The Technology Forum was originally conceived as a way for the live broadcast production and engineering community to have truly honest interaction with the broadcast technology manufacturing community in a way that was not possible at traditional trade shows and technical organization presentations. Our original format involved a "shoot out" between various manufacturers in a particular specialty, followed by some very direct questions and comments from the audience. Each presenting company had a 2-3 hour private session with the guests of the Forum.

For the first few years, the topics that we tackled were the "low hanging fruit", in that the live production industry was just coming to grips with high-end digital and HD production. Topics like graphics, wireless, communications and a few of the other obvious technologies were selected as focus themes.

Since those early days of a free-for-all "beat up the manufacturers" structure, which I admit, was fun, but tended to be less than ideal with respect to productivity, the forum started to evolve into a gathering where true thought leadership could emerge.

...Read More

Tech Forum VIII is rapidly becoming a reality. Our planning is picking up pace, and believe it or not, there are still companies out there who share our belief in the value of community and strength it creates. As we enter the last several weeks before our 2009 event, I am pleased to report that many of our sponsorship slots are taken and the companies that are coming to host and participate in the discussions are top-notch. If you have any doubt, log in and visit the Sponsor Directory page.

In a way, the brutal economic conditions we are all facing have had the effect of bringing some very new things to the forefront. Ideas that were considered taboo or off limits for discussion are now squarely on the table. Concepts that were considered too far afield and impossible are now seen as reachable goals; in some cases, as imperatives.

With this as a backdrop, I am very excited that Technology Forum VII will be the most meaningful event we have ever hosted. As for the website, it is being populated more slowly than I had hoped, but that is mostly due to the fact that there are still only 24 hours in a day. The Archives section has as many of the early files as I can lay my hands on at the moment. Our Agenda for 2009 will start to be published in the next two weeks, so keep checking back if you're interested in the exact agenda.


Thanks for visiting, and I look forward to seeing you at our upcoming event.


Jerry Gepner
Chief Technology Officer
Vitec Group, plc

The Technology Forum Series is centered on creating community.

Guests are selected through three routes. The first criterion is the decision-making or influence in the industry at large a person may have. The Forum is designed specifically for those people that have a significant role in determining the overall technical direction of the industry. This is not limited to any one group, but it applies to technologists, investors, executives, creative and production personnel,...

... Read More

I get more out of two days at the Technology Forum than I get from a week at the NAB. The opportunity to see new products, speak openly with manufacturers and networking with colleagues from other networks puts this event at the top of my "must attend" list.

Tom Sahara
Sr. Director of Remote Operations & IT
- Turner Sports, Inc.