SVG Europe Football Production Summit attracts key industry players
Representatives from EURO 2012’s organising body UEFA, top flight Italian football club AC Milan and England’s Football League, the largest single body of professional clubs in Europe with 72 members, are among the impressive line up of speakers taking part in SVG Europe’s inaugural Football Production Summit that will take place at the Stade de France in Paris on 29 February 2012.
Registration is now open for the Summit, where, in an insightful opening address, UEFA’s head of TV Production Bernie Ross will outline the federation’s broadcast production plans for the upcoming European crown jewel football event. Providing an exclusive look at what we can expect from the tournament that will take place in Poland and the Ukraine throughout June this year, he will discuss the logistics of managing the production of content from two separate countries, each with their own unique infrastructure challenges. Reaching fans across multiple screens will be a key focus for UEFA this year and Bernie Ross will therefore outline UEFA’s plans for maximising the potential of second – and third – screens.
Football clubs have more ways of engaging with their content-hungry fans than ever before, with a spectrum of possibilities that run from social networking initiatives all the way up to running their own TV channels. It is against this backdrop that Giuliano Giogetti, Head of Web & New Media at AC Milan, Manchester City’s Head of Digital Russell Stopford, Kieron Kilbride, Director of Business Development at the Football League and Warren Palk, Managing Director, Northern Europe at digital production specialist PERFORM will take part in a panel discussion moderated by Chelsea Digital Media’s former managing director, Casimir Knight, who has recently left the English Premier League football club after seven years to take up a new role as SVP at Wasserman Media Group. Topics up for discussion include: What are the perils and pitfalls of joining the broadcasting business? What is the minimum technical spec that should be considered? How can social media be used to engage with fans effectively? And how do clubs monetise one of the most precious assets that they have; their archive?
Another panel discussion will examine the challenges of covering football from a broadcast perspective. More football matches are broadcast in Europe than any other sport, making it harder than ever for broadcasters to differentiate their offerings. Throw the audience’s desire for greater engagement into the mix and the challenges of simultaneous viewing patterns across multiple devices, and broadcasters therefore need to offer enhancements on a level never envisaged previously. It is with these issues in mind that speakers from Eurosport, Opta and STATS Inc will discuss the latest tools and techniques available, from the OB at the match itself through to the studio and on to the web.
Next-Generation Technologies will also go under the spotlight in the Summit’s final panel discussion, featuring speakers from HBS, Deltatre, Sky and Sony. This session will examine what can be learned from the implementation of 3D across the continent in the English Premier League, Bundesliga, UEFA Champion’s League and beyond, and will look to the near future. Will 4K gain a foothold on the continent, or is it a technological dead-end on the path to Super Hi-Vision and 8K? Join us at the Stade de France on 29 February to find out.
Places are strictly limited at this must-attend event, so interested parties are advised to book quickly to ensure their place. As well as benefiting from the insights of industry leaders, delegates will find that generous refreshment breaks and an evening cocktail party will provide them with excellent networking opportunities for industry professionals working in the European broadcasting production.
Head to the SVG Europe Football Production Summit microsite for more details.