CSVS Advisory Board Q&A: Kelly Carney, Associate Commissioner, Conference USA

In anticipation of the inaugural College Sports Video Summit (CSVS) to be held June 9-10 in Atlanta, the Sports Video Group has assembled a seasoned advisory committee that includes some of the game-changers in the business and technology behind college-sports broadcasting. Each week leading up to the event, College Sports Video Insider will feature an interview with a different member of the College Sports Video Summit Advisory Committee. This week, Kelly Carney, associate commissioner of Conference USA, explains why every athletic department should be represented at CSVS.

Why is an event like the College Sports Video Summit necessary?

Technology is advancing so quickly within our industry, it is important for us to all to take a step back, regroup, and make sure we are headed in the right direction with all the information we need to do so. Each of us is advancing at different levels, and the opportunity to share best practices will keep Conference USA, and our member institutions, at the forefront of technology and capabilities. At the same time, we may be able to help other schools and conferences by sharing the experiences and hurdles we have had over the last three years.

Why is CSVS a timely event?

More people than ever before are watching events online, so it is important that we have the ability to increase the content we provide on our Websites. Once we have the content, however, how can we best brand our conference and develop revenue streams, so opportunities are not lost? Now is the time to make sure that we are reaching fans, alumni, boosters, parents, students, and new recruits and getting a return on our investment.

What are you most looking forward to at CSVS?

I am looking forward to learning more about the latest equipment and finding cost-efficient ways for us to stream online. Budgets are being cut, so we need to find ways to keep the content coming when budgets and staffing are being limited.

Why is it important for every college athletic department to attend this event?

The variety of speakers and discussion topics are so great! This is one-stop shopping for everything you wanted to know about multimedia but haven’t had time to do the research and get the answers to. If you feel like your level of knowledge was slipping behind, this conference can get you caught up in two days.

You are on the panel Video: The Game Changer for College Sports. What are you looking forward to discussing?

I am looking forward to talking about how Conference USA got started in video streaming and how we continue to grow the number of events we stream from year to year. I want to hear about the experiences of others and how they deal with costs associated in doing so. Let’s share ideas on staffing. I can get the funding to provide each of our schools with the equipment they need, but I can’t find them the bodies they need on their campuses to stream events, especially when sport schedules start to overlap. I want to discuss creative ideas for finding people to run the equipment.

What questions are you looking to find answers to at CSVS?

Technology — what is the latest out there and what is on the horizon? How can we stay two steps ahead of the game so that we continue to be cutting-edge and keep all our affinity group satisfied? Tell me everything there is to know about social networking: Twitter, Facebook, podcasting, etc.

The entire college-sports-video community qualifies for a special $75 rate for the College Sports Video Summit that includes hotel and all meals. For more information and to register and reserve your room, visit www.csvsummit.com.