Join us on October 30 at 8am for a soaring discussion of creativity in global broadcasting with our Emmy-award winning speaker: Tessa Potter!

Talk: Ground-Level Tech, High-Altitude Careers: Creativity and Global Sports Production

What does a technical career have to do with creativity? More than we often recognize.

Over the past decade, working in live sports production has taken me from Moscow and Beijing to Tokyo and Paris, supporting some of the most watched sporting events in the world. Much of this work happens behind the scenes, solving complex technical challenges that audiences never see, but that are essential to bringing live events into homes and onto screens around the world.

This presentation explores the creative side of technical careers in media and entertainment. Live production requires more than technical knowledge. It demands problem-solving, adaptability, collaboration, innovation and the ability to find creative solutions under pressure.

As streaming, digital video and audio continue to reshape how audiences consume content, technical roles are becoming increasingly important to the creation and delivery of premium content. Creativity is not limited to producers, directors and writers. It exists throughout the technology ecosystem, from engineering and networking to systems design, operations, audio, video and emerging technologies.

Through experiences from global sports production, this presentation will examine how a career built on technical skills can lead to creative opportunities, international experiences and some of the biggest stages in the world.

Meet our Speaker:

Tessa Potter is a broadcast technician who has spent more than 20 years working with a variety of wonderful people in a challenging, but incredibly rewarding, career in media and entertainment technology.

A graduate of Red River College’s Electronics Engineering Technology program, Tessa is often the person pulling cables in far-off places at international sporting events, visiting a transmitter site on a winter day, or solving technical problems with team members on a hockey game day.

Her career has taken her around the world, working on some of the biggest sporting events in broadcasting. Her work with NBC on the Paris and Beijing Olympics has earned her two Emmy Awards.

In 2025, Tessa was honoured with the Red River College Distinguished Graduate Award, recognizing her career and contributions to the industry.

Tessa has also spent years working behind the scenes on major international sporting productions. Most recently, she spent the summer in Miami working on the FIFA World Cup, watching all 104 games while coordinating with crews working across 16 cities for Telemundo.

After five years on the WABE Executive, including serving as President and helping lead organizational change and growth, Tessa continues to volunteer with the Western Association of Broadcast Engineers (WABE) and support its work connecting and growing the media and entertainment technology community.

After another summer working on major international productions, Tessa is happy to be home in Winnipeg with her family.