
By Debra Kaufman
Shortly after last year's HPA Tech Retreat - the event's 25th anniversary - COVID-19 shut down all such gatherings in the state. Last year's HPA Tech Retreat in the desert was maybe the industry's last in-person event before the shutdown in California, notes Hallen. When it became obvious that an in-person event in 2021 presented too many unknowns, the HPA team began to envision what a virtual or hybrid Tech Retreat would look like. Welcome to HPA Tech Retreat 2021, the first in its 26 year history to be online.
HPA president Seth Hallen, programming curator Mark Schubin, and a committee of experienced others are creating an innovative plan that will appeal to even the most Zoom-fatigued. Much of HPA and the Tech Retreat is about community, Hallen says. People fly in from around the country and from other parts of the world and drive across the desert to connect with old friends, collaborate and learn. It's definitely built around that great educational programming and knowledge sharing, but it's all about the connection. The HPA has an ambitious plan to recreate the event in a way that will seem familiar to past attendees.
The first change is the timing. Rather than four consecutive days in the desert, HPA Tech Retreat 2021 will take place on Monday and Tuesday, February 15 and 16 and the following week, also Monday and Tuesday, February 23 and 24. On opening day, Schubin will kick off the Tech Retreat as always, with his annual Tech Year in Review, followed by a panel discussion on how the industry has been impacted by COVID-19. Another tentpole of the Tech Retreat, the Supersession, will take place on February 23. Hallen notes that last year's Lost Lederhosen, which highlighted remote and cloud-based workflows, ended up being incredibly relevant in the months that followed. No surprise then that this year's event - again hosted by Joachim JZ Zell - will revisit the terrain, but in a much bigger way, looking at how these remote and cloud-enabling technologies can support multiple, global productions.
HPA Tech Retreat 2021 will continue to showcase the kind of educational and informational programming it's known for. (Proposals are still being accepted through 5 pm PDT on November 20.) And the Tech Retreat will stay true to its core, with main program presentations strictly reserved for marketing-free content and, as always, sessions can and will focus on a range of topics. But 2021 differs in that an important focus this year will be on how technology has helped the industry overcome the impact of the COVID 19 virus and the role it will play as we adapt to a new set of industry challenges and opportunities.
Presentations will also have a new format. Be it a panel or a presentation, the maximum duration will be 20 minutes - and there is no minimum duration. Schubin notes that, we might be able to accommodate more presentations, so consider splitting big topics into multiple presentations. Those whose proposals are accepted will have to deliver a pre-recorded presentation before the event. As to the content - it's too early to tell. I never know what's going to be in the program until we finish going through the submissions, says Schubin. I can tell you we've gotten a lot of good ones, many related to the pandemic.
Key to the next HPA Tech Retreat is the HPA Content Platform, still under construction, where the presentations will find a home along with other asynchronous presentations, enabling attendees to watch whenever they want. That's a bonus for attendees who live in other time zones. Hallen reports that HPA will be dropping new content on the platform every day. Asynchronous means more slots, he explains. But they will still be curated and vetted. The presentations will have interactive components and still allow the attendees to ask questions of the presenters.
Community is a big part of the 2021 remote event, which will include the familiar breakfast round tables. Although everyone will have to fix his or her own breakfast, again, any registered attendee can sign up to moderate a table and attendees can sit down at any breakfast roundtable they want. The Innovation Zone will also be open, where attendees will be able to watch demos of showcased products.
Hallen reveals that HPA Tech Retreat 2021 will also enable a range of more impromptu connections among attendees and other opportunities to create community. Networking options, chats, connections are going to be enabled. While it's not sitting on the golf course with someone, there will be plenty of opportunities to connect and convene. With a combination of more and shorter presentations that can be watched on demand, content that explores the wins and struggles of our industry during a pandemic, and the familiar community venues for greeting friends and sharing information, the HPA Tech Retreat 2021 promises to be a noteworthy event. As a remote event, it also promises broader outreach to more people around the globe. In other words, it's yet another Tech Retreat not to be missed.
Most recent headlines
11/12/2025
Dalet, a leading provider of cloud-native, end-to-end media workflow solutions, ...
08/12/2025
SVG Summit 2025 Technology Exhibits Preview, Part 1By SVG Staff
Monday, December 8, 2025 - 6:56 am
Print This Story | Subscribe
Story Highlights
The 2025...
08/12/2025
2025 Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame: Bill Rasmussen, the Entrepreneur Who Drea...
08/12/2025
SVG Summit 2025 Preview: Live Production Innovation Workshop Goes Deep on ST 211...
08/12/2025
#GALSNGEAR Announces East, West Leadership Retreats for 2026By Ken Kerschbaumer
Monday, December 8, 2025 - 9:10 am
Print This Story | Subscribe
Story High...
08/12/2025
MediaKind Acquiring Harmonic's Video Business to Create New Streaming-Video ...
08/12/2025
Platinum White Paper: Sony HDR/SDR Camera Shading Techniques for Live Production...
08/12/2025
SVG Sit-Down: NESN's Kenny Elcock and Harmonic's Jean Macher Talk Next-G...
08/12/2025
Monsters Funday Football,' ESPN's Latest Live Animation Effort, Advances...
08/12/2025
SVG Sit-Down: ESPN Director Jeff Nelson on Calling the (Animated) Action on Mon...
08/12/2025
Monsters Funday Football': Louisiana Philharmonic Delivers Again With Orches...
08/12/2025
Always Was, Always Will Be Strength, Survival and Pride this January 26 on NITV,...
