DWP Live

What DWP Live does

DWP Live is a privately held live visual production company headquartered at 885 Elm Hill Pike, Nashville, Tennessee, founded in 2007 by Danny Whetstone. The company provides end-to-end audio-visual production services for conferences, trade shows, arena and stadium events, theaters, houses of worship, and corporate and community events, with a particular specialization in large-scale projection mapping and 3D laser scanning. It claims one of the largest projection systems inventories in North America, anchored by screens and projectors from vendors including Barco, Epson, Christie, and AV Stumpfl, and integrated through media servers such as the disguise 4x4pro.

The business operates across four intertwined revenue streams: (1) live event production services, (2) specialized projection mapping and systems integration, (3) equipment rental, and (4) equipment sales, the latter two transacted through a WooCommerce-powered online shop organized into product lines covering screens, video signal processing and distribution, scaffold, tools and shop equipment, expendables, video sources, and video recording. Pricing is predominantly quote-based for services and project work, with unit pricing on smaller consumables and accessories sold through the storefront. Notable engagements have included the AEG Connect Summit at T-Mobile Arena (2016), a multi-week ten-projector ceiling projection at World Outreach Church (2017), National WWI Museum and Memorial (2023), NBC's "Christmas at Graceland" broadcast special (2024), and the U.S. debut of PROJEKTIL's "EONARIUM presents Genesis" in Boston (2025).

DWP Live is a bootstrapped, founder-led operating business with no disclosed institutional investors, no funding history, and no parent entity. Its customer base is event-driven and B2B, anchored by repeat relationships (e.g., Blue Pony for nearly 15 years), with marquee one-off engagements supplementing recurring event work. Geographic reach spans the U.S. with international project delivery in Brazil, Colombia, and China. The company maintains a small leadership team (Founder, Controller, Account Executive, plus technical staff) and operates from a single Nashville headquarters.

Name

DWP Live

Legal name

DWP Live

Website

https://dwplive.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

DWP Live is a privately held, Nashville-based live visual production company founded in 2007 that provides end-to-end AV event production, large-scale projection mapping, and 3D laser scanning services, supported by one of the larger projection equipment inventories in North America and serving conferences, arenas, theaters, houses of worship, and broadcast clients.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Live Event Production Services

NAICS

Performing Arts Companies (7111), Indoor and Outdoor Display Advertising (54185)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Equipment Rental & Leasing (7350), Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370)

akta.pro primary industry

Lighting Design & Rental (MPAGAKAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Staging & Rigging Services (MPAGAKAA)

Keywords

• Live event production
• Projection mapping services
• AV equipment rental
• 3D laser scanning
• Video production services

Headquarters

HQ city

Nashville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Equipment Rental: DWP Live rents AV and projection equipment (tapes, tapes/tools, scaffolds, screens, projectors, video signal processing equipment, video sources, video recording equipment, etc.) via a WooCommerce-powered online shop with cart and quote functionality.
2. Equipment Sales: DWP Live sells AV and production equipment (e.g., gaff tape, batteries, projector accessories, scaffold components) directly to customers through the website storefront.
3. Live Event Production Services: Provides complete live event production services including scalable, customized end-to-end technical execution for conferences, trade shows, arena/stadium events, theaters, houses of worship, and corporate/community events.
4. Projection Mapping & Systems Integration: Specialized projection mapping and system integration services, from small indoor installations to large outdoor building mappings and global touring shows.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Core offering

DWP Live provides end-to-end live event production and large-scale projection mapping services, leveraging what the company describes as one of the largest projection systems inventories in North America. Its offerings span audio-visual and technical event production for conferences, trade shows, arena and stadium events, theaters, houses of worship, and corporate/community events, supplemented by 3D laser scanning for pre-visualization. The company also monetizes its equipment inventory through an online rental and sales shop covering screens, projectors, video signal processing, scaffold, tools, and expendables.

