Bio
Talbot “TBOT” Simons
Las Vegas, USA / Hong Kong / France
Inventor, Creative Engineer, World Renowned Veteran VJ, Technical / Project Director, Software / Systems Architect, Trendsetter, Industry Leader & Production Life Coach
Greetings – I am TBOT.
Perhaps your company or project has been looking for a me?
I am a creative engineer, technical / project director, world renowned veteran VJ / visual artist, and published inventor with deep level cross department experience and a large professional network spanning software, systems, live production (on land, at sea or in harsh conditions), operations, design, visual / creative direction, broadcast, hardware, product design, manufacturing and a knack for leadership across all of those industries. Technology is more than just a skill set for me. It is a hard-coded language I have spoken my entire life… I’m a highly confident, driven, friendly & consistent – board or client facing asset…
Don’t let the hair fool you.
I’m a cross-department powerhouse who is able to understand and communicate client vision + oversee / execute on a timeline… within a budget… consistently and without fail.
2000’s TBOT
2010’s TBOT
2020’s TBOT
Consistency over 20+ years – Hundreds of successful shows, performances & projects…
As a millennial born in 1989 – I come from a time where I remember playing outside – before the days of the modern internet – and I grew up with a strong interest in technology and networking from its infancy. This gives me a unique understanding of “how things work” at a very advanced level – and allows me to bridge the social gap between younger and aging generations. I’m emotionally intelligent and I have the capability to see situations through different lenses. I play exceptionally well with others and I instill confidence in clients, boards or shareholders.
I built my first working computer (an old 386) at the age of three back in 1992. I am now 36 and have spent decades designing, building, and shipping real systems that I operate in live touring environments, large scale shows, long running installations, venue deployments, and production / creative technology & IT infrastructure.
I have been pioneering the VJ and live visual / creative engineering industries since 2005, beginning as a visual / video artist at the age of 14 in the RCA days…. Since then, my work has been featured worldwide across festivals, tours, cruises, conventions, permanent venues, and large scale installations. I operate comfortably on both the creative and technical wavelengths and am often best placed where the two meet or in a larger picture oversight / management role.
I am also an inventor by nature and by practice. I design solutions rather than complain that none exist, I build tools people actually use, and I take responsibility and pride for seeing ideas through to reality with a fine attention to detail. I am not afraid of unfamiliar domains, difficult problems, or getting my hands dirty. Given a problem, a goal, and a runway, I will find a way to solve it.
“I have unwavering confidence that I can do “it” – whatever “it” is.”
MY CORE STRENGTHS
- 20+ Years performing live in large capacity, intensive, mission critical and sometimes harsh environments all over the world – on land or at sea.
- Creative engineering utilizing a variety of mediums & technologies
- Live, & time-coded production systems (with a main focus on video)
- Video systems (live & broadcast), venues, & large scale show design
- LED systems design
- Extensive experience in the cruise sector.
- Highly proficient in both AI and non AI driven workflows
- Content design across various styles (in house & in-network)
- Live Interactive & creative experiential projects
- Systems architecture, automation, & remote operations
- Project direction / project management systems
- Ownership, & team leadership
- Capable of managing teams across a variety of programming languages
- Quick to absorb new workflows or information
- Teaching, mentoring, & technical communication
- Emotionally aware – Open, honest & frank communicator
- Endless ideas & solutions
- High trust, long term contributor rather than short term contractor
VJ & LIVE VISUAL INDUSTRY LEADERSHIP
I have been actively shaping the VJ and live visual industry since 2005.
I began touring as a VJ at age 14 and have worked globally ever since as a travelling visual artist, technical director, systems designer, and visual lead. My work spans the highest levels of electronic music, hip hop, live bands, corporate events, conventions, and large scale experiential environments.
I have a long history working with Insomniac Events and have delivered visuals for headlining performances at Electric Daisy Carnival (and other Insomniac Festivals) over multiple years since 2013. I have also worked / performed with Ultra Music Festival (Miami and Worldwide) since 2007, operating across a variety of global editions and deployments – as well as several other notable festival brands.
I have designed touring video systems for artists such as “LSDream” and served as the technical and creative mind behind a multitude of major live show pipelines. In 2025, I personally led and executed a “Wu Tang Clan” music video upscaling project, remastering their entire legacy video catalog to 4K in advance of my live collaboration with them as part of their Las Vegas residency…. I have supported or directly operated various Las Vegas residencies since moving to Las Vegas from South Florida back in 2019.
I have developed custom plugins for Resolume Arena that are used by VJs around the world in professional show environments. These tools are in active use and have influenced how live visuals are performed globally.
