ESPN Media Workshop

On Thursday and Friday, some 40 members of the media and various sports bloggers (including your humble blogger) will be in Bristol, CT for the ESPN Media Workshop. It will introduce us to many of the ESPN announcers and producers who will be part of some of the upcoming events on the network.

Here’s the schedule:

2009 ESPN Media Workshop Schedule of Events:

Thursday, August 27th:

9:30-10:45 a.m.

Breakfast – Digital Media (ESPN.com, ESPN360.com, ESPN Mobile)

Speakers: John Zehr — Senior VP/Digital Video & Mobile Productions; Rob King – Editor-in-Chief, ESPN.com; Damon Phillips – VP, ESPN360.com.

10:45 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.

ESPN 30^th Anniversary

Speakers: Anchors Chris Berman and Bob Ley, and Chuck Pagano – Executive VP, Technology.

12:30-2 p.m.

Executive Lunch

Speakers: George Bodenheimer – ESPN President; Sean Bratches – EVP, Sales & Marketing; Christine Driessen – EVP & CFO; and Ed Durso – EVP, Administration.

2-3:30 p.m.

ESPN Event Production: U.S. Open Tennis, NASCAR Chase; 2010 FIFA World Cup

Speakers: Norby Williamson – EVP, Remote/Studio Production; Jed Drake – SVP & Executive Producer, Event Production; John Wildhack – SVP, Programming Acquisitions & Strategy; Patrick McEnroe (tennis analyst); Alexi Lalas (soccer analyst); and Rusty Wallace (NASCAR analyst).

3:30-4:45 p.m.

ESPN Campus Tour

Leaders: Bill Lamb – VP, Systems Eng & Tech Support and Mitch Rymanowski – VP, Tech & Engineering

4:45-5:45 p.m.

Writing Break / One-on-Ones / International SportsCenter Viewing (Australian and Atlantic)

Speaker: Russell Wolff – EVP & Managing Director, ESPN International.

6-9 p.m.

Dinner & ESPN Films “30 for 30” Screening

Speakers: Keith Clinkscales – SVP, Content Development & Enterprises; Connor Schell – Executive Producer, ESPN Films, John Skipper – EVP, Content; Guest filmmakers.

9 p.m.

Interactive Opportunity: Shadow ESPN Production Assistants

Friday, August 28th:

7 a.m.

Mike & Mike in the Morning Viewing

8:30-10 a.m.

Breakfast – Monday Night Football / NFL Studio Shows

Speakers: Jay Rothman – Sr. Coordinating Producer, MNF; Stephanie Druley – Sr. Coordinating Producer, NFL Studio shows; NFL analysts.

10-11 a.m.

ESPN Research

Speakers: Artie Bulgrin – SVP, Research & Sales Dvlpt; Glenn Enoch – VP, Integrated Media Research.

11-11:15 a.m.

Break

11:15 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.

College Football / SEC / ESPNU

Speakers: Burke Magnus – SVP, College Sports Programming; Rosalyn Durant – VP, ESPNU; Dave Brown – VP, Programming & Acquisitions; College football analysts.

12:15-1:30 p.m.

Wrap-up Lunch – SportsCenter / Journalism

Speakers: Mark Gross – SVP & Managing Editor, Studio Production; Vince Doria – SVP & Director of News; SportsCenter anchor Hannah Storm and E:60 correspondent/Outside the Lines host Jeremy Schaap

1:30-3 p.m.

Availability with ESPN Founder Bill Rasmussen or Daytime SportsCenter viewing

End.

Note: All sessions subject to change

According to an ESPN release, some of the events will be streamed online so you can actually check them out live! Here’s the announcement:

ESPN Media Workshop Thursday/Friday in Bristol; Follow on Water Cooler Blog and Via Live Streaming

ESPN’s Media Workshop kicks off tomorrow, Thursday, Aug. 27, at 9:15 a.m. in Bristol and continues until Friday afternoon. The two-day lineup of planned sessions features an executive lunch with ESPN President George Bodenheimer, as well as seminars highlighting ESPN’s upcoming 30th anniversary, the “30 for 30” ESPN Films project, ESPN International, Event Production, NFL, college football and many other topics. Some 40 members of the media are expected to attend. Media who are unable to travel to Bristol can check out regular posts on the ESPN Communications Water Cooler blog. In addition, a handful of sessions will be streamed live throughout the event (here or here).

Unfortunately, I won’t be able to be there for the morning session on Thursday. I have to be on the Tobin Bridge at 7 a.m. for my day job (wave hi to me if you’re driving over), but I hope to be there in time for the 2 p.m. session after the lunch with ESPN Dictator George Bodenheimer. I plan to blog from there, but restrictions do not allow me to live blog. I will also be putting some things on Twitter with the hashtag, #espnworkshop so you can search for what’s being said by various reporters and bloggers.

I do know Southeastern New England media mogul Keith Thibeault of the Sports Media Journal will be there to plan his takeover of the sport behemoth. Also in attendance will be Pete Dougherty of the Albany Times Union and Michael David Smith of the Fanhouse blog. I’ll let you know who else will be there in my blog.

Looking forward to it and I will also take pictures during the sessions. So you won’t see links tomorrow or Friday.