(By John Morris) Another successful College Broadcasters, Inc. National Student Electronic Media Convention has come and gone. St. Louis was the setting for the three-day convention, Oct. 31-Nov 2. Over 350 students and faculty advisers made this a vibrant gathering in which ideas were shared, friends were made, and exciting new ideas were taken back to student media outlets across the country. Two pre-convention workshops were also held featuring podcasting and mobile multimedia storytelling.
As CBI President, it impressed me to see nearly a hundred workshops presented covering a wide range of topics, including programming, leadership, news, sports, podcasting, promotion and more. Both television and radio were the focus in numerous sessions, in addition to podcasting and social media. These sessions were led by industry professionals, faculty advisers and students, giving attendees the opportunity to view the issues from various angles.
St. Louis was a fantastic setting for several reasons. It is a top 25 media market, has incredible delicacies, and includes an array of history and entertainment options to enjoy. A successful convention is so much more than just the daily session schedule. It’s the entire experience before, during, and after the last presenter finishes for the day. As I was looking out my hotel room window, I could see the famous St. Louis Gateway Arch. Many doubted that this structure could be built, while others just scoffed at the idea. Visitors and residents of St. Louis are reminded of what can be done through planning and working together to make something spectacular. That’s how I feel about the NSEMC in St. Louis and CBI in general. There have been numerous people who have worked to build this organization and these conferences into something spectacular. Just as the Gateway Arch is a monument to the past and an inspiration to the future, so is CBI. We hosted speakers who are now working professionals in media that, not too long ago, were student attendees at previous CBI conventions.
The future, the great opportunities and great people will keep us moving forward as we continue to achieve our goal: helping to support student media, the faculty advisors, and students as they learn the wonders of our ever-growing and changing media landscape.
Thank you to all who made this convention possible, and especially to the CBI Board of Directors. We are already excited for next year, when the 2020 National Student Media Convention will be on the East Coast in Baltimore, Oct. 21-24. The CBI Board is eagerly looking forward to returning to the East Coast and the great opportunity that awaits us all.
John Morris is the President of College Broadcasters, Inc.