I was – earlier in my career – the youngest multi-year sitting member of the “Winter Music Conference / Miami Music Week Visual Panel”.
I have mentored many visual artists and technical creatives over the years, several of whom have gone on to work with A list acts, major festivals, and well known public figures. Teaching and mentorship have been a core part of my career since my early twenties… as a result – my available professional network is quite extensive.
CODING, HARDWARE & SOFTWARE
I am a hands-on programmer with practical experience building systems that must run reliably long term or remotely / unattended.
I’m the guy you call when you want an LED to change color based on the tide level on the other side of the planet.
Niche or specialty projects are my forte.
I work across multiple programming languages and environments, with a strong foundation in Linux, scripting, automation, networking, and service orchestration. Any information I don’t already possess I absorb easily in this space.
Modern AI and MCP assisted workflows allow me to move comfortably across languages and stacks, accelerate prototyping, automate repetitive engineering tasks, and explore unfamiliar APIs or platforms efficiently. AI extends my reach and speed. It does not replace my judgment, architectural thinking, or responsibility for outcomes.
VENUE DESIGN, INSTALLATIONS, AND LONG TERM OPERATIONS
“I have designed and implemented permanent and semi permanent venue systems that remain operational many years after deployment.”
One example is The Temple House in Miami Beach, FL – where I designed, implemented & operated their original video and 360 projection systems circa 2017. Major international acts such as “Shakira” have made use of this space since – “The Temple House” is an installation that remains in active operation today, reflecting my focus on durability, maintainability, and long term system thinking / support.
I design systems and documentation that survive staff turnover, evolving content needs, and real world operational wear without constant intervention or overspending.
In 2018 I led and directed a team of content creators to design and implement all of the original performances and guest experiences visual content on the Celebrity “Edge” cruise ship – the first in the Edge class of ships and at the time, the most expensive floating object on the ocean.
I have been selected to deliver interactive and experiential projects for major end clients including “the NBA, the Indy 500 (Snake Pit), Hyundai, Worldpac & American Girl Doll” – to name a few.
My work for American Girl Doll in New York City was featured on “Good Morning America” in 2023 during their girl of the year celebration, highlighting the reliability and visibility of the systems I have designed or teams I have led.
In addition to national broadcast coverage, my work has been referenced, highlighted, or featured over the years in various industry blogs, press articles, and online media outlets. I am now working on catching up on my social following – which has taken a back seat to my project execution over the years.
PANDEMIC ERA & DISTRIBUTED STREAMING OPERATIONS
During the COVID pandemic, I served in a mid-level management role as Lead Broadcast Director for “Flymachine”, an online specialty streaming platform operating at national scale founded by Andrew Dreskin of Ticketfly.
In parallel, I was brought on to design the video network that powered the “Loud Stream” series of live music broadcasts produced by “Rolling Loud Music Festival”.
I designed, deployed, and operated distributed video and streaming systems across venues throughout the United States, managing remote operation workflows, coordinating technical teams across time zones, and maintaining reliability under rapidly changing conditions.This included high profile streamed performances such as “Death Cab for Cutie” at “Red Rocks”, as well as many other Red Rocks appearances over the years with various acts in various roles.
In addition to my professional role during the pandemic – I donated my time to design and operate the custom broadcast pipelines that provided the backbone for the consistently number 2 performing stream on Twitch during the pandemic – operating and routing video and audio streams via my home lab server racks for “Groove Cruise Cabin Fever” series of streams… My leading role helped a major cruise charter brand stay relevant and pivot during uncertain times, we helped raise tens of thousands of dollars in donations for families in need and allowed the brand to stay afloat – even bounce back after cruises eventually were deemed safe again. This labor of love included teaching countless guest acts 1 on 1 how to stream for the first time, and generating company wide video presentations to align participants in record time… as well as operating the broadcasts
LARGE SCALE FESTIVAL & INSTALLATION WORK
I have led visual installations and experiences at various large festivals and gatherings including harsh environments such as “Burning Man”, serving as a Visual Lead role across large scale projects requiring both creative direction and technical execution. In 2013 – The camp I participated in that year (my first year) “Digital Apex” collectively won the “2013 Burning Man Award of Excellence” for providing (at the time) the largest video surface achieved on playa.
This work aligns directly with my commercial festival and installation experience and involved real budgets, real teams, and real operational responsibility. The environment demands foresight, resilience, and the ability to solve problems without access to conventional resources. I have performed countless live VJ sets over the years.
