Society of Broadcast Engineers 2020 National Meeting Goes Virtual
The SBE 22 Broadcast & Technology Expo, the partner event, has been cancelled.
August 3, 2020
The Society of Broadcast Engineers planned to hold its 56th SBE National Meeting in Liverpool, NY, just outside of Syracuse, on Sept. 22 and 23. The event was to be held in conjunction with the SBE 22 Broadcast & Technology Expo, a regional exposition and educational event that restarted in 2019 after a short hiatus. The Expo would have included a media equipment and services tradeshow and multiple technical sessions of interest to all media engineers, technicians, post-production, A/V and media IT professionals.
The in-person expo has been cancelled following restrictions imposed by the state of New York to reduce infections because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Because of current conditions, travel for exhibitors and attendees would also have been difficult.
While the in-person event has been cancelled, the SBE will hold several of its events virtually on Sept. 22 and 23. The SBE Annual Membership Meeting will be combined with the awards ceremony that would have been part of the Annual SBE National Awards Dinner. The membership meeting and awards ceremony will be held online at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT on Wednesday, Sept. 23. This will include the induction of officers and directors elected this month, presentation of the individual and chapter awards, including the Robert L. Flanders SBE Engineer of the Year, James C. Wulliman SBE Educator of the Year and Technology Award, and induction of the two new SBE Fellows, James Leifer, CPBE, and Ralph Beaver, CBT. There will also be a special presentation of the SBE John H. Battison Award for Lifetime Achievement.
The SBE Board of Directors will meet on Tuesday, Sept. 22 at 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT.
A Fellows Breakfast is held each year at the SBE National Meeting. Since the group won't gather in person, a virtual reunion will he held on Sept. 23. The time will be announced later.
All the SBE events will be held online. The Membership Meeting and Awards Presentation will be streamed via the SBE YouTube Channel. Details on how to watch the SBE Annual Membership Meeting and National Awards Presentation will be shared via the SBE website, SBE-news email newsletter and social media.