By John Gates, SMPTE/NE Chairperson

Thank you to everyone who has attended, hosted and supported our 2000/2001 "season". The SMPTE - New England Managers & Officers had a good time planning and organizing this past year's meetings. We took as our "Mission Statement" a very simple premise: "What Would I Like To See or Know More About". We planned all our meeting topics based on doing only those ideas that collectively appealed to us and would motivate us to go out of our way to attend a meeting. It appears that was, and remains, a very good idea. We have had a great turnout and a high level of interest for every SMPTE/New England meeting this year.

Our meetings have explored the current status and future of HDTV broadcasting, web streaming, electronic cinematography, digital cinema, non-linear editing, operational testing issues of today's technologies and monitors & displays. You have seen and heard the philosophical and the operational nuts & bolts issues in thought provoking and useful ways. This is the very essence of what SMPTE/New England is and should be.

Now, we are planning for the 2001/2002 meeting season and we want your help, we need your help.

What Do YOU Want?

You know what we have done. What meeting subject would YOU like to know more about? What speaker would YOU like To Hear? What facility would YOU like to tour? Please let us know now while we are planning.

While we are on the subject, do YOU have a great meeting to present (one that is not just a manufacturer's dog & pony show)? Are YOU a great (even good will do) speaker? Should we tour YOUR great facility? Please let us know. Our Manager's Meetings are like that NPR show "All Things Considered". Don't hold anything back.

Can YOU Help Us?

One of our biggest recurring needs is a place to hold a meeting. Finding a meeting location was our single biggest problem this year. Do you have a suitable place for 75 or more of your closest SMPTE friends to meet? MANY thanks to Mike Keller at WCVB-DT/TV and Tom Sprague at National/Boston (they both hosted TWO meetings!) and to everyone else who hosted a SMPTE-NE meeting this year: Cosmic Blender, Wolf Coach, Fidelity Images and General Cinema. We literally could not do this without them. Call me if you have a space or know of a space where we can meet.

Want To Do Even More?

We can always use assistance in the Planning, Preparation and Presentation part of our meetings. Call me if you want to help in these 3 P's of SMPTE-NE. It's definitely part-time work with like-minded people who don't take themselves TOO seriously. Its actually a lot of fun and many hands make light work.

I hope to hear from you soon with your thoughts, suggestions and offers. Have a great Summer and see you at an SMPTE - New England Meeting.

-John Gates, SMPTE/New England Section Chairperson
Gates Service Group, Inc.
14 Edgewood Ave.
Beautiful Downtown Natick, MA 01760-5424
508-651-7886
508-651-7889 Fax
liteguy@bu.edu