ACCESS THE 2011 CoSIDA CONVENTION WEB PAGE
Joe Hornstein is the associate director of athletics for communications and public relations
at Central Florida and CoSIDA’s 2nd Vice-President.
".... now more than ever, CoSIDA needs the support of its athletics directors. The athletics communications department must provide that critical role every AD needs to be surrounded with, within their own respective quest for excellence. CoSIDA, now more than ever, is leading the charge as it relates to the growing complexities, issues and challenges that are surfacing due to the communications based evolution that we are experiencing, providing the needed professional growth and forging its (athletic communications department) seat at the table."
-- Hornstein, explaining the need for AD's to support and embrace their athletic communications staff and to support and assist them in attending the 2011 CoSIDA Convention
CoSIDA is now just a couple of short years away from holding its annual workshop in conjunction with the 2013 NACDA Convention in Orlando, Fla. In that year, it will truly mark the moment, somewhat symbolic, that CoSIDA, after several years of an aggressive strategic plan to reposition itself within the collegiate community as
“Strategic Communicators for College Athletics,” finally has its seat at the NACDA “table.”
“Getting a seat at the table” has been the theme of the CoSIDA Convention for several years now, in preparation for this great transition and move within the NACDA Convention. The theme is clearly the backdrop for this year’s CoSIDA Convention, June 26-29, in Marco Island, Fla.
The four-day schedule and workshop features some of the most innovative programming CoSIDA has staged yet, some of the most eloquent and poignant speakers in the collegiate community.
The highlight of the Convention schedule includes the following three daily programs:
• Gaining Influence within the Intercollegiate Community
(Monday, June 27)
• Today’s Collegiate Communications & Role Development
(Tuesday, June 28)
• Innovative Strategies for a Digital World (Wednesday, June 29)
Beyond the relevant and savvy titles, the programming does forecast to pack quite a punch. To help set the stage,
several prominent speakers and guests have already saved the date. From prominent ESPN analyst and best-selling author Lou Holtz, to NCAA V.P. of Communications Bob Williams and Amy P. Perko, executive director of the Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics.
The response, so far, has been outstanding in targeting panelists and speakers from other key organizations, such as the NCAA and Black Coaches and Administrators (BCA), and Football Writers Association of America (FWAA), amongst others.
The Sunday (June 26) schedule does include several organizational divisions and committees staging a slew of customary business meetings. However, the first day will now feature a membership-wide Q&A session with a stellar cast of CoSIDA’s present leadership, including 2010-11 President Larry Dougherty, Executive Director John Humenik and 2011 board of directors and officers.
The opening day of the convention will also feature the NCAA, Bob Williams, et al, conducting a global session outlining its most topical and prominent issues surrounding collegiate athletics communications. The first day of programming comes to a close with a joint FWAA/USBWA panel that includes USBWA executive director Joe Mitch and 2010-11 FWAA president Tommy Hick and executive director Steve Richardson.
The second day of the 2011 CoSIDA Convention could actually go down as one of the most profound string of workshop sessions in the organization’s history. Taking into account the merging with NACDA on the near horizon, Day Two’s subject matter and programming that revolves around the theme of “Gaining Influence” could benefit attendees for years to come.
Ben Porritt, a senior strategist and partner with Outside Eyes, will help to start and close the day. Porritt, a longtime colleague of CoSIDA, will begin the morning session educating the membership on how to identify those steps necessary to gaining influence. He’ll close the day on a panel, whose overview is gaining influence through crisis and strategic communications.
The following segment, broken into separate panels targeting CoSIDA’s University and College divisions, will include several distinguished athletics directors and other key intercollegiate decision makers. The focus of this session, fitting within the day’s theme is “how to gain influence.”
UCF Director of Athletics Keith Tribble, Florida Gulf Coast’s Ken Kavanaugh and Sunshine State Conference Commissioner Jay Jones are just a few of the early enlistees to help deliver the message.
Continuing into this spring, CoSIDA officials are continually reaching out to prospective AD’s across the nation, to secure their appearance at the Marco Island Convention and help frame those steps necessary to get a seat at the board room table. On top of the AD’s attendance at the 2011 CoSIDA Convention, a renewed effort for the University division to further be represented this year will be a primary topic within the discussion.
Following Monday’s Awards luncheon, which includes
keynote speaker Amy Perko, venerable motivational speaker and popular ESPN college football analyst Lou Holtz will deliver a captivating session “gaining influence.”
The balance of Tuesday and Wednesday’s programming will first speak to the ever-changing and evolving nature of today’s media and how our audiences prefer to learn about their favorite institutions and teams. All of this is most relevant to AD’s as they seek to build their program’s brand and communications with their many constituencies.
The
Associated Press will lead one of the panels on Tuesday disclosing “how traditional media has evolved.” That panel will
also feature award-winning sports editors from two of the top circulating newspapers in the United States, the Miami Herald and Orlando Sentinel.
The final day of the Convention, to many, is one of the most beneficial and a primary reason for attending.
Whether it is the practical use of the latest digital or broadcast technologies, or how we are supposed to be incorporating the various social media resources — much is dissected and discussed by some of the most proactive users in the nation.
I
n closing, now more than ever, CoSIDA needs the support of its athletics directors. The athletics communications department must provide that critical role every AD needs to be surrounded with, within their own respective quest for excellence.
CoSIDA, now more than ever, is leading the charge as it relates to the growing complexities, issues and challenges that are surfacing due to the communications based evolution that we are experiencing, providing the needed professional growth and forging its seat at the table.
Beginning with the 2009-10 academic year and with its new partnership with NACDA at that time, the CoSIDA leadership was invited to contribute to each issue of the
Athletics Administration Magazine. In October of 2009, CoSIDA President Justin Doherty penned the first "CoSIDA Column."
This academic year, the CoSIDA Corner authorships are rotating. To date, they have been authored by CoSIDA President Larry Dougherty of Temple University (in October); Eric McDowell (Union College), Chair of the CoSIDA College Division Management Advisory Committee (in November); CoSIDA 3rd Vice President Shelly Poe (Ohio University) in December; CoSIDA Director of External Affairs Barb Kowal (in February and March); and now Hornstein (April).
Each
Athletics Administration issue is sent to over 10,000 university and athletics administrators, with CoSIDA's voice, thoughts and expertise shared with these key constituents. The magazine is published each October, November, December, February, March, April, June and August.
See the CoSIDA Corner archives HERE.