Pro Football Hall of Fame broadcaster Andrea Kremer and ESPN senior writer Jackie MacMullan are set to headline #AWSM2019, June 13-16 in Tampa. Kremer will help AWSM open its annual convention at American Social on Thursday evening while MacMullan will be honored as this year's Mary Garber Pioneer Award winner. Joining Kremer and MacMullan as keynote speakers for the convention are Bleacher Report's Taylor Rooks and Commander-in-She's Valerie Gordon.
AWSM is pleased to have the NBA, NBC Universal, NFL and Verizon Media as gold-level sponsors.
Fox Sports, Major League Soccer and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are silver-level sponsors while College Football Playoff, Electronic Art Sports and the Tampa Bay Sports Commission are bronze-level sponsors. Patrons include Orlando Sentinel and the United Soccer League.
For information about corporate sponsorships – contact VP/fundraising Iliana Limón Romero.
AWSM has secured several discounts for those traveling to Tampa. For a discount on American Airlines flights, call 800-433-1790 and use code 3169GQ. For a discount on SuperShuttle transportation, use code RT6VG or book directly online here.
Subject to change.
3 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.: Registration open (Meeting Room 3)
5 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.: Student chapter meeting (Florida I-III)
Leader: Katie McInerney, Philadelphia Inquirer senior sports producer, AWSM VP / student programs
5:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.: Professional business meeting (Meeting Room 4)
Leader: Kelly Burke, color analyst/PxP/reporter, AWSM president
6:45 p.m.: Depart for opening reception / meet in the main lobby
7 p.m. – 9 p.m.: Opening reception
At American Social
Keynote speaker: Andrea Kremer, Pro Football Hall of Fame broadcaster
Subject to change.
8 a.m. – 5 p.m.: Registration open (Meeting Room 3)
8:30 – 10:15 a.m.: Breakfast / general session (Florida V-VI)
Coverage today of women's sports featuring "Before Babe" documentary
Moderator: Christine Brennan, USA Today columnist
Panelists: Nancy Kapitanoff, "Before Babe" writer, director, co-producer
Iliana Limón Romero, Orlando Sentinel sports content director, AWSM VP / fundraising
Michele Smith, ESPN college softball color analyst
10:30 – 11:45 a.m.: Breakouts
#1: Midcareer job change (Florida IV)
Moderator: Jim Jenks, MLB Network senior director, multimedia
Panelists: Ashley Fox, motivational speaker
Hannah Keyser, Yahoo! Sports MLB analyst
Kimberley A. Martin, Verizon Media/Yahoo! Sports senior NFL analyst
#2: AWSMU: Ask the Pros (Florida I-III)
Moderator: Carlo Finlay, Grady Sports Media assistant director / University of Georgia chapter advisor
Panelists: Tyger Danger, Bleacher Report senior manager PR
Michelle Gingras, Yahoo! Sports host and reporter
Claire Lessinger, Tampa Bay Sports Commission director of special events
Iliana Limón Romero, Orlando Sentinel sports content director, AWSM VP / fundraising
#3: How to stay healthy -- Balance, health and bliss: Integrating mindfulness, exercise and good eating on and off the road (Meeting Room 4)
Leader: Amy Beth Hopkins, Health and Bliss for Life
Noon – 2 p.m.: Awards lunch (Florida V-VI)
Honorees: Quinnipiac, AWSM Student Chapter of the Year winner
Jackie MacMullan, Mary Garber Pioneer Award winner / ESPN senior writer
Celeste Williams, Ann Miller Service Award winner / Williams died in May 2017. Her life partner David Martindale will accept the award following a tribute to her
2:15 – 3:30 p.m.: Breakouts
#1: Social media -- The challenges of branding and messaging in a 24/7 climate and the role of short-form storytelling (Florida IV)
Moderator: Carly Grenfell, PGA of America social media specialist / AWSM social media coordinator
Panelists: Keri Barron, Verizon/Yahoo Sports executive producer
Christi Bedan, Tampa Bay Buccaneers VP / digital and media
Ann Drinkard, SEC director of communications/social media
Meredith Minkow, Bleacher Report social media programmer
#2: Finding your niche in broadcast TV -- How to shape your broadcasting career: local TV, sideline, play-by-play, analyst or producer (Florida I-III)
