CSVS Q&A: David Lind, Executive Producer, IUP-TV, Indiana University of Pennsylvania

In anticipation of the second-annual College Sports Video Summit, to be held June 8-9 in Atlanta, SVG has assembled a distinguished group of college sports-video experts to serve as the advisory board to help shape the event and ensure its relevance to the industry. Leading up to the two-day summit, SVG will check in with all the members of the board to discuss their involvement, what they hope the Summit will accomplish, and how CSVS can help the industry move forward. This week, David Lind, executive producer of IUP-TV Sports Productions at Indiana University of Pennsylvania, where he trains students to work with him on the productions, discusses how CSVS can help convince senior administration of the importance of funding sports-video projects.

Why are you involved with the College Sports Video Summit?
The College Sports Video Summit is the only event that brings everyone involved in college sports video together to hear what other colleges are doing. The topics cover all aspects of how video is used at different colleges.

What do you hope the event will accomplish?
I hope everyone comes away with ideas and strategic plans that might enhance their video presence at their respective universities.

In addition, it would be great if SVG could come out of this event with a white paper for college presidents and senior administrators that discusses the benefits of using sports videos to enhance a school’s image and to reach alumni and fans. SVG might also want to publish a well-crafted article for the Chronicle of Higher Learning that uses examples from the event to explain to administrators why video is so important. Senior administrators have to buy into the idea before they will be willing to fund sports-video projects.

With budgets constantly tightening, how can colleges (and conferences) use video to become more cost-effective?
This is a tough question. My budget might be eliminated this fiscal year, due to the financial situation for both the university and the state. I only need $15,000 to do a season of football and basketball, yet our administration is balking at the cost. Hopefully, I can learn a few things at the College Sports Video Summit that will help ensure top quality out of minimum dollars.

What are you most looking forward to at CSVS?
There are a few panels that I have my eye on. The opening session, Get in the Game! Define Your Media Strategy, looks very interesting. Cross-Campus Connections: Leveraging Your School’s Communications Department and TV Station is particularly relevant for me. Other panels that look interesting are Going for Gold: Video and Olympic Sports; Sennheiser Puts Students to Work; The Mtn. Lets the Students Run the Show(s); Syndication 101: What It Means to You; and View From the Front Office: What’s Next?

The full conference program is available at http://csvsummit.com/program/.