LDI has announced a new selection of professionals who will make their debut as speakers at its 2026 edition. The specialists will join the LDInstitute and LDInnovation Conference programmes, whose agendas have already been published.
The sessions will address some of the key developments transforming live entertainment and content production, including the integration of generative artificial intelligence, real-time graphics, virtual production and the automation of operational workflows.
The programme will also include training in stage management and the application of scalable technology systems within the live entertainment industry.
Artificial intelligence applied to creative design
Among the new speakers is Stuart Fingerhut, Senior Creative Director at Hartmann Studios. His experience includes developing large-scale brand environments and immersive installations for companies such as AWS, The Home Depot, Hyundai, Optro and YouTube Gaming.
Fingerhut works across different areas of the creative process, from scenic design, audiovisual content and lighting to special effects and live entertainment. He has also integrated generative artificial intelligence into his production methods through an MCP-driven creative workflow connecting tools such as Rhino 3D and TouchDesigner.
At LDI 2026, he will present the session The Team of One: An AI-Native Concept Studio for Creative Directors, which will examine the tasks AI can realistically undertake within the process leading from initial concept to project delivery.
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Meanwhile, Scott Mann, Principal Creative Technologist at Noisechop, will lead the two-day course Diffusion as a Live Tool: Building Real-Time AI Visual Systems in TouchDesigner.
Mann develops interactive installations and immersive experiences combining generative AI, real-time graphics, sensor-based interaction and integrated sound. He has collaborated with brands, artists and cultural institutions including Adobe, Pantone, CN Tower, Airbus and the Twist Museum in London.
His career also spans more than 15 years as a sound designer, composer and audio post-production engineer, with recording credits for Sony and Universal Music Group.
Virtual production for broadcast
Virtual production will be represented by Ajinkya Hukerikar, Virtual Production Technologist at Zero Density. Specialising in real-time graphics, spatial reality and broadcast production, he has contributed to projects including NEXT Weather, the 2024 US elections, the FIFA World Cup 2026, the MET Gala and NFL coverage.
He has also worked with networks including CBS, ABC, NBC and Fox, helping to deploy virtual production systems and train the teams responsible for operating these technologies.
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Hukerikar will participate in Lights, Camera, Render: Inside the Virtual Production Process alongside Tori Piper, a lighting programmer with experience in theatre, television and major international events.
Piper has worked on more than ten presidential debates and six editions of the Olympic Games. Most recently, she served as Lighting Director for the Livigno Extreme Park during the Milano Cortina Games. She has also worked as a lighting programmer and DMX technician on audiovisual productions including HBO’s Pretty Little Liars and Love and Death, as well as Eenie Meanie and Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret.
Technology and management for live entertainment
The programme will also feature Ben Ikwuagwu, CEO and co-founder of Soundcheck Live, who will present the session Building Scalable Systems in Live Entertainment Operations.
A musician and professional vocalist with more than a decade of international experience, Ikwuagwu created Soundcheck Live in response to the operational challenges he encountered in areas such as bookings, payments and crew coordination.
The platform, described as “Shopify for live-event professionals”, aims to provide freelancers and production companies with scalable tools for collaboration and workflow automation.
A graduate of Texas A&M University in Supply Chain Management, Ikwuagwu also brings experience gained at Apple and Dell, applying enterprise management models to the music and entertainment sectors.
Training for stage management professionals
The programme is completed by Mandalyn Stevens, a stage manager and professor at Case Western Reserve University, who will participate in the Stage Managers Academy.
Stevens works professionally in Cleveland, Ohio, and has held various roles at Vincent Lighting Systems over the past nine years. She currently teaches Stage Management at Case Western Reserve University.
She also serves on the boards of the Stage Managers’ Association and The Ohio Thespians EDTA, and chairs the Stage Management Track Committee for the Southeastern Theatre Conference.
With these additions, LDI 2026 expands a training programme designed to connect creativity with the new technical tools and operational models redefining live entertainment production.