My years working at sea on cruise ships further shaped this mindset. With no land based support or immediate replacements, I learned to plan for failure, repair under pressure, and keep systems running when conditions are unpredictable.
GLOBAL EXECUTION & RELIABILITY
Festivals and global clients including “Ultra Music Festival” & “Insomniac Events” have sent me to locations across the world to deploy and operate visual systems under widely varying conditions since as early as 2007.
As the visual director for over 8 years – my team and I provided staffing and live visual operations on-board “The Groove Cruise” during its formative years. Sea based or extreme condition operations are also well within my toolkit.
“Regardless of geography, infrastructure quality, or local constraints, I adapt quickly and deliver results. Reliability under pressure is one of my defining traits.”
INVENTION, PATENTS, & PROBLEM SOLVING
I am at my core – a builder, inventor, fixer & problem solver.
I currently have two patents in the process of filing, with five additional inventions nearing completion and preparation for filing. These efforts span hardware, systems, and workflow innovations designed to solve real operational problems.
I invent systems, workflows, and tools when existing ones fall short. Many of the tools I have created are used daily by other professionals, often without them knowing who built them.
I expect friction, failure, and unknowns, and I plan accordingly. When problems arise, I address them directly, either by solving them myself or by activating the right people from my network.
EDUCATION, TRAINING, & TEACHING PHILOSOPHY
Much of my skill set comes from long term diligence, self directed learning, and hands on execution. –
“I just want to learn something new everyday and make cool things with my friends.” Though I attended some college, I found that self education and experimentation is the path that is more compatible with me. – I have been known to color outside the lines.
Much of my knowledge was self taught at a time when formal documentation & workflows barely existed. In many cases, my peers and I were effectively writing the rules as the industry has evolved.
So much so that I was also requested as far back as 2013 to serve as a teacher / professor of video art at the (now closed)“RDI – Recording and Digital Institute” In my home town of West Palm Beach, FL.
I empower the right people, set clear expectations, check in regularly, and support their roles directly when needed. Training (receiving or delivering) does not intimidate me. Speaking in front of people does not phase me.
I hold professional certifications for systems including Green Hippo, Pixel Hue, and Novastar…. Though my broader technical fluency across software, networking, hardware, and systems design is the result of years of self driven mastery before these technologies matured, consolidated or standardized.
LEADERSHIP, MY NETWORK, & GLOBAL CONTEXT
“I am not only an individual contributor. I do not gatekeep. I am my network.”
I am the founder of “VisualNex.us”, (rebranded / restructured from “EVR-Worldwide, LLC” in 2025), a global network of highly skilled and well respected technical artists, creative engineers, and visual technologists. Given a problem and a runway, I can solve it directly or assemble the right team quickly and effectively.
I maintain professional and personal ties to France and am conversational in French. I am currently learning Cantonese to better support my work and relationships in Hong Kong and greater Asia.
I was exposed to corporate realities early through my father’s company ownership and grew up understanding how businesses actually function. I am well traveled, globally aware, and comfortable seeing both the big picture and the small, critical details at the same time. I think deeply and execute quickly when resources are available.
WORK STYLE & AVAILABILITY
I am seeking a remote first or flexible role to align with current commitments, but I am open to settling into a long term leadership position or move for the right opportunity and compensation.
I have a rolling / freely flowing circadian rhythm as needed (jet lag doesn’t really affect me) – I am an endlessly high energy asset – and am comfortable working days or nights – especially for something I care about.
I am currently based between Las Vegas, Hong Kong, or France and maintain strong international connections, including Chinese manufacturing and hardware supply contacts. When I join a project that is aligned, I stay. I value continuity, ownership, and long term impact.
Thanks for taking the time to skim my credentials – I look forward to working with you!
A selection of references…
EVR Worldwide (recently rebranded):
http://www.evrworldwide.com
VisualNex.us:
http://visualnex.us
JUICEBAR PATCHES:
TBOT’s FEEDBACK MACHINE:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZEWpe7uslPs
TBOT’s INTENSITY GENERATOR:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OQpAPEqnzqY
TBOT’s BETTER EDGE:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQlXpMIDu8Y
LSDREAM’S RAVE TOUR:
DREAMROCKS RECAP:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qaFQ1nVjzf8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t6UnCvoUcg0
LSDREAM @ LOST LANDS 2023:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Glfv-T5E9Ug
YOUREDM ARTICLE 2013:
https://www.youredm.com/2013/04/11/vj-tbot/
THE TEMPLE HOUSE – MIAMI BEACH:
https://thetemplehouse.com/