Live From 147th Westminster Dog Show: WKC Finds New Home at Billie Jean King National Tennis Center Fox Sports works closely with Westminster Kennel Club on operational, logistical needs By Kristian Hern ndez, Senior Editor
Tuesday, May 9, 2023 - 10:07 am
Print This Story | Subscribe
Story Highlights
The biggest event on the dog-show calendar, the Westminster Dog Show is the goal of any breeder and dog. The Westminster Kennel Club (WKC), the organization in charge, spends the entire year planning, strategizing, and ironing out operational and logistical details for the multi-day competition. This year's edition was complicated by a move to the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.
Pulling off the show in the correct way is a delicate dance between teaching the public about the variety of disciplines and breeds on display and letting the elegance and athleticism of the dogs speak for themselves.
The show is very important, but it's also educating the people about what they're watching, says David A. Helming, show co-chairman/chief of staff, Westminster Kennel Club. We want to make this overall event a good time and fun for everybody.
David A. Helming leads Westminster Kennel Club's overall direction and production of the Westminster Dog Show.
In his dual role, Helming has a lot on his plate. Besides assembling the schedule of competitions, putting together a panel of distinguished judges, and working with the show's superintendent on the flow of activities, he oversees television production and advises the overall direction of the event's operations. He has plotted big-picture elements with Fox Sports since 2017, the broadcaster's first year covering the show.
First televised event in 1948, the Westminster Dog Show was located at Madison Square Garden for nearly a century. One of the biggest recent hurdles has been changing venues three times in the past four years: the show was held at Madison Square Garden for the last time in 2020 and in Tarrytown, NY's Lyndhurst Mansion in 2021 and 2022.
I've been [at Lyndhurst] showing dogs throughout the years, so I knew that we could make that site work, says Helming. The biggest challenge was having to rebuild this show from the ground up. Without the support of Fox Sports and our solid working relationship with them, that never would've happened. They've worked on World Series and Super Bowls, so we know that we have top-notch production and operations teams on our side.
Choosing to move on to a new venue, WKC scouted out new destinations for the event. Ultimately, USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing, NY, was picked to host the latest edition. Looking to expand the venue's yearly calendar of events, the United States Tennis Association was keen on adding the show. And going from the limited-capacity Lyndhurst Mansion to the gargantuan campus of the Tennis Center and its 23,771-seat Arthur Ashe Stadium allowed increased attendance and the introduction of the Dock Diving event.
WKC's Paul Campanella oversees the operational and logistical needs of all events.
[The USTA] wanted to bring the history of this venue and the US Open tournament with our history, notes Helming. There was a bit of an education process about what we do with this event, but they got on board and have been great hosts.
With a first-time venue, the possibility of issues emerging becomes a lot larger. Luckily, Westminster Kennel Club Director, Companion Events, Paul Campanella, Helming's go-to operations lead, is the main contact for Fox Sports Director, Field Operations, Francisco Paco Contreras. With an extensive background in participating in and judging dog shows, Campanella understands the obstacles that come with producing the Westminster Dog Show. Always looking to innovate and enhance coverage, Fox Sports is implementing a new Spidercam system from high above. Because it could be a distraction for the dogs, Campanella stresses the importance of running through the show beforehand.
The competition itself hasn't changed, he explains, but, when there's a new technology, we have a full rehearsal on the night before. I'll bring a bunch of dogs that aren't competing to run the final course and see if they get distracted by [the Spidercam]. A couple of dogs were [distracted], so we knew that we had to raise that marker [inside Arthur Ashe Stadium]. These dogs train for this for years, so they need to be completely focused.
When Tuesday's Best in Show competition concludes, Campanella and his operations team, which includes Manager, Operations, Linda Duane, will return to the drawing board to prepare for the showcase all over again.
We'll do an evaluation next week, he says. We'd like to see what worked and what didn't.
