by Paul Distefano, Eastern Regional Sales Manager, DeSisti

After the two-year hiatus as a result of the apocalypse, as I like to refer to it, what a pleasure it was to participate in this year’s Eastern Video Expo, IN PERSON, again!  Since I was privileged to have been a part of the expo, in all its forms and names, since its start in 2003, I was asked to comment on this year’s conference.  When I was asked, the first thing that came to mind was the term “full circle”.

I distinctly remember how this whole thing came about.  It was the Spring of 2002.  I was working for Visual Sound of Broomall, PA.  My rep from Panasonic, Pat Bucher, asked me if I wanted to join him for a meeting of this group called JAG.  He said that he was invited to do a presentation at one of the monthly meetings.  I remember sitting through the meeting with Pat, and AFTER the nice long meeting, we had about 30 minutes to demo the AG-DVX100 camcorder.  Pat pretty much did the demo and I let those in attendance know I could sell it to them!  At a later date, I was invited, this time solo, by the group and did another quick demo and talk after quietly sitting through one of your meetings.

Skip ahead about a year and I was asked to design a video system for the new Metuchen Municipal Building council chambers that was currently under construction.  I did a proposal for Rich Desimone who was the station manager at the time, and then waited for what seemed like forever, as the construction project seemed to drag on for one reason or another.  Finally, the township was ready to move forward and publish a bid spec based on my design.  I submitted my bid documents and went to the municipal complex, which was still temporarily housed in several trailers, for the bid opening.

While I was waiting with Rich, we started chatting.  Somehow, we started talking about the current way that vendor presentations took place at the meetings.  I cannot recall specifics, but I am pretty sure that I said something to the effect of…… “you know, Rich, we really love you guys and are happy to present and demo at your monthly meetings, but ya think we can do it without having to sit through all the business that did not concern us and wait until the very end of the meeting?  I mean, by that time, everyone is itching to leave and we do not exactly get too much mindshare”.  Again…… probably paraphrasing, but I can imagine it was something like that!  Then, we started to brainstorm.  Not sure who, exactly, came up with the idea, but the discussion ended up with me saying something to the effect of….. “What about this…… What if I can get 10 or 12 of my vendors on board and ask them to kick in a couple of hundred bucks….. enough to cover the cost of a ballroom at a hotel……. And what if I have the ballroom sectioned off so you guys can have your meeting there?  I would have the room for the day…… You guys could check out products from several vendors before and after your meeting…… the vendors would be able to get in front of dozens of potential customers in one shot……. JAG might get better attendance to one of the monthly meetings……. And I will have the hotel cater a lunch for all……. Do you think the membership of JAG would be interested?”.

Well, Rich thought this was a great idea, but I think it took a little coaxing for him to convince some of the others.  So, with the blessing of the JAG board, I got a green light and started lining up vendors.  We chose the Clarion in Edison, figuring a central location would help get people from both north and south to make the trip.  It was a success.  I think the turnout was much higher than any previous JAG monthly meetings.  If memory serves, I believe that over 75 members either attended the meeting or came before or after just to check out the vendors’ wares.  I remember having to get more food brought in!  The twelve vendors who supported me in this endeavor all thought it was the best use of $250.00 that they could have asked for.  I remember one telling me, “do you know how long it would take, and how much it would cost me to visit all these customers?”.  It was a great success……. And it was also my last day at Visual Sound! 

Rich organized it again the following year and, this time, I participated as one of the vendors, Shadowstone.  Once JAG took over the event, it grew and grew and became a major event for TV professionals in the northeast, eventually being rebranded as the Eastern Video Expo.  While at Shadowstone & 4Wall, I was delighted when I was able to buy blocks of tables and get several of my vendors to partner with me to create a whole lighting section of the trade show floor.  Once, I was even able to buy an entire row for my vendors with truss archways, complete with color changing LEDs and moving lights, and branded it the “Lighting Pavilion”.  Workshops grew in number and included wider ranges of topics.  The Affinity Luncheon was created, with a moderator and host at each table to lead the group in a discussion of a particular topic.  The first two years I participated were a blast.  Our tables had some great spirited talks!  The Vendor of the Year award was added and, on behalf of my fellow vendors, we really appreciated your recognition of our efforts to support you all….. And the whole cake thing and “serving the PEG community”….. Genius!  I was honored to be there from the beginning and watch it evolve the way it did up to its peak, I believe in 2019, with the largest number of vendors and attendees.  And then…… the apocalypse!

