SVG College Sports Summit: Nine Things To Look Forward to This Week in Atlanta

Ninth-annual conference is loaded with exciting highlights

The ninth-annual SVG College Sports Summit is set to kick off on Wednesday and this year’s show promises to be one of the most exciting and jam-packed conferences yet. More than 600 attendees from collegiate athletic departments, conference offices, major broadcasters, and more are set to descend upon the Omni Hotel at CNN Center in Atlanta, Ga for three days of networking, learning, and idea sharing.

In celebration of our ninth year of the SVG College Sports Summit, here’s nine major highlights from this week’s event for you to look forward to.

1. The Opening Night Reception at the College Football Hall of Fame Will Offer You a Chance to Win a New Anchor Desk
Be sure to kick off your time in Atlanta at the SVG College Sports Summit in style with our Opening Night Reception at the College Football Hall of Fame on Wednesday, June 1 from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. Special to this year’s reception, our friends at FX Design Group will be running a Desk Building Competition where you can win a Portable Sports Anchor Desk (valued at $8,000!) for your school or conference!

If you’d like to enter in advance to take part in the competition, please email FX Design Group CEO Mack McLaughlin at [email protected] and sign up!

2. A Keynote Conversation Between ESPN’s Lee Fitting and Tom Rinaldi Will Entertain Storytellers of All Types
In one of the major highlights of this year’s Summit, Lee Fitting, the longtime senior coordinating producer of ESPN’s College GameDay, will be interviewed by popular ESPN correspondent Tom Rinaldi on the main stage on Thursday at 2:30 p.m.

In addition to sharing their philosophies on the art of storytelling, Fitting and Rinaldi will discuss the rapidly changing media world, the impacts that digital distribution and social media are having on a legacy brand like College GameDay and ESPN, and how GameDay has established itself as a pioneer on new platforms like Snapchat.

If you are unable to attend the event, SVG will broadcast this conversation to Facebook Live on SVG’s Facebook page.

3. The In-Depth Facebook Video Boot Camp Will Make You a Social Streaming Pro
Facebook has completely changed the game for sports video production and distribution and its only at the SVG College Sports Summit where you can sit down with Facebook minds and industry colleagues to take your work on this exciting platform to new heights.

A special edition of the Facebook Video Boot Camp – featuring Nick Marquez, Strategic Partnerships Manager, College Athletics and Laura Thorson, Media Solutions Developer Support Engineer from Facebook – will take place on Friday at 10:30 a.m. in the Grand Ballroom. There, attendees will get the chance to:

– take a deep dive into the new features for video on Facebook – including the latest advancements in Facebook Live
– take a look under the hood at the nuts and bolts of tapping into Facebook Live’s API with the people who know it best.
– learn how to make the most out of your analysis of reach, engagement, and other various metrics

4. A Keynote Presentation from Instagram’s Will Yoder Will Have Your Wheels Turning
Will Yoder, who handles Sports Partnerships for the social media giant Instagram, will keynote Day 3 (Friday at 9:25 a.m.). Yoder will share features and plans upcoming for Instagram, share best practices on the platform, and take questions from the audience.

Yoder is responsible for working with U.S. partners in the sports industry—including leagues, teams, players and sports media—to leverage the platform to connect and engage with the next generation of sports fans.

5. A Panel of Social Media Video Experts Will Expand Your Mind on Live Video
Keeping with the social trend, the Summit opens on Thursday with a panel discussion featuring some of the sharpest minds in sports social media. Jonathan Gantt, Clemson University, Director of New Media; Jason George, Telescope, CEO; Jack Patterson, Learfield, VP, Social Media; and Jaryd Wilson, Atlanta Hawks, Digital Content Manager will break down their experiences with live streaming on platforms such as Facebook Live, Periscope, and more.

6. The Latest in the Integration of In-Venue Video and Marketing Will Have You Putting Your Monetization Hat On
The new age of digital may be shaking up the college sports media world but the one area that has remained strong and constant for collegiate sports video production professionals over the years is fan engagement in venue. At the SVG College Sports Summit, attendees will be treated to a panel conversation and a special workshop track dedicated to everything in-venue video and the marketing goals behind it.