Despite the challenges of a new venue or the fact that more than 3,000 canines are judged and placed in picking the cream of the crop, the heart of the production is the appreciation of the dogs and the jovial spirit they bring to spectators, officials, and the sport alike.
We're here to do [this show] the best we can and showcase these championship-level dogs, says Helming, adding, Fox Sports' promoting our efforts helps give [this event] a broader reach to sports fans.
Most recent headlines
09/12/2024
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, today announced that it has been named an IDC Innovator in the IDC Innovators: ...
09/11/2024
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, today announced three new members of its executive team. Tara Bryant joins as Chi...
30/10/2024
Drone detection just got a whole lot smarter with ARDRONIS Detect from Rohde & S...
25/10/2024
Jenny Priestley talks to the BFI's Douglas Weir who oversaw the restoration of a much-loved animated classic, which returns to UK and Ireland cinemas today
...
25/10/2024
Broadpeak , a leading provider of content delivery network (CDN) and video streaming solutions for content providers and pay-TV operators worldwide, announced t...
25/10/2024
Amagi, the global leader in cloud-based SaaS technology for broadcast and connected TV (CTV), has announced a strategic partnership with Allrites, a premium con...
25/10/2024
Studio Technologies, Inc., a pioneer in high-performance audio, video, and fibre-optic solutions, has long been at the forefront of the professional broadcast a...
25/10/2024
QuickLink, empowering creatives to exceed modern-day standards of production, has been instrumental in easing the remote production challenges of ITV Studios...
25/10/2024
stYpe, a globally active innovator of virtual studio production resources, reports strong interest in the latest additions to its wide range of broadcast-qualit...
25/10/2024
Casa Frida Estudio, one of the most prestigious music facilities in Argentina, has upgraded its main control room to Dolby Atmos specifications and installed a ...
25/10/2024
Frequency, the engine behind many of the world's best-known streaming television channels, announces the European expansion of its Managed Channel Services ...
25/10/2024
Disguise, an HPA-Award-winning immersive experience company, has received £1.2 Million in funding from Innovate UK and the EU as part of a larger investment int...
25/10/2024
Through this agreement, MASORANGE will incorporate new AGILE CONTENT technologies into its television service, enhancing customer experience with optimum servic...
25/10/2024
Appear, a global leader in live production technology, is proud to announce its role as an official provider of cutting-edge broadcast transmission solutions fo...
25/10/2024
Witbe (Euronext Growth FR0013143872 ALWIT), a global leader in test automation and monitoring technology for video service providers, today announced that M...
25/10/2024
Unified Streaming, a leading streaming software company, has hired Valentijn Siebrands, an industry veteran, as its new streaming solutions manager. The company...
25/10/2024
Competitive search leads Toledo's WLMB-TV 40 to TE1 based on energy efficiency and durability
As part of its effort to reach a wider audience, the Toledo-b...
25/10/2024
IBC announces the Call for Challenges for the 2025 Accelerator Media Innovation Programme, inviting proposals for transformative, fast-track innovation projects...
25/10/2024
HANNOVER, Germany TVN Live Production is using a variety of solutions and technologies from Lawo in its new TVN- 8UHD OB truck, which it unveiled at this year&#...
25/10/2024
NEW YORK Innovid, a software platform for the creation, delivery, measurement and optimization of connected TV (CTV), linear and digital advertising, said LG Ad...
25/10/2024
SAN FRANCISCO Consumer data platform provider Hightouch has announced a new solution it said will streamline and accelerate connected TV (CTV) advertising....
25/10/2024
MADRID Warner Bros. Discovery's streaming service Max has reached a new agreement with DAZN that will give Max customers in Spain access to the premium spor...
25/10/2024
Beloved Genre-Benders Karate Make a Fitting Comeback Its one of the decades feel-good music stories: How the legendary alumni acts rediscovery led to rereleas...
25/10/2024
Berklee Presents Holiday Extravaganza: Duke Ellingtons Nutcracker Suite and Chri...
