Production Design International

What Production Design International does

Production Design International Inc. (PDI) is a privately held, Canadian full-service production company founded around 1980 and headquartered in Markham, Ontario. The company specializes in custom laser, lighting, special effects design, and special effects direction for music touring productions, film and television projects, corporate events, and architectural installations. Its portfolio of named engagements spans Foo Fighters' Concrete & Gold world tour, Tool (since 2006), Rush, the Star Wars Orchestra & Choir Tour, Starz's American Gods, the Kin feature film, and an interactive laser environment for Hewlett-Packard at Coachella.

The core technology stack centers on high-power laser systems, scalable lighting rigs, and effect hardware including water screens, fog screens, PYRO, low smoke, and CRYO jets, configured and programmed for venues ranging from small arenas to massive stadiums and film/TV sets. PDI delivers turnkey production packages that bundle management, staffing, equipment, and transportation, and also operates as an authorized High-End Systems dealer and the Canadian Soft-LED distributor for equipment sales and rental. Proprietary capabilities rest on custom laser and lighting design, world-leading programming for touring productions, and the ability to rapidly reconfigure setups for cinema shot requirements.

Revenue is generated through custom project-based pricing with no publicly disclosed pricing or revenue figures. The go-to-market motion is sales-led and direct, with prospective clients submitting project inquiries through the company website specifying project type (Lighting, Lasers, Film & TV, Special FX). Customer segments are horizontally segmented across music touring, film and television, corporate events, and architectural/hospitality venues, with marquee enterprise clients including Foo Fighters, Tool, Rush, Star Wars, American Gods, Kin, HP, Infiniti, Ford, and Deep Purple. Leadership is concentrated in two principals: Howard Ungerleider (creative direction and design) and Brian Beggs (business operations).

Name

Production Design International

Legal name

Production Design International Inc.

Website

https://pdifx.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1980

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Production Design International Inc. is a Canadian full-service production company, founded circa 1980 and based in Markham, Ontario, that designs custom laser, lighting, and special effects packages for music touring productions, film and television projects, corporate events, and architectural installations globally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Live Event Production Services

NAICS

Performing Arts Companies (7111), Motion Picture and Video Production (51211), Other Performing Arts Companies (71119)

SIC

Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812)

akta.pro primary industry

Event Technical Production Management & Crew (MPAGAKAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Special Effects (Pyro, Lasers, Confetti, Fog) (MPAGAKAF), Production Design & Art Department Services (Sets, Props, Scenic) (MPADAFAG), Live-Action International/Co-Production & Service Production (MPADABAG), Staging, Scenic & Set Fabrication (Stages, Backdrops, Scenic Builds) (THAHAEAC)

Keywords

• Live event production
• Concert lighting design
• Production management services
• Stage lighting rental
• Special effects design

Headquarters

HQ city

Markham

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Event Production Services: Custom laser, lighting, and special effects design services for events, tours, and productions. Revenue generated through project-based service contracts including design, equipment rental, staffing, and production management.
2. Equipment Rental: Rental of high-quality, state-of-the-art lighting and laser equipment for events and productions
3. Equipment Sales: Sale of lighting and laser equipment, fiber optic curtains, water curtains, and related products. Authorized dealer for High-End Systems and Canadian Soft-LED distributor.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Production Design International is a production design firm that designs and delivers lighting, laser shows, special effects (FX), and full production management for concert tours, live events, and film/TV productions. The company supplies the crew, design, and equipment needed to execute a show from pre-production through load-out, working with touring artists, promoters, and studios.

Product overview

Production Design International is a full-service production company offering a unified suite of specialized services for live events and productions. The core offerings include Lighting Services (design, programming, rentals, architectural, stage, film & TV), Laser Services (stadium/arena touring, corporate, architectural with high-power lasers and advanced programming), and Special FX (water screens, PYRO, fog screens, low smoke, CRYO jets). These services are delivered through integrated production management encompassing staffing, equipment, and transportation, allowing PDI to design, create, and supply complete production packages for world tours, corporate events, film, and television productions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• Hewlett-PackardflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 January 2020HP participated at Coachella Music Festival where PDI created an interactive laser environment. Seefactor Industries (NYC) and The Infinity Marketing Team (LA) approached PDI for this project. PDI together with Funnel 33 created a laser-light display inside an air-conditioned geodesic dome.
• Howard UngerleidercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKey creative partner and collaborator for over 40 years. Howard Ungerleider is responsible for architectural lighting, stage lighting, set design, direction and lasers. He brings extensive experience working with Rod Stewart, Van Halen, Rush and other major artists.
• High-End SystemscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAuthorized High-End Systems Dealer. PDI sells and distributes High-End Systems lighting equipment in Canada.
• Soft-LEDcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCanadian Soft-LED distributor. PDI distributes Soft-LED products throughout Canada.
• Seefactor IndustriesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNYC-based company that approached PDI to create an interactive laser environment for the Coachella HP vendor activation.
• Another Planet TouringminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPromoters who developed the Star Wars Orchestra/choir tour concept and involved PDI for laser and cryogenic effects.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Production Resource Group (PRG): One of the world's largest providers of entertainment technology, lighting, and production services for concerts, theatre, film, and corporate events. Directly comparable to PDI in tour lighting and laser services, with significantly broader scale and global fleet depth.
• Atomic Lighting: US concert and event lighting rental and production company serving major touring productions. Comparable service model (lighting design, rental, and tour production support) targeting the same touring customer segment as PDI.
• Solotech: Canadian-based global provider of audio, lighting, video, and rigging for live touring, corporate events, and broadcast. Closest geographic and service peer to PDI, offering integrated production packages for major tours and a similar blend of equipment rental, sales, and design services.
• Bandit Lites: US-based lighting production company specializing in concert touring and special events with extensive equipment inventory and tour credits for major rock acts. Highly comparable to PDI's touring lighting business model.
• Christie Lites: Major North American lighting rental company serving concert touring, corporate events, and special productions. Directly comparable equipment inventory, geographic reach, and customer base to PDI's rental business.
• LD Systems / Laredo Production Group: Long-established US touring and event production company with full-service lighting, video, and production offerings for major concerts and corporate events. Directly comparable in vertical scope and target customers to PDI.
• Upstaging Inc: US concert lighting and production company serving major touring artists. Comparable to PDI in offering lighting design, equipment rental, and tour production services for arena and stadium-scale events.
• Laser Design Productions: US-based laser display and special effects company serving concerts, tours, and corporate events. Highly comparable niche focus on laser programming and effects for touring acts, overlapping directly with PDI's laser services.

Others

• High-End Systems: Manufacturer of professional automated lighting fixtures and controls, for whom PDI serves as an authorized Canadian dealer. Adjacent/ecosystem participant — supplier relationship makes them a partner rather than direct competitor, but they share the same lighting technology stack.

Broad incumbents

• GLP (German Light Products): Global manufacturer of professional lighting fixtures widely used in concert touring and event production. Operates in the same lighting ecosystem as PDI but as an equipment OEM rather than service provider.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/pdifx
• Facebookfacebook.com/pdifx
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/production-design-international-inc-

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Production Design International