Second Annual Summer Workshop a Success

Lisa Marshall, CBI Vice President

CBI co-hosted the College Media Mega Workshop July 12-15 at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities in Minneapolis. CBI partnered with the Associated Collegiate Press (ACP), College Media Association (CMA), and College Media Business and Advertising Managers (CMBAM) organizations for the second annual summer event.

Eleven tracks of focus were offered for participants to choose for the week. CBI programmed the Radio Management track, which provided attendees with a variety of sessions about leading their media outlets and peers including: how to be a good manager, radio legal issues, field reporting, investigative news reporting, radio sports production, software knowledge, brand imaging, and managing organizational conflict.

Minnesota Public Radio reporter Tim Nelson (right) introduces Radio Management attendees to the basics of radio field reporting.

The workshop drew over 350 participants. Thirty-one students and advisers from 20 schools across the nation participated in CBI’s Radio Management track. CBI welcomed six guest speakers from Minneapolis area media outlets and a local law firm. Radio Management track participants toured University of Minnesota’s Radio K and Minneapolis’ KZGO radio studios to close out the workshop.

Radio Management track participants tour KZGO students with Brandon “DJ Bonics” Glova July 15, 2018.

I enjoyed witnessing the high energy from our Radio Management track participants. It was a positive experience to meet students and advisers from other schools and learn new ideas about how they manage their outlets. I encourage you to send members to next year’s College Media Mega Workshop. Being set in the Twin Cities, there are plenty of opportunities for participants to network with local professionals and connect with attendees from various schools. Plus, it’s a great summer push to get you thinking about new ideas for the coming school year.

One of my students who has not been able to attend CBI’s National Student Electronic Media Conventions due to fall athletic commitments attended the workshop. While both events have their own unique focus, the Mega Workshop was an alternative way he could interact with CBI members and learn more about our organization. We hosted many students from non-member CBI outlets in our track, so it was an excellent opportunity for those schools to learn more about our organization and our upcoming annual convention.

University of Minnesota’s student radio station, Radio K, welcomed a second tour of attendees July 15, 2018.

CBI’s Board of Directors hosted our annual board retreat at the University of Minnesota prior to the start of the workshop. We made continued progress planning the 2018 NSEMC in Seattle, reviewed organizational goals for the next five years, and discussed the necessary steps for filling the vacant CBI Executive Director position. The convention will be upon us before we know it! Be sure to submit your session proposals before the Aug. 1 deadline.