24/10/2024
Gather your tricks and treats because Halloween season is upon us. Spotify launched our first Spine-Chilling Audiobooks hub this month featuring the Fear Index...
24/10/2024
In accordance with Section 6 (2) (c) of the National Film and Video Foundation A...
24/10/2024
MELBOURNE, Fla., Oct. 23, 2024 - L3Harris Technologies (NYSE: LHX) and Palantir Technologies Inc. (NYSE: PLTR) today announced a strategic partnership to propel...
24/10/2024
WASHINGTON The FCC has launched a formal proceeding to review the quality of support that cable, broadband, satellite TV, and voice service providers give their...
24/10/2024
CINCINNATI E.W. Scripps has named veteran journalist Matt Simon as vice president of Scripps News. In the new role, Simon will be responsible for the vision, ov...
24/10/2024
Cine Gear Film Series Competition is Now Open
Brie Clayton October 24, 2024
0 Comments
Each year, thousands of filmmakers of all kinds gather at a maj...
24/10/2024
DaVinci Resolve Studio Integral to Ringling College of Art and Design's Post...
24/10/2024
Krotos Introduces the World's First Dynamic Crowd System in Krotos Studio
Brie Clayton October 24, 2024
0 Comments
Krotos, a leader in cutting-edg...
24/10/2024
According to a report, following a move towards growth, Technicolor has opened talks with potential buyers as shareholders are assessing its long-term future
B...
24/10/2024
Orfiums Mark Vermaat, VP business strategy and partnerships, tells TVBEurope why remaining curious and challenging the status quo is vital in a career in the me...
24/10/2024
NEW YORK A new study from Amagi highlights both the ongoing shift of viewing to free ad-supported streaming (FAST) channels and the rapidly growing amount of sp...
24/10/2024
MONTREAL Matrox Video has announced that it is supplying DSX LE5 SDI I/O cards for Vizrts latest TriCaster product range....
24/10/2024
WASHINGTON, D.C. The FCC's Enforcement Bureau has sent out Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) audit letters to 150 randomly selected TV and radio stations....
24/10/2024
Industry group USTelecom has released a study showing broadband providers invested $94.7 billion into the U.S. communications infrastructure in 2023. The annual...
24/10/2024
Curse of the Sin Eater Used DaVinci Resolve Studio and Blackmagic Cloud for End ...
24/10/2024
Michael Shinn Named Executive Director of Boston Conservatory at Berklee Shinn, who served as the Conservatory's dean of music for six years, has been int...
24/10/2024
Artificial intelligence will be the driving force behind India's digital transformation, fueling innovation, economic growth, and global leadership, NVIDIA ...
24/10/2024
24 Oct 2024
VEON's Jazz Launches FikrFree: An AI-Powered Digital Marketplac...
24/10/2024
PARIS & LONDON - OCTOBER 24th, 2024
Technicolor Group, a world leader in visual...
24/10/2024
NESN Continues Unobstructed Views Series of Alternate Broadcasts With Six Bruins...
24/10/2024
Touchdown: Inside the NFL's international strategy and broadcast plans for t...
24/10/2024
SVG New Sponsor Spotlight: AbelCine's Tom Digges on the Growing Trend of Cin...
24/10/2024
Sweet Home, Carolina: How Charlotte Became a REMI Sports Production Hub Leaders from ESPN, FOX Sports, NASCAR, Van Wagner, and SMT discuss their at-home product...
24/10/2024
SVG Sit-Down: USWNT Star Sydney Leroux on Working With DAZN's Team Whistle, ...
24/10/2024
Sony Sports CEO Rufus Hack on the Impact of the KinaTrax Acquisition KinaTrax joins Hawk-Eye, Beyond Sports, and Pulselive under the Sony Sporta umbrella By Br...
Live From 147th Westminster Dog Show: WKC Finds New Home at Billie Jean King National Tennis Center Fox Sports works closely with Westminster Kennel Club on operational, logistical needs By Kristian Hern ndez, Senior Editor 
