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On September 17, 2007, students and faculty from the Telecommunications Department at UFL were anxiously awaiting the arrival of Annette Lindstrom, VP of Marketing for HGTV and Doug Hurst, SVP and GM of non-linear distribution for Scripps Networks. Unfortunately, Doug and Annette were stranded at the Atlanta airport after two flight cancellations. (The joke amongst Gators fans was that the guest lecturers, both currently residing in Tennessee, were too ashamed to show their faces in Gainesville after the Gators’ 34 point victory over the Tennessee Volunteers two days before their scheduled appearance.)
While this news was disappointing, as the old saying goes, when the world gives you lemons, make lemonade. Jana Henthorn and Heidi Swoboda of The Cable Center had big shoes to fill, but they saw an opportunity to engage the students in a way that was beneficial to all parties.
Due to their vast experience attending and developing lectures…16 to date, Jana and Heidi were able to engage students and faculty during the smaller venue lectures, sharing their knowledge about the industry; past, present and future, along with career insights and advice for internships.
Jana also saw an opportunity to gather information from students on user generated content in preparation for The Cable Center’s upcoming event, Key Issues Lecture Series, which covers this topic. After answering questions about the industry, Jana conducted a Q&A session with students and faculty. This was a great experience for all involved and a unique opportunity to learn from each other.
We look forward to planning the 2008 lecture series and our partners at The University of Florida and Scripps Networks are excited about being on the schedule. However, next year, we may go with a different travel itinerary!
Be sure to check out clips of Annette Lindstrom and Doug Hurst’s presentation at Purdue University.
VIEW KEY ISSUES SERIES »
VIEW CABLE MAVERICKS VIDEO CLIPS »
VIEW UPCOMING MAVERICKS LECTURE SCHEDULE » |