Moderator: Kelly Burke, independent color analyst/PxP/reporter / AWSM president
Panelists: Tricia Foley, Golf Channel producer
Jenna Laine, ESPN NFL Nation Tampa Bay Buccaneers reporter
Jamie Seh, WKMG-TV sports director
#3: Public relations -- So you want to work with the media, not for the media? (Meeting Room 4)
Moderator: Jessica Eckley, Crackerjack Media partner
Panelists: Tyger Danger, Bleacher Report senior manager PR
Molly Dreska, MLS senior communications manager
3:45 – 5 p.m.: General session (Florida V-VI)
Sexual harassment in the workplace
Moderator: Nancy Hogshead-Makar, attorney and head of Champion Women
Panelists: Amie Just, New Orleans Times-Picayune reporter
Rachel Lenzi, The Buffalo News reporter / AWSM VP membership
Brooke Pryor, Kansas City Star Chiefs reporter
5:15 p.m. – 6 p.m.: AWSM Champions meeting (by invitation only - Meeting Room 6)
Leaders: Iliana Limón Romero, Orlando Sentinel sports content director, AWSM VP / fundraising and Gina Mizell, The Athletic Phoenix Suns writer, AWSM VP / professional programs
5:15 p.m. – 6 p.m.: Student chapter advisor meeting (by invitation only - Meeting Room 5)
Leader: Sarah Scrivens, Nike.com global authoring traffic manager
5:15 p.m. – 6 p.m.: AWSM Scholars meeting (by invitation only - Meeting Room 2)
Leader: Katie McInerney, Philadelphia Inquirer senior sports producer, AWSM VP / student programs
10 p.m. – midnight: Hospitality (Il Terrazzo)
Subject to change.
8 a.m. – 5 p.m.: Registration open (Meeting Room 3)
8:30 – 10 a.m.: Breakfast / general session (Florida V-VI)
The Art of the Ask workshop: How to ask and get what you want (from your first job to salary negotiations to your desired beat)
Leader: Valerie Gordon, Commander-in-She
10:15 – 11:30 a.m.: Breakouts
#1: Print/digital - How to develop sources and stand out as a beat reporter (Florida IV)
Moderator: Jorge Rojas, The Athletic Florida managing editor
Panelists: Andrea Adelson, ESPN.com writer
Lindsay Jones, The Athletic NFL writer
Mike Sherman, Tampa Bay Times sports editor
#2: Pardon the interruption, but let’s talk ethics (Florida I-III)
Presenters: Rachael Cataldo, Susquehanna AWSM student member
David Kaszuba, Susquehanna AWSM chapter advisor
#3: Let's talk about whether grad school is right for you (Meeting Room 4)
Leader: Paola Boivin, Arizona State / Walter Cronkite School of Journalism professor
11:45 a.m. – 1 p.m.: Breakouts
#1: Video storytelling -- Why stories matter: going beyond the playing field and data, the influence/impact of feature storytelling and how to find/pitch a great story (Florida I-III)
Moderator: Valerie Gordon, Commander-in-She
Panelists: Despina Barton, Spectrum Sports multimedia journalist
#2: Cyber security/online harassment -- How to handle trolls and stay safe online (Florida IV)
Moderator: Annie Sabo, WFLA-TV sportscaster
Panelists: Matt Baker, Tampa Bay Times sportswriter
Amie Just, New Orleans Times-Picayune writer
Brooke Pryor, Kansas City Star beat writer - Chiefs
#3: Investigative reporting (Meeting Room 4)
Moderator: Linda Norbut, former Brechner Center of Freedom of Information deputy director
Panelists: Nicole Auerbach, The Athletic college football writer
Caitlin Schmidt, Arizona Daily Star investigative reporter
1:15 – 2:45 p.m.: Lunch (Florida V-VI)
Keynote speaker: Taylor Rooks, Bleacher Report / Turner Sports host, anchor and reporter
3 – 4:30 p.m..: Résumé workshop *limited spots available* (Meeting Room 5)
You must submit your résumé in advance to participate. To apply for the critique session, send an email to awsmboard@gmail.com by June 7 with:
-- Name
-- Status as a professional or student member
-- Primary area of interest (such as print/digital, broadcast on camera, broadcast producer, public relations, etc.)
-- A copy of your résumé attached as a PDF or Word document
This is only open to students and professional members registered for the convention. Those selected to participate will receive a time slot upon check-in at the convention.
4:45 p.m. – 7 p.m.: Closing reception (Florida V-VI)
AWSM Scholars
10 p.m. – midnight: Hospitality (Il Terrazzo)