Jump forward to 2022, and this year’s Expo reminded me very much of those first two that I helped get off the ground.  Sure, we had the banquet, all the virtual workshops, and such, but we were back in a single room at the Clarion Edison, now called the Crowne Plaza.  We were back to just a few vendors rather than dozens.  But, even with the smaller number of vendors and attendees than we had become accustomed to, I would say this year’s Expo was a complete success……. Just like that first one in 2003!

In my conversations with everyone, the overwhelming sentiment was that it was great to just get together again.  All felt these were the first baby steps towards getting back to what the Eastern Video Expo had become.  In speaking with other vendors, there was nothing but enthusiasm for the future of the event.  Some of us talked about forming an advisory committee to help JAG plan future Expos, with ideas to expand participation, workshops, and events.  In the past, we used to set up a stage for the purpose of recording content that could be used by various JAG member stations.  This year, the idea of setting up a stage again, with several vendors supplying gear, was discussed.  But rather than just recording content, it could be used to broadcast live programming, interactive workshops, and such.  If we market it right, the Eastern Video Expo, and JAG, could go global!  All these great ideas came up, literally, at the close of the show!  Imagine what we could come up with if a group of creative individuals from JAG and the organizational member companies got together to brainstorm and discuss ideas in the light of the currently available technology.

Yes……. The apocalypse slowed us down a bit.  But, as a group, we have gone full circle, and we are back!  If we all work together, I am confident that we can grow the Expo back, even better than we did before, and introduce our group to the entire country….. and beyond!  Should be easy…. After all, we’ve done it before!

By Dana Healy, VP Cablecast Community Media

The Jersey Access Group hosted the Eastern Video Expo LIVE for the first time in a couple of years. Hello! My name is Dana Healy, and I’m the VP of Cablecast Community Media. This was my first time attending the Eastern Video Expo! Being the new kid on the block, every attendee I met was a new face. Here are my 5 take-aways from the New Jersey-based event.

1.Passion Runs Deep

From vendors to attendees to trustee members, there was no shortage of passion for the industry.  People swapped stories about increasing access in their communities, assisting cities in media production, and educating the incoming generation.  It reminded me of the culture of Cablecast.  We build the easiest to use broadcast automation software and video servers so that our passionate customers have more time to focus on their mission of serving their communities.

2.Feels Like Family

Attendees greeted each other like old friends with big smiles and hearty hugs.  I asked a few attendees like Doug Seidel and Bob Duthaler the last time they saw their colleagues in person. Years! Gathering in person for this event felt more like a homecoming than a conference.  I had a chance to chat with Monica Jackson of Highland Park, and Ken Morgan, a long-time community media volunteer, about their work, and passion for the JAG mission.  The atmosphere was relaxed and made it easy to connect with people over a lunch meal or drinks.

3.Reconnecting with Friends

Michael D’Amato, Broadcast Communications Manager for the Township of Edison, and longtime Cablecast customer, stopped by to reconnect.  Bob Smith, Cablecast’s Inside Sales Rep, had a chance to visit the Edison, NJ facility to learn firsthand how the Township of Edison is utilizing its Cablecast equipment and to answer questions.

4.Vendors Show Up

From Varto Technologies to Municipal Captioning to Cablecast Community Media, the vendors constructed impressive displays and executed dynamic demonstrations for attendees.  It was an intense version of show and tell.  Varto and Yervant of Varto Technologies displayed three tables of hardware to show the attendees!  Daniell Krawczyk and Rob Gelber of Municipal Captioning hosted coloring contests at their technicolored booth.  Bob Smith at Cablecast showered attendees with swag and demonstrations!

5.Attendees Lead the Conversation

The JAG attendees have spoken!  The Cablecast booth was hopping with inquisitive people.  The Cablecast team guided their questions through the Cablecast VIO Stream to the Cablecast CG bulletin board.  It was evident that the Cablecast CG Bulletin Board was the product of interest. As the newbie attending the conference, I felt quite at home chatting with trustees and attendees.  If I didn’t meet you, connect with me on LinkedIn!  I’d love to hear your takeaways from the event.

By Bob Duthaler, Executive Board, Chair

I said this throughout the Eastern Video Expo and even in another article in this newsletter (Challenge – figure out what article and email me your answer), it was great to have an in-person portion of this year’s event, something we have not been able to do since 2019.  But what helped separate this year’s event was our hybrid approach.  Our in-person Trade Show as bookended by two virtual conference session days.  Once again, we were able to pull in tremendous speakers throughout the country as they shared their knowledge and learning experience throughout their career.

