The 2022 Eastern Video Expo

by Geoffrey Belafonte, Conference Committee, Co-chair

OUR TRADE SHOW IS BACK!!  YES, LIVE, IN-PERSON, TURN ON THAT LIGHT, HOLD THAT CAMERA, AND SPEAK TO PEOPLE FACE TO FACE.  Also back by popular demand is our virtual conference.  The workshops will be May 24 & 26 and the trade show will be on May 25 with a banquet that evening at the Crowne Plaza in Edison.

This event never happens without our fantastic sponsors.  This year, our Diamond level sponsor is TelVue.  Our cocktail party sponsor is Municipal Captioning.  Our trade show breakfast sponsor is Cablecast.  We also want to give a huge shout out to recognize Varto Technologies, Rushworks, and Planet Networks for their support.

The trade show will feature exhibits from JAG’s Organizational Members including TelVue, Cablecast, Municipal Captioning, Rushworks, and Varto Technologies.  Keep checking the website for more joining.  This will be the first time you will actually be able to see in person new products from our Organizational Members who are servicing the PEG industry.  In addition to the exhibits, there will be dynamic in-depth presentations from select vendors.  This should be a great opportunity for station managers and program directors to network and review content that they may not be familiar with.

Once again, our workshops will be informative and entertaining with speakers from many parts of the country.  They will take place on May 24 & 26, and will be accessible from EasternVideoExpo.com.  The categories range from production techniques to legislative matters all featuring experts in their field.  While some of the workshops are still in formation, we are happy to reveal the topics that we expect to cover this year.

Some of the most popular workshops in the past have focused on production techniques and this year is no exception.  We are pleased to announce that Mike Kostel, the executive director of the New York Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS) will be joining us to discuss techniques to produce award winning programs.  Michael is the winner of five Emmys himself, so he is able to offer some valuable insights into just what makes an entertaining and informative television show. 

Covering Washington and the proceedings at the FCC, we will also offer the ever popular “Ask the Lawyers” roundtable to give us insight into everything from trends in franchise renewals to closed captioning requirements.  Since the “Ask the Lawyers” workshop has been so successful, we have decided to add an “Ask the Engineers” segment that will cover developments in television technology that affect the way we produce television shows now and in the future.  Naturally there will be ample time to ask questions about your particular technical problems. 

We are also planning another workshop on social media featuring Cyd Katz (CEO of NewJerseyIsntBoring.com) who spoke at last year’s conference.  This time Cyd and her fellow panelists will be discussing ways to use platforms like Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.  There will also be a workshop on producing Hybrid meetings that will cover ways to seamlessly integrate Zoom feeds with a live meeting.  Finally, there will also be workshops on all levels of production from lighting to editing.

After the trade show, there will be a cocktail party, sponsored by Municipal Captioning, followed by a banquet where we will present the JAG award winners of the Award of Excellence in each category.  It’s sure to be a fun filled evening.

Your Conference committee has worked hard to make the Eastern Video Expo this year affordable.  The full conference is ONLY $35 for members.  That includes all the workshops, admission to the trade show and a box lunch, the cocktail party, and the banquet. 

Other packages include:

The trade show and a box lunch – $15.00 

The trade show and no box lunch – $0.00 (no restaurants near the hotel)

Banquet only – $35 for the rest of the conference. 

Once again, we invite our Independent Producers to attend for free. 

If you are planning on staying at the Crowne Plaza, make sure to book your room by May 1, 2022 to reserve your discounted price. Look for more information on the Eastern Video Expo website (easternvideoexpo.com ) and watch your email for more information on the panelists and topics for our workshops.