This informative "˜hands on' workshop was included as a part of the League Technology Summit package. It proved to be a targeted, half-day series of expert panels to address the needs of mobile production engineers who are building today's fleet of sophisticated, road-worthy remote recording vehicles.

As always, Bexel Broadcast Services was there to service the A/V support needs of the event and to participate in the discussions "“ as vendors, production partners and technology experts.

SESSION ONE
1:00-1:30 p.m.
Safety First: Introducing the Sports Production Safety Group

Formed in May, 2008 by leading sports networks and the Sports Video Group, the Sports Production Safety Group to create health and safety best practices and training programs through industry concensus. Executives from ABC, CBS, ESPN, Fox, NBC Universal and SVG take to the stage for a 30-minute overview of this important industry initiative.

Moderated by: Ken Kerschbaumer, SVG Editorial Director

Featuring: Rob Bee, ESPN, Director, Safety and Health, Jason King, Director EHS, NBC Universal, Joe Mannetta, Director of Loss Prevention and Business Continuity Planning, The Walt Disney Company/ABC, Rodney North, CBS Sports, Manager, Environmental, Health and Safety, Ron Partilla, Fox Networks Group, CSP, Director, Production Safety

SESSION TWO
1:30-4:30
Mobile Engineering Workshop

This year's Mobile Engineering Workshop dives into a timely and relevant topic: designing and building cost-effective production trucks for mid-level sporting events. With networks stretching production dollars and staff farther than ever their remote production partners are under increasing pressure to respond in kind.

Moderators: Jerry Gepner, Vitec, CTO and Ken Kerschbaumer, SVG Editorial Director

Featuring: Ken Aagaard, CBS Sports EVP Operations and Production Services, Steve Cozort, ESPN Regional Senior Director of Remote Pperations, Ed Delaney, YES Network VP, Operations, Phil Garvin, Mobile TV Group, General Manager and Co-Owner, Steve Hellmuth, NBA EVP, Operations and Technology, George Hoover, NEP SVP of Engineering, Barry Johnstone, Euro Media Group, COO

1:45-2:30
Part One: Defining the "Mid-Level" Production Truck, Economic Drivers, and Current Approaches What exactly is a mid-level truck? What events will it cover and how will it be staffed? What are the economic drivers behind the need? Companies like Mobile TV Group are already packing more powerful trucks into less space. What is the current state of mid-level truck design? What are the strengths of the designs and how can they be improved?

2:30-2:45: Break, sponsored by Filmwerks International, Grass Valley Group, and Sony

2:45-3:45
Part Two: The Mid-Level Truck of the Future: Form Factor and Technology
The basic form factor of a production truck has not changed in more than 30 years. Is it time for production truck design to undergo radical transformations to reflect IT-based technologies and file-based workflows? Is Surround Sound part of the equation? How about 1080p?

3:45-4:00
Break, sponsored by Filmwerks International, Grass Valley Group, and Sony

4:00-4:30
Part Three: Mid-Level Workflow and Staffing Issues New mid-level truck designs also mean new changes to personnel and their responsibilities. How will new designs impact the front bench? Will production crews need to learn new skills?

4:30-5:30
Closing reception