For those of you who were able to attend all the sessions and came to the in-person events, I thank you very much.  The support you showed to the organization is greatly appreciated.  Additionally, I hope you got a lot out of our conference, and you walked away with a greater appreciation for what we do, a deeper knowledge of our industry and an excitement for what the future of our industry brings.  This is what our conference provided all those who attended.

For those who attended this year’s conference, our sessions will be available shortly for you to go back and watch again.  If you did not register for the conference, we will provide you with an opportunity to register, pay and gain access to all the sessions along with the JAG Awards.  If you missed this year’s event, send me an email at bduthaler@jagonline.org and I will help you “post-conference” register, so you gain access to all our material.

Here is a rundown of some of the Operational and Technology Session you will want to watch again or even for the first time for others:

Documentary Storytelling and Short Marketing Videos

Daniel Glick, a seasoned documentary filmmaker, will talk about his process of making and developing projects – both short form and feature length – and the many challenges and rewards that come with the process. He will also talk about the value of using the documentary form in marketing for businesses, an approach that can be useful for townships and nonprofits too.

Franchise Renewal- What should you expect?

What is the status of cable subscribers? Can I get an HD Channel? How is the FCC order effecting your current franchise agreement? What kind of legislation is out there trying to protect PEG? These topics along with results of stations resent franchise negotiations will be discussed. Panelists J Robertson and Mike Wassenaar

Ask the Lawyers

There is a lot of interesting things happening in community media. Broadband, the 6th Circuit Court cable franchise decision, closed captioning, rights of way as well as FAA new rules on drones. Join, ask, or just listen to the lawyers, as they relate to you what is exactly going on and how it may affect your world in the very near future.  Panelist Nancy Werner and Brandon Dittmar

Station Manager’s Round Table – Ask The Tech

We continued our popular Manager’s Round Table Discussions. Now is the chance for you to ask engineering and technical questions and have them answered by experts in the industry. Join us as we discuss our operational needs, problems, questions, and solutions. Panelists Nick Besink and John Micewicz.

In addition to those sessions listed above I urge to you take another look at these sessions as well:

Social Media Marketing Beyond Facebook

Facebook isn’t the only social media platform out there, in fact your audience might be waiting for you in a different platform. Join our panel of social media experts to discuss Twitter, Instagram, TicTok and more. In other words, find the social media that is waiting for your content. Panelists Cyd Katz and Leontyne Anglin

Lighting isn’t for exposure – it’s for communication

Award Winning cinematographer David Landau will give a workshop on how to use lighting as a storytelling element. Different interviews can call for different lighting, based on how we want the viewer to perceive what is being said. A better understanding of light and how lighting affects the perceptions of the viewer will help you create better images that communicate what you want the viewer to feel and think about what they are watching. All of this can be accomplished without large amounts of lighting units as David will demonstrate.

How to Make An Award Winning Video

With the tools to create video available to anyone with a cellphone, it’s never been more challenging to produce award winning productions. Mike Kostel, the Executive Director of the New York office of the National Academy of Arts and Sciences and an Emmy award winning producer will share with us his thoughts on what makes an award-winning television production. We’ll discuss things like choosing a compelling subject; how to  structure a show for maximum impact; what storytelling techniques you can use to entertain and inform: and how to work with a production team post Covid.

Interview Tips and Tricks

Barry Farber is a best-selling author of 14 business and inspirational books in over 30 languages, an award winning radio and television host as well as an agent and marketing consultant for corporations, professional athletes, and entertainers. He’s also the creator and marketer of the FoldzFlat® Pens. His latest release is a children’s book and animated TV Series: The Adventures of Little Billy “IN SEARCH OF THE MAGIC TREE.” The life lessons contained in The Adventures of Little Billy are the basis of Farber’s new podcast aimed at parents of young children. In the podcast, also titled “IN SEARCH OF THE MAGIC TREE,” Farber interviews, celebrities, athletes, entertainers, business leaders, educators, brain surgeons and more about building with children at an early age a foundation for success throughout life. Learn more about Barry Farber at www.barryfarber.com.

Thank to our sponsors: Diamond-TelVue, Titanium-Varto Technologies, Gold- Municipal Captioning, Silver- Planet Network, Bronze- RUSHWORKS, Copper- Cablecast Community Media Thanks to the Conference Committee: Bob Duthaler & Geoffery Belinfante, Co-Chairs, George Fairfield, Vice Chair, Doug Seidel, Secretary, Linda Besink, Treasurer, Rick Gearhart, Anthony Pagliuco, Dave Garb, and J Robertson.