checklist

– Web-tv and arena production

High Level Event Seminar,

Tallinn 2015

Speaker: Henning Spjelkavik• M Sc in Computer Science

• High volume web portals (Skiinfo.no, Langd.se, FINN.no)

• Second half of M21E in Norway, 620 avg WRE (Injured)

• Member of IOF ITC

• Experience– WOC 1997

– Timing, punching and IT since WOC 2004

– World Cup 1996, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

– Norwegian Championships

– Training camps, events, school sprints etc

– Foot-o, ski-o, multisport

– Cross-country, Biathlon arena production

– SEA WOC 2013, assistant in 2008

Home-made IT solutions

http://bit.ly/1zybVYJ

Home-made IT solutions

• To be minimised...

– if there is a standard solution

– think carefully when developing new things

Event plan – Relevant Points

9. Timekeeping and Punching system

Details of the timekeeping and punching system to be

used including a test plan

10. Arena production, media coverage and media

facilities

The ambition levels for arena production and media

coverage should be detailed. Describe the level of

commentary to be provided for spectators.

Complexity

In theory: WOC / WC is a quite ”small

competition”

“Even though I know how SportIdent works

for a training event, it doesn’t mean I’m

capable of integrating with TV”

Main drivers of complexity

– Highest quality

– Video board ("big screen")

– Direct internet coverage

– Number of arenas

– Number of events on the same day

– Short deadlines

– Special formats and/or rules

– The results must be perfect – correct and fair

– TV

Who depends on IT’s

services?• TV

• Press

• Speaker

• Spectators

• Event Office

• Start officials

• Finish

• Start number bibs, SI/Emit preparation

• Numbering of maps and control descriptions

• Runners

• Coaches

• Tracking

• IOF Live Center

• World Ranking update

Results

Speaker

TV Graphics

Internet

Spectators

Antidoping

Teams

Who takes care of...?• Press/media center in arena – net

connectivity and equipment, support

• Internet connection in the arena

• Power - independent

• Internet connectivitys

• Sound or video streaming

• Mobile phone coverage in the forest

• ...in the arena

• Free wifi in the arena has been successfully used

Event Web Site

• Preliminary information

• Bulletins – official information!

• Entries

• Communication with athletes,

spectators, VIPs

• Sponsors/Partners

• Volunteers/organisers

• Eventor

Contracts – 1+ year before• Major system providers

• Punching system

• Timekeeping system

• IT equipment– Computers

– Network equipment

– Printers

• Radio links– From start, intermediate

controls

• GPS Tracking

• Arena production

TV demands

• EBU-level TV

– What kind of production?

– Cameras, controls

– Commentator support

– Huge influence

– TV graphics provider

– Real time data!

• What demands will TV have? Power? Uplink?

• How to finance?

Production details may

start only a few months

ahead

Numbers from WOC 2008IT : 25 volunteers

Additionally

– 5 people from a professional timing company

– Verified the start gate

– Operated the finish timing

– 2 people from TracTrac

– 72 employees of the Czech TV

– Some Czech army support

TimingCorrect and fair

timing!

But before the timing starts

• Start draw– Each kind of event have specific rules. Even mass start.

– ...and sometimes special rules

• Must be tested, at latest one month before the competition

• Entry Form will be replaced by Eventor

• First attempt is often wrong

• Time window– Entry Form Deadline: 1200

– Team Officials’ meeting: 1900

• IOF has an Excel sheet with macros for WOC

• Practice!

Drawing Quality Procedure

• Verify all entries

• That they are legal, complete etc

• What if a deadline is not kept by the teams?