08/12/2025
Nielsen's robust data offering enables marketers to connect with their target audience more effectively and drive better results throughout Amazon's adv...
08/12/2025
LOS ANGELES and NEW YORK Paramount has launched a hostile takeover bid for Warner Bros. Discovery with an all-cash tender offer to acquire all of the outstandin...
08/12/2025
EMERYVILLE, Calif. Media and entertainment technology and services provider Advanced Systems Group has named Macky Beheshti as director, enterprise storage and ...
08/12/2025
DENVER MediaKind, a global provider of cloud-based video streaming technology announced today that it is acquiring the video business of Harmonic Inc. for appro...
08/12/2025
NEW YORK Nielsen has announced that its Audience Segments from Nielsen Marketing Cloud (NMC) are now available across the Amazon Ads marketplace, including the ...
08/12/2025
Marshall Electronics showcases the CV355-27X-ND3 Optical Zoom NDI (NDI HX2, NDI HX3) Camera at ISE 2026 (Booth 4N900). Designed for users seeking high-quality ...
08/12/2025
Cinnafilm today announced the immediate availability of IPx LIVE and Tachyon LIVE, delivering broadcast-grade, real-time IP video transcoding and motion-compens...
08/12/2025
Following a successful 45th anniversary year in 2024, Hiltron reports increasing demand for its wide range of satellite communication equipment manufacturing, p...
08/12/2025
When was the last time you updated your default playlist(s)? A default playlist keeps your station(s) on the air should your team ever miss a step in sending mu...
08/12/2025
08 Dec 2025
VEON's Beeline Kazakhstan Breaks Ground for Hyper Cloud Data Ce...
08/12/2025
Back to All News
Netflix ISP Speed Index for November 2025
Product
08 December 2025
Global
Link copied to clipboard
This month marks 15 years of the Netfl...
08/12/2025
Back to All News
Another Exciting Chapter in Our Book-to-Screen Journey and What's to Come
Entertainment
08 December 2025
Global
Link copied to clipboa...
08/12/2025
Strategic and transformative transaction would sharpen Harmonic's focus on its core Broadband business and advance its growth initiatives
Ensures continued...
08/12/2025
Copenhagen's The Epicurus is a one-of-a-kind Jazz Gastropub that presents exclusive performances curated by Jazz Pianist and Producer Sir Niels Lan Doky. Fe...
08/12/2025
Arvato Systems Receives gematik-approval for TI-Messenger tim
Approval secured for TI Messenger tim - paving the way for secure and interoperable communicat...
08/12/2025
Eurovision winner Niamh Kavanagh is the first celebrity to be revealed for the s...
08/12/2025
Changing children's lives for good: A staggering 4.6 million raised in the 2025 appeal
The people of Ireland and people all over the world have once again...
08/12/2025
It's murder on the dancefloor as The Traitors Ireland legend Paudie Moloney ...
07/12/2025
Back to All News
Netflix Takes Over the Oslo Skyline With Celebratory Troll 2 L...
06/12/2025
In a live broadcast from the Reagan National Defense Forum, L3Harris Chair and CEO Christopher Kubasik joined Morgan Brennan on CNBCs Closing Bell: Overtime. Ku...
06/12/2025
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. A new survey from Pixitmedia by Datacore revealed a major shift in the Media & Entertainment industry in media archiving, with 85% of resp...
06/12/2025
HACKENSACK, N.J. LiveU has announced that the national public broadcaster Czech Television has completed one of the largest LiveU live production deployments fo...
06/12/2025
NEW YORK The National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS) presented the Excellence in Production Technology Emmy Award to NASA+ and Dr. Tom Leight...
05/12/2025
2025 Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame: Curt Gowdy Jr. - Master Storyteller, Nati...
05/12/2025
SVG Sit-Down: Veritone's Sean King on the Power of Mining Video, Audio DataThe company's Data Refinery offers users total control and governance over da...
05/12/2025
Platinum White Paper: Inside the Nashville Predators' Unified, Flexible, Sca...
05/12/2025
Netflix Reaches Agreement To Acquire Warner Bros. Following Planned WBD SplitThe deal does not include WBDs sports assets like TNT Sports (US, UK, LatAm), Euros...
05/12/2025
FOX Sports Returns to Indianapolis for Primetime Broadcast of Big Ten Championsh...
05/12/2025
SVG Summit 2025 Preview: Digital Engagement & Monetization Workshop Tackles the ...
05/12/2025
Atlanta United Lights Up New Emory Healthcare Studio With First Live Broadcast f...
05/12/2025
As Messi Takes the Pitch, MLS, Apple, NEP Roll Out Largest MLS Cup Production Ev...
05/12/2025
ESPN Enters College Football's Most Intense Month With Elevated Workflows fo...
05/12/2025
It's about that time! Awards season is in full swing, and the Film Independe...
05/12/2025
Every year, Spotify Wrapped offers a personalized look back at the audio that defined your year. It's a snapshot of your listening habits, designed to tell ...
05/12/2025
In 2025, Spotify's EQUAL, GLOW, and RADAR programs celebrated women, LGBTQIA , and emerging artists who turned moments into milestones. From breaking record...
05/12/2025
In our latest blog, we explain how Wi-Fi 7 rollouts can drive consumer loyalty with value-add services such as consumer cybersecurity. We also explore how this ...
05/12/2025
LOS ANGELES Netflix announced it has entered into an agreement to acquire the assets of Warner Bros. for $82.7 billion....
05/12/2025
NEW YORK Nielsens Gracenote has launched Gracenote Content Connect, a new ad platform that provides agencies, brands, supply-side platforms (SSPs) and demand-si...