hles 2015 it in a high level event
TRANSCRIPT
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
• 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
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
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
• 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
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
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/
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!
phone +47 932 080 67
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
• 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
• +++
GPS tracking
• GPSseuranta (WOC 2010-2014)
• TracTrac (WOC 2008, World Games)
• Estonian - SportRec
• Loggator (Bulgarian/Norwegian)
• Polish ( TrackCourse )
• Hungarian (WOC 2009)
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
Service Solution Notes
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
Service Solution Notes
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
GPS Tracking GPSseuranta Orienteers, paid for
Accreditation, booking
management
N Russi Orienteers, paid for
TV producer Armand ... Some relation with o
WOC 2013 Vuokatti
Service Solution Notes
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
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 2014 Lavarone
Service Solution Notes
Timekeeping Local timing company,
Chronometry
Non-orienteering
“Punch control” Czech expert group Orienteers, external
club
Spectator race result
service
Organisers + hired expert
Radio timing Czech expert group Using Racom
equipment
TV graphics Czech company (Hego) Long relation with
producer. XC-skiing.
GPS Tracking GPSseuranta Orienteer
Accreditation, booking
management
Manual; excel etc +
web application
Organisers
TV producer Karel Jonak Long relation with o
WSOC 2015 Budor
Service Solution Notes
Timekeeping Local timing company Non-orienteering
“Punch control” Czech expert group Orienteers, external
club
Spectator race result
service
Organisers + hired expert
Radio timing Czech expert group Using Racom
equipment
TV graphics Czech company Long relation with
producer. XC-skiing.
GPS Tracking GPSseuranta Orienteer
Accreditation, booking
management
Manual; excel etc Organisers
TV producer Karel Jonak Long relation with o
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
The IOF IT Commission will be
happy to discuss these matters
with you!
phone +47 932 080 67
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?
Thanks!
The IOF IT Commission will be
happy to discuss these matters
with you!
phone +47 932 080 67
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
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
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
«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,
http://twitter.com/spjelkavik
Facebook, LinkedIn & Xing
Thank you for listening!