• Verify that the entries in the database according to the allocations by the teams

• Draw

• Verify that the output is within the rules

• Keep documentation throughout, and available for the team officials’ meeting

Sprint Qual 2013

Procedure at the finish

• The professional company operated the timing:– Online last control

– Time taken by photo cell

– Time also taken by transponder

– The start number was punched

– Third person ready to search for thenumber bib

– Video backup

– On relay – numbers were also written

Video backup

Video file

Video backup

• Often based on security software

• Crucial that you can search nearly instantly

• Videotape is out

• USB-webcam + VLC

• IP-cams

• Multi camera security solutions

• Picture-in-picture scaler recorded to

BlackMagicDesign

Quality of timing• Approved timing system

• Check radio contact

• Verify synchronisation of all clocks

• Verify that -1, -2 etc is correct

• Verify photocell

• Error procedures

• Calculations, truncation to correct precision

• WOC Sprint Final: 0.1s in results

Equipment - Laptops• ”Core” Results management

– 4 laptops for result system

– 3 laptops for the timing system

– All critical equipment on UPS

– Digital video storage, 3 channels

• Additionally– Speaker (2 laptops), TV (2-4)

– 1 for communication with the Event Office

– 2 for online internet coverage

Always remember:

Two

independent

systems!

Network

• Cabled!

– Max 80 m spans

– cable bridges

• No WLAN for critical services

• Well-terminated and tested

• High quality switches

• Power generator available on short

notice for crisis

Bandwidth

• Services of major or critical importance should have a dedicated line

• Examples– Audio 50 kbps

– Video 500-1000 kbps for web streaming

– Live results 30-50 kbps – depends on provider

– Press tent – as much as they can get, 1Mbps and up

– Live tracking ~50-200 kbps?

• Audience => Mobile coverage

• Free Wifi will free GSM capacity for GPS, intermediate timing etc

Internet access

• Fiber

• DSL

• Mobile broadband

• Satellite (tooway)

Testing and validation• Timing system

• Test important procedures (drawing; final; imports)

• Control units

• Training of functions

• Failure procedures– Typical timing issues

– Controls

• Recovery– Power failure

– Database failure

– Network failure

– No internet connection

• "Integration training"– Hold an event where you integrate at least a

few of the major functions

Developments in Punching

Systems

• Emit Touch Free Pro

• SportIdent Air+

• SFR

• LearnJoy?

Live results

• National solutions

• Many “home-made”

• Open source: EmmaClient

– Has integration with OLA, OE, eTiming++

(IOF XML)

• https://emmaclient.codeplex.com/

• https://github.com/hennings/emmaclient (emit)

• OOIS• http://sourceforge.net/projects/oois/

https://emmaclient.codeplex.com/

https://github.com/hennings/emmaclient

Conclusion

• Plan early

• If it’s not tested, it’s not

working

• Ask the questions:

– What happens if...?

– How is your drawing

procedure correct?

– Bus/truck factor

The IOF IT Commission will be

happy to discuss these matters

with you!

[email protected]

phone +47 932 080 67

SOURCING

What to build – what to buy

Domains / services

• Example: Mapping

• Activities

– Timekeeping

– “Punch control”

– Intermediate timing

– GPS-tracking

– TV-graphics

– Entry system for spectators

– Accreditation etc management system

• Punching system

Timekeeping

• Both orienteer – and non-orienteer

companies/clubs

• Does not need to know orienteering

Punching systems

• Approved

“Punch control” – Event administration

• Orienteering domain

• Some companies/groups can provide all

of the above in one package

• Cost

• You need to supply some manpower

• Coordination is on the provider

Intermediate timing

• ROC – Raspberry pie

– http://olresultat.se/blog/?page_id=148

• jSh - http://radio.jsh.de/

• Several based on RACOM++

• Emit: eLink

• +++

http://olresultat.se/blog/?page_id=148

http://radio.jsh.de/

GPS tracking

• GPSseuranta (WOC 2010-2014)

• TracTrac (WOC 2008, World Games)

• Estonian - SportRec

• Loggator (Bulgarian/Norwegian)

• Polish ( TrackCourse )

• Hungarian (WOC 2009)

http://www.gpsseuranta.net/

http://www.tractrac.com/

http://www.sportrec.eu/?page_id=24

https://loggator.com/

http://app.trackcourse.com/view/o-games2014

WOC 2008 Olomouc

Service Solution Notes

Timekeeping (start+finish) Slovak timing company

(VOS-TPK)

Non-orienteers, paid

“Punch control” Czech expert group Orienteers, clubs in the

region. Czech software

Spectator race result

service

Organisers

Radio timing Czech expert group Orienteers, Using

Racom equipment

TV graphics Czech company

(Akisport/Hego)

Long relation with

producer. XC-skiing.

