Some 16,000 broadcasters from over 200 broadcasting organizations will cover the Beijing Olympics from August 8-24, 2008, making it the largest TV production in history.  Combined with unprecedented Internet coverage, an expected world audience of over 4 billion will watch every move of the world's greatest athletes.  The Sports Video Group (SVG) in cooperation with NAB will provide NAB Show attendees an in-depth accounting of the technical preparations and innovations involved in delivering the audio, video and data from Beijing this summer in this official NAB educational conference. 

NAB BEIJING OLYMPICS WORKSHOP
April 16, 2008
Las Vegas Convention Center

9:00-10:30 a.m.
Making the Leap: Transitioning the International Broadcast Center to HD
Every two years the Olympic International Broadcast Center features an influx of the latest-and-greatest technology from the leading broadcast equipment makers around the world. This inside tour of the technologies and workflows within the IBC will feature presentations by leading networks and manufacturers. Learn how the latest graphics, acquisition, storage, and editing system technology will be applied to the world’s largest broadcast sports event.

Moderator: Peter Angell, Infront Sports and Media
Panelists:
Joe Sidoli, Canadian Broadcasting Corp., Sports director of Production Resources
Charlie Cope, BBC Post Production, Post Production Editor & Technical Consultant
Chris Cuddihy, Ascent Media Systems and Technology Services, director of operations, California
Luc Doneux, EVS Asia & Pacific general manager, and head of Big Events Projects
Hugo Gaggioni, Sony Broadcast and Production Systems Division VP and CTO
Eric Hamilton, Apple, senior manager, Pro Applications, Market Development, Asia

10:45-12:30:
Virtual Beijing: Inside the Venues
The Beijing Games will feature some of the most technically advanced venues ever built. They’ll also feature a wealth of broadcast equipment, from HD cameras, to venue-based editing systems, and fiber connectivity. Manufacturers involved with the venue construction and technology discuss how they readied the venues to meet the needs of the world’s broadcasters.

Moderator: Ken Kerschbaumer, Sports Video Group editorial director

Panelists:
Chip Adams, NBC Olympics director of venue engineering
Dennis Baxter, Beijing Olympics Broadcasting sound designer
Tim Carroll, Linear Acoustic, President
Charlie Cope, BBC Post Production, Post Production Editor & Technical Consultant
Shaun Dail, Orad VP sales and marketing, North America
Marc Schneider, Riedel, Multi-sport International Event project manager

12:30-1:15 Lunch Break

1:15-2:15
Goin’ Mobile: Olympic Mobile Production and Flypack Systems at the Summer Games
Mobile production and services companies are the backbone of the Olympics acquisition and production process. Leading executives from the companies involved discuss the newest sports production trucks that will be used in Beijing as well as smaller flypacks that will be used at some of the smaller venues and by individual broadcasters.

Moderator: Ken Kerschbaumer, SVG editorial director

Panelists:
Martin Anderson, Visions, Managing Director
Jan Eveleens, Thomson, VP for Production and Post Production
Luc Geoffroy, Euro Media Group, CTO
Jiou-Pahn Lee, Clear-Com, Vice President of Engineering
Craig Schiller, Bexel VP of Broadcast Services

2:30-3:30
Road trip! Local TV Stations and the Olympics
With thousands of American athletes descending on Beijing dozens of local TV stations will follow. Local TV station news directors, producers, and engineers discuss plans to cover the Olympics.

Moderator:
Harry Jessell, Editor and Publisher, TV Newsday

Panelists:
Brian Bracco, Vice President, News, Hearst-Argyle Television
Patti McGettigan, News Director, WOOD-TV, Grand Rapids, Michigan
Tom Mitchell, Assistant News Director, KSL-TV, Salt Lake City, Utah
Greg Thies, News Technology and Operations Manager, KING, Seattle, Washington

3:45-5:00
Inside NBC’s Highlights Factory
NBC will broadcast 3,600 hours of Olympics competition via TV and the Internet, a number that eclipses all Olympic broadcasts combined. To help ready content for distribution over multiple outlets NBC Olympics is building a first-of-its kind “Highlights Factory.” NBC Olympics and its partners on the project discuss the technologies and workflows that will allow for Olympic fans and viewers to see all the action.

Moderator:
Ken Kerschbaumer, SVG Editorial Director

Panelists:
Matt Adams, Omneon, Vice President, broadcast solutions
Peter Humphrey, Principal, Media Strategy Partners, LLC; NBC Olympics consultant
Steve Kaufman, NBC Olympics Project Manager
Eric Pohl, National Teleconsultants, CTO