Product overview

DWP Live operates as an integrated live visual production business combining three intertwined offerings: (1) a core Live Events Production service, (2) a Projection Mapping & Systems service that leverages what the company describes as one of the largest projection inventories in North America, and (3) an online Equipment Rental/Sales Shop. The Live Events Production service is the unifying platform around which the other offerings are organized, supported by the company's Nashville, TN headquarters and a network of full-time staff for events "anywhere in the world." The Projection Mapping & Systems service extends the core offering with large-scale projection, screen, and content display capabilities; this is the most prominent featured offering on the home page alongside Live Events. The Equipment Rental/Sales Shop is a transactional arm that monetizes the same inventory used for productions and is organized into product lines covering Screens (AV Stumpfl Monoblox 32/64 and FullWhite, Draper StageScreen/Onyx, Da-Lite), Video Signal Processing & Distribution (AJA, Lightware, Kramer, TBridge), Video Sources, Video Recording, Scaffold, Tools & Shop Equipment, and Expendables & Misc. Gear. Supporting specialized capabilities — such as 3D Laser Scanning — round out the portfolio and feed into the projection mapping work. Vendor relationships with Barco, Epson, Christie, and AV Stumpfl underpin the hardware side of all offerings.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Live Events Production End-to-end audio-visual and technical event production for conferences, trade shows, arena and stadium events, theaters, houses of worship, and business/community events. Scalable from meeting rooms to worldwide stages, with customization, support, and budget-conscious execution.
• Projection Mapping & Systems Large-scale projection mapping productions using one of the largest projection systems inventories in North America, with screens and projectors of all sizes to support productions of any scale on any surface, anywhere in the world.
• 3D Laser Scanning 3D laser scanning service referenced as a blog category and as part of the company's live visual production offering, used to capture environments for projection mapping and event design.
• Equipment Rental Shop Online shop where customers can rent projectors, screens, video signal processing/distribution gear, scaffold, video sources, recording equipment, tools, and other shop equipment for events.
• Equipment Sales Online shop where customers can buy equipment from DWP Live's rental inventory across categories including screens, projectors/lenses/accessories, video signal processing, scaffold, expendables, and tools.
• DWP LIVE Equipment Catalog (Screens) Rental/sales catalog line of 67 screen products including AV Stumpfl Monoblox 32/64 and FullWhite screens and components, Draper StageScreen and Onyx fixed screens and components, and Da-Lite curved and Fast-Fold Deluxe screens.
• DWP LIVE Equipment Catalog (Video Signal Processing & Distribution) Rental/sales catalog line of 165 video signal processing and distribution products including AJA (FiDO fiber converters, HA5/Hi5 mini-converters, KUMO routers, Ki Pro recorders), Lightware DVI-Over-Fiber extenders, Kramer DVI fiber TX/RX, TBridge HDMI switches, and assorted adapters and matrixes.
• DWP LIVE Equipment Catalog (Scaffold) Rental/sales catalog line of scaffold kits and components (BilJax and Waco frames, cross braces, walkboards, screw jacks, casters, base plates, stack pins, pigtails) used to support projection rigs and stages.
• DWP LIVE Equipment Catalog (Tools & Shop Equipment) Rental/sales catalog line of 56 tools and shop equipment items including barcode scanners/printers (Zebra, Symbol/Motorola), cable termination tools (Canare), measuring devices (Extech light meters, inclinometers), safety equipment, lifting equipment, scaffolding tools, and utility carts.
• DWP LIVE Equipment Catalog (Expendables & Misc. Gear) Rental/sales catalog line of expendables and miscellaneous gear including board tape, duct tape, electrical tape rolls, gaff tape rolls and packages, vinyl tape, hazard/caution tape, ties, fasteners, batteries, fans, tarps, and shrink tubing.
• DWP LIVE Equipment Catalog (Video Sources) Rental/sales catalog line of video source products including DT Videolabs PlaybackPro USB Key, Pioneer PRO DVD NTSC/PAL, Sony BDP-S360 Blu-Ray Player, Sony DVD Player, Sony RMT-B104A Remote Control, and Toshiba DVD Recorder.
• DWP LIVE Equipment Catalog (Video Recording) Rental/sales catalog line of video recording products built around the AJA Ki Pro family (Ki Pro Recorder, Ki Pro Rack Recorder, Ki Pro Power Supply, KiStor Storage Module, KiStor Dock, KiStor/Ki Stor Dock Power Supply).

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Feature4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• PRG (Production Resource Group): One of the world's largest providers of entertainment and event technology solutions, including projection, video, lighting, and rigging. Highly comparable to DWP Live as an integrated live event production and equipment rental partner serving conferences, concerts, and broadcast specials, but at significantly greater scale and global footprint.
• Solotech: Major North American AV and lighting rental/production company serving concerts, corporate events, and broadcast. Comparable to DWP Live in offering projector rental, large-scale event production, and projection-mapping expertise, with a much larger inventory and cross-border Canadian/U.S. operations.
• Freeman: Global leader in brand experience and event production for trade shows, conferences, and corporate events. Comparable to DWP Live on the live event production and AV rental side, though Freeman's scale, geographic reach, and full-service event management depth vastly exceed DWP Live's.
• National AV (formerly PSAV/Hilton): Hospitality-focused AV services and equipment rental provider under the Encore brand, supplying hotels, convention centers, and corporate events. Comparable to DWP Live on AV rental and live event execution, with a much larger venue-partner footprint.

Direct peers

• AVFX: Boston-based AV production and rental firm specializing in live events, conferences, and projection mapping for corporate clients. Closely comparable to DWP Live as a similarly sized, services-led projection mapping and AV rental business serving corporate and cultural events in the U.S.
• Atomic Design (formerly Atomic): Specialist in large-scale projection mapping and immersive installations for buildings, cultural events, and brand activations. Direct peer of DWP Live in the projection mapping niche with comparable service offerings, though Atomic Design is more creative-design led while DWP Live is more equipment-led.
• Obscura Digital: Pioneering immersive projection mapping and experiential design studio known for large-scale architectural mappings. Comparable to DWP Live in projection mapping and event production expertise, with similar high-profile cultural and brand projects; Obscura leans more heavily on creative content.
• Rentex Audio Visual & Computer Rentals: National AV equipment rental company offering projectors, screens, video signal processing, and event gear. Directly comparable to DWP Live's online rental/sales shop, though Rentex focuses on rental logistics rather than full event production services.

Others

• disguise (d3 Technologies): Manufacturer of media server hardware and software (including the disguise 4x4pro used by DWP Live at World Outreach Church). An enabling technology partner rather than direct competitor, but its platform underpins much of DWP Live's projection mapping work.
• Christie (Christie Digital Systems): Manufacturer of high-end projectors, including rental-grade projection systems stocked by DWP Live. Comparable as an equipment ecosystem peer — its hardware forms part of DWP Live's inventory — rather than a service competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/dwplive
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/dwp-live
• Instagraminstagram.com/dwplive
• Xx.com/dwp_live

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about DWP Live