GPS Tracking TracTrac Orienteer, paid

Accreditation, athlete

management

Web-based database

solution

Organisers

TV producer Karel Jonak Long relation with o

WOC 2010 Trondheim


Timekeeping Organisers Orienteers

“Punch control” Organisers + 1 hired

expert

Orienteers

Radio timing Organisers Orienteers

TV graphics Finnish o-solution Orienteers, paid for

GPS Tracking GPSseuranta Orienteers, paid for

Accreditation, booking

management

Local solution; partly

manual; access

database; excel etc

Organisers

TV producer Olli Härkki Long relation with o

WOC 2012 Lausanne


Timekeeping Leibundgut Orienteers, paid for

“Punch control” Leibundgut Orienteers, paid for

Radio timing Leibundgut + Specialist

club

Orienteers, paid for,

RACOM-based

TV graphics Leibundgut Orienteers, paid for



management

N Russi Orienteers, paid for

TV producer Armand ... Some relation with o

WOC 2013 Vuokatti


Timekeeping ResultFellows++ Orienteers, paid for

“Punch control” ResultFellows++ Orienteers, paid for

Radio timing ResultFellows++ Orienteers, paid for

TV graphics Finnish o-solution Orienteers, paid for



management

Local solution; partly

manual; access

database; excel etc

Organisers

TV producer Olli Härkki Long relation with o

WOC 2014 Lavarone


Timekeeping Local timing company,

Chronometry

Non-orienteering

“Punch control” Czech expert group Orienteers, external

club


service

Organisers + hired expert

Radio timing Czech expert group Using Racom

equipment

TV graphics Czech company (Hego) Long relation with


GPS Tracking GPSseuranta Orienteer


management

Manual; excel etc +

web application

Organisers


WSOC 2015 Budor


Timekeeping Local timing company Non-orienteering

“Punch control” Czech expert group Orienteers, external

club


service

Organisers + hired expert

Radio timing Czech expert group Using Racom

equipment

TV graphics Czech company Long relation with


GPS Tracking GPSseuranta Orienteer


management

Manual; excel etc Organisers


Conclusion

• There are several ways to split how you assemble your services

• Talk to previous organisers of the same event

• ...and local organisers of similar complexity (if there exists) – possibly in other sports



with you!

[email protected]

phone +47 932 080 67

IT CHECKLIST

How to manage, or do quality assurance

Punching, Timing and IT system checklist

• Event Adviser - Do the Adviser feel

comfortable asking these questions? If

not - who can assist?

• For a High Level Event, contact the IT

Commission for further advice.

• Possibly – an assistant adviser

Organisation

• Who is responsible for IT in the organisation?

• What is the responsibility (the boundaries) of the IT organisation?

• What if the person is ill on the competition?

• How many people are in the IT organisation?

• How are you doing internal control of the IT-organisation?

• Have they done this before?

• Where are the interfaces to the other parts of the organisation?

• How is the workflow? From receiving the official entries with names at

12:00 the day before the event, through drawing, preparation of lists, so

it’s ready for the Team Officials’ meeting?

• Who is handling complaints and protests?

• If there is a qualification and final on the same day - is there a detailed

time table?

General IT systems

• Software version - used before, stable, similar events (size, importance),

proven?

• Does the software provide IOF XML 3.0 result export?

• Are there special requirements for this event?

• Have you tested the equipment?

• Do you have spare units for critical elements?

• Have you tested the planned procedures in a test event? (Electricity fail, network

break down)

• Separate power, network - priority to the most important things

• Is the network able to handle the workload (mobile networks may break down

with lots of spectators)?

• If there is a public wifi for the spectators, is it separated from the organisers

network?

• If the public network is connected to the internet - is there enough bandwidth for

the public and all other users?

• Are the main components in the finish able to run minimum services when

electricity fails? (notebooks work on battery - network switches have to work too)

Punching system

• What punching system is planned to use?

• When was the system last maintained? (Battery, firmware,

temperature, reprogrammed)

• Are the people familiar with the handling of the system and all of its

components?