On Thursday at 3:45 p.m., a panel discussion will break down how athletic departments are using video production technology and in-house marketing savvy to approach the new world of entertainment and engaging fans at the game. The session will be moderated by Paul Danna, University of South Carolina, Director, Gamecock Productions and feature Kevin Copp, Temple University, Assistant Athletic Director, Video Services; Trenton Cotten, University of Washington, Design Director of Digital Media Content; Kirk Hartman, University of Nebraska, Executive Director of Video Production; and Eric Nichols, University of South Carolina, Senior Associate AD, Marketing and Branding/CMO.

During the workshop track on Friday at 10:30 a.m., guests can learn from a series of in-depth case studies, see how athletic departments of all sizes approach gameday presentation in their own unique way. At 10:30 a.m. learn from the University of Central Florida, followed at 11 a.m. by the University of Minnesota, and at 11:30 a.m. by the University of Dayton.

7. The Largest Technology Showcase In the Summit’s History Will Have You Feeling Like a Kid In a Candy Store
Want to check out some of the coolest sports-production technology bult just for your needs? You will want to make sure to spend some time among the 48 tabletop exhibits that will feature all kinds of goodies for all parts of the sports video production ecosystem.

This year’s exhibitors are AJT Systems, AT&T, Avid, Blackmagic Design, BlueFrame Technology, Calrec/DiGiCo, Canon, ChyronHego, Clear-Com, Comrex, Convergent Design, Creative Dimersions, Digicaster/Digital Comm Link, Evertz, EVS, FX Design Group, Globecomm, Grass Vallet, Harman, Ikegami, Imagine Communications, Integrated Microwave Technologies, Joseph Electronics, JVCKENWOOD, LiveU, LTN Global Communications, Markertek, Multidyne, Neutrik, NewTek, Niles Media Group, Panasonic, Quantum, Riedel Communications, Ross Video, SimplyLive, Sony, SportZcast, Telescope, Telos Alliance, Teradek, TV Graphics, TVU Networks, Vizrt, Wave Central/CP Communications, and Wesco.

For a deeper dive on what some of these companies will be showing, click HERE and HERE.

8. The College Sports Media Awards Ceremony – Hosted by Tom Rinaldi – Will Celebrate the Year’s Best Work in Video
Tom Rinaldi will also join the Summit to serve as master of ceremonies at the 2017 SVG/NACDA College Sports Media Awards (CSMA) event on Thursday at 5:15 p.m.

For the complete list of Finalists, CLICK HERE.

The College Sports Media Awards recognize the best in college sports production from athletic departments, conference offices, national networks, regional networks, independent production companies, and more. The Sports Video Group and the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) will honor the outstanding work in college sports-video productions from campuses across the country and the staff that makes them possible.

9. The SVG/NACDA Technology Leadership Award and SVG College Sports Summit Pioneer Award Will Honor Those Who Shape Our Industry
The Sports Video Group and the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics will present the University of Nebraska with the fifth-annual SVG/NACDA Technology Leadership Award and SVG will celebrate the trailblazing career of Ball State Sports Link founder Chris Taylor with the presentation of the SVG College Sports Summit Pioneer Award. Both awards will be given on the Main Stage on Thursday beginning at 12:10 p.m.

The Technology Leadership Award is presented to the university athletic department that meets the outlined criteria of commitment to the investment in and execution of broadcast and video infrastructure and technologies.

The University of Nebraska has long been the standard bearer when it comes to commitment to video production and investing in a top-notch staff that continues to innovate across all verticals.

The SVG College Sports Summit Pioneer Award celebrates those who have innovated in the fields of video production and technology at the university level and have advanced the industry at large.

Taylor is in his seventh year as a lecturer in the Telecommunications Department and leads its digital sports-production and immersion efforts. He founded Ball State Sports Link, the nation’s first fully immersive sports-production program, in 2009 following a successful pilot program that ran before his return to campus following a short hiatus. Sports Link has trained countless students who have gone on to work in the industry and radically redefined the content-creation relationship between athletics and academics.

For more information regarding the SVG College Sports Summit, visit www.svgcollege.com. You can also follow the event on Twitter using @SVGCollege and #SVGCollege.