- TD Garden, Home of the Boston Bruins and Boston Celtics
- Fenway Park, Home of the Boston Red Sox
- Harvard University, Including Harvard Crimson Football, Hockey, and Basketball venues
43rd Annual IDEA Conference
July 13 - 16 in Boston!
General Sessions .
Opening Session
To kick off the first full day of the conference, we will head to TD Garden, where we will have our Welcome to Boston and view and vote on the seven finalists in the Best Overall Production GMA category.
Everyone has a story to tell! Sometimes it goes well, and sometimes it doesn't. Join this interactive discussion about the year’s best practices and biggest blunders! Attendees should submit a video or photo to share their game-day triumphs and cringe-worthy train wrecks. We’ll then discuss these moments in an open forum general session. Attendees will be asked to submit photos and videos prior to attending.
NETWORKING OPPORTUNITIES .
- Sunday evening Welcoming Reception
- Monday Conference Kickoff at TD Garden, Home of the Boston Bruins & Celtics
- Lunch in Partner Expo Monday - Wednesday
- Monday evening Emerging Professional's Caucus Social
- Monday evening Dinner and Excursion at Fenway Park, Home of the Boston Red Sox
- Tuesday Women's Caucus Breakfast
- Tuesday evening Dinner and MLB ASG Watch Party at Harvard University
- Wednesday evening Dinner and IDEA Awards Gala
Educational Sessions in four tracks.
CREATIVE CONTENT
- Adobe
- Alternative Angles: Cinematography
- Maximizing Media Day: Ballin on a Budget
- Motion GFX: Utilizing AI
MANAGEMENT
- Building Community
- Managing Expectations
- Professional Development: Pouring Back into Your Employees
- You Have One Shot
TECHNOLOGY
- From $ - $$$$: Accomplishing Great Productions with Difference Budgets
- How to Bring Control to One System
- Using Non-traditional Technology for Videoboard Entertainment
Educational Sessions in four tracks.
CREATIVE CONTENT
- Adobe
- Alternative Angles: Cinematography
- Maximizing Media Day: Ballin on a Budget
- Motion GFX: Utilizing AI
MANAGEMENT
- Building Community
- Managing Expectations
- Professional Development: Pouring Back into Your Employees
- You Have One Shot
TECHNOLOGY
- From $ - $$$$: Accomplishing Great Productions with Difference Budgets
- How to Bring Control to One System
- Using Non-traditional Technology for Videoboard Entertainment
DAILY GRIND 2.0.
Our wildly popular breakout sessions have been expanded from their traditional sports format to bring together peers from across the industry who share many of the same daily challenges based on their job responsibilities. You may have attended a Daily Grind session in the past, but you’ll be amazed at our new and improved 2.0 sessions!
CONTROL ROOM
Control room EICs, live event directors, live event producers, control room equipment operators, technical services managers, live event production managers, directors of technology, IPTV managers, control room managers, and AV technicians. OFFERINGS: "Out with the Old, in with the New""COM Etiquette 101"
DIRECTOR/PRODUCER
Aspiring live event producers / show callers & directors, active producers, directors, & show-callers with at least one year of experience in live event producing, show calling &/or directing live events.
OFFERINGS: "Idea to Impact""Co-Captains"
Management
Manager & senior managers who are key decision-makers for strategy, budgets, and staffing.
OFFERINGS:
"Transitioning from Creative to Management"
"Managing Generations"
ENTERTAINMENT
Entertainment directors, managers, & and coordinators who oversee entertainment bookings, programming, special effects, special events, and ceremonies and/or manage or oversee entertainment teams and talent (i.e., hosts, DJs, dance groups, mascots, etc.)
OFFERINGS: "A License to Listen""Entertainment from Nine to 90"
PRODUCTION
Shooters/editors, content directors/creators, production managers, and post-production specialists who create content for multiple platforms, motion graphic managers, motion graphic designers, editors, aspiring motion graphic designers, post-production enthusiasts, producers/editors, videographers, editors, aspiring
shooter/editors.
OFFERINGS: "Managing Your Personal Energy - From Beaming to Burnout" "Thinking Outside the Box When There is No Box."
Breakouts.
Please note: Breakouts are open only to full-time professionals affiliated with that particular breakout. Additionally, several breakout sessions are offered over the course of the conference. They are all unique offerings and NOT repeats of previously offered breakouts. On Tuesday only, members of the minor league breakout are invited to attend their specific sport breakout.
• Alternative Productions
A brand new breakout this year for Active members who do not fit into any of the eight existing groups. This may include those from traveling productions to underrepresented sports.
• Baseball
led by Jami Itiakase, Milwaukee Brewers with Mike Donelan, Cleveland Guardians
• Basketball
led by James Dawkins, Miami Heat with Kurt Doster, Miami Heat
• Corporate Partners
led by Mark Eisenstadt, Daktronics
• Football
led by Justin Caserly, Las Vegas Raiders with Kaitlin Strange, Chicago Bears
• Hockey
led by Cynthia Paquin-Lepage, Montreal Canadiens with Stephen Frey, Tampa Bay Lightning
• Minor League
led by Heather Wojciechowski-DeCaire, Milwaukee Admirals with Colin Peterson, Manitoba Moose
• Soccer
led by Al Raitt, DC United
• University
led by Chris Ostien, West Virginia University with Chris Humphrys, Baylor University
Breakouts.
Please note: Breakouts are open only to full-time professionals affiliated with that particular breakout. Additionally, several breakout sessions are offered over the course of the conference. They are all unique offerings and NOT repeats of previously offered breakouts.
Baseball
led by Jami Itiakase, Cincinnati Reds
Basketball
led by James Dawkins, Miami Heat with Kurt Doster, Miami Heat
Football
led by Justin Casserly, Las Vegas Raiders with Allan Wertheimer, Minnesota Vikings
Hockey
led by Tina DiVilio, Philadelphia Flyers with Cynthia Paquin-Lepage, Montreal Canadiens & Chris Greenley, Carolina Hurricanes
Minor League
led by Heather Wojciechowski-DeCaire, Milwaukee Admirals with Colin Peterson, Manitoba Moose
Soccer
led by Jeremy Benjamin, Vancouver Whitecaps
University
led by Chris Ostien, West Virginia University with Chris Humphrys, Baylor University
AN OPPORTUNITY TO GET INVOLVED.
IDEA offers a number of ways to get involved in the organization. You’ll have the opportunity to meet and work with your peers while bettering the organization. Everyone is invited to attend whichever committee meeting sounds fun to them! Current Committee members will meet on Sunday afternoon to review the upcoming week. Committee meetings on Tuesday will be open to all interested members.
Conference Content Committee (CCC)
Chair Matt Jaques, Houston Texans
Emerging and Social Engagement (EAS-E) committee
Heather Wojciechowski-DeCaire, Milwaukee Admirals
Golden Matrix Awards (GMA) Committee
Chairs Lina Martino, United Center, and Jeff Lewis, Ball Center
Historical (HoF) Committee:
Chairs John Franzone, Tampa Bay Lightning, and Aaron Buckles, Jamination
Inspire the Passion (ITP) Award Committee
Jacob Potter, University of Oklahoma
Inclusion and Outreach (I&O) Committee
Derryl Myles, University of Illinois
PRODUCT SHOWCASES
Tuesday
TBA
Wednesday
TBA
Let's Get You
Registered
The 2025 IDEA Conference will be held on July 13 - 16 in Boston
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