• Do the competitors know how to use the system? Is there a modell

event to train the handling from the competitors perspective?

• Is it planned to check (visit and punch) all controls just before the race?

Are there prerunners? Are there procedures and time to react and

correct in case of problems?

• Are there procedures at the start when an ecard is not functioning

correctly at the start (check process)?

• Was the system tested by the people before the competition?

• Is the read out process of the batches in the finish tested? Is there a

backup for this process in case on any problem with it?

Timing system

• Is there a backup timing system ready?

• Are there procedures about what to do if the main timing system

fails?

• How and who will synchronise the start and finish clocks?

• What is the system for intermediate times?

• What happens if the runners start at the wrong start times?

• How to handle forgotten ecard at the start?

• Will there be photo cell, push button or photo finish camera

taking the time?

• WRE/WMOC : finish punch may be acceptable

Tracking

• Is there mobile network coverage in the complete

competition area?

• Is the mobile network in the arena able to handle

spectators using mobile phones and the tracking

data?

• Is the mobile network company (telecom operator)

able to increase capacity in the area?

• Which GPS tracking service will you use? Has it been

used in orienteering before?

• If there is a weak GPS coverage, are foreign SIM

cards considered?

• What do the organiser see as the

biggest risks?

• “if it isn’t tested, it’s not going to work”

Thanks!



with you!

[email protected]

phone +47 932 080 67

How to do an arena production?

Henning Spjelkavik

First: Who is your audience?

• Spectators in the arena

• Orienteers at home

• Sports-loving non-orienteers

• Entertainment seeking public

• Arena vs forest main focus

What’s your ambition level?

• Audio streaming of speaker

• Video streaming

• a broadcast quality TV production?

– Has a cost...

Arena, TV, web-tv?

• Arena approach («big screen»)

• Web-tv approach

• ENG – 30-60 sec clips

• Magazine program

• OB – Live tv

• Examples– Norwegian Federation - 4000 EUR pr day

– World Ski-o Championship

– NORT / WOC

WOC 2010 TV

• Approximate ~300 000 EUR

• 18 cameras

• 2 OB-buses

• Satellite links

The Major Costs

• Equipment hire

• Personnel

• OB EUR 100.000 – 300.000

Roles and costs

• OB – professionals (15-25)– pr camera, director, audio, tech, graphics, gps, script,

vb/EVS

– Norway - EUR 400 pr person + accommodation

• Arena/Web-TV– Ratio between volunteers and paid

– Volunteers on camera

– Media students

– Some positions require (extensive) experience – not sustainable with volunteers

• Director/producer. Tech manager. GPS?

Arena / web-tv equipment

• Video– ATEM 1 M/E Production Switcher

– Digital (SDI / HDMI)

– 2 SDI cameras

– 2 HDMI

– GPS

– Timing graphics

– Total value of production equipment EUR 10.000

– Rentable for EUR 1000-2000 ?

• Affordable equipment => small production companies

• Experimental stuff – total value EUR

8.000

– Teradek Cube pairs

– Teradek Vidiu + 4G router

Ranges

• SDI 100-200 meters SD

• HDMI 20-25m , extenders -> 200 m

• Fiber – as long as you want

• IP over WLAN or CAT6

• IP over 3G/4G/CDMA

Personnel

• Director (image producer)

• Technical lead

• GPS tracking operator

• Timing graphics operator

• Spotter

• Camera operators

ESOC and WSOC 2015

• Based on experience from 2014

• ESOC – up to 8 cameras

«If sport is not working on TV, is not attracting an

audience, is languishing, the problem lies with the

people controlling that sport. They either have

failed to keep that sport vital and alive, through

laziness or mismanagement, or they have allowed

people presenting the sport to the public through

television to get away with sloppy, lazy or

inattentive production.»

David Hill, Chairman & CEO, Fox Sports TV

Contact details:Henning Spjelkavik,

[email protected]

http://twitter.com/spjelkavik

Facebook, LinkedIn & Xing

Thank you for listening!

mailto:[email protected]

http://twitter.com/spjelkavik

HLES 2015 It in a high level event

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Transcript of HLES 2015 It in a high level event