Abstract: Hosting a presidential debate is an undertaking of monumental proportion. Utilizing a risk and project management approach was a key success factor to planning and implementing the debate and over 100 other media rich events. Tim will discuss the overall strategy, tactics, major milestones, opportunities, challenges and lessons learned. Speaker Bio: Mr. Brooks became the Vice Chancellor and Chief Technology Officer on December 1, 2011. He has 25 years of experience in information technology with over 20 years serving higher education institutions. Most recently Mr. Brooks served as the Vice President and Chief Information Officer for Saint Louis University and the Director of Information Systems and Security for Washington University in St. Louis. Mr. Brooks oversees University wide technology planning, integration, and support. He is also responsible for ensuring the strategic alignment of technology related projects, products and services with the overall University vision, mission and goals.

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2012 Presidential Debate
October 3, 2012 - Denver, CO
University of Denver
An “insider’s” Perspective!

2. 5 Step Process:
Step 1 – Celebration!
Step 2 – Oh Crap!
Step 3 – Everyone take a breath, we can do this!
Step 4 – Uh, we can do this with some help.
Step 5 – This is a University-wide, city-wide, regional event. With the right partners and integrated
planning, we will succeed.
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An “Insider’s” Perspective”

3. Design and implement an overlay multimedia, communications platform to support the 2012
Debate and future media-rich events, meeting or exceeding the formal CPD specifications.
The design was based on the following guidelines:
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Strategic Approach
#1
Quality
# 2 Reliability
# 3 Cost
Effectiveness
# 4 Reusability

4. Strategic Approach
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# 1 Quality # 2 Reliability # 3 Cost
Effectiveness
• No second chances
• Select the “best of breed”
products, services, and
partners
• Ensure the quality of service
first; all else is a distant
second
• Fully redundant design for
voice, data, wireless, Internet
and CCTV
• Dual staffing
• Redundant NOCs
• Risk based contingency plan
• Leverage existing talent and
resources; supplement with
business partners
• Select equipment that is part
of our technology roadmap
• Lease vs. Buy
• Leverage sponsorships and
supporters

5. # 4 Reusability
How do we make the most of our investment?
Critical component of planning for project resources.
Presented tremendous opportunities for the University.
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Strategic Approach
Follow up infrastructure
projects:
• Redundant I1/I2
• Firewall Upgrades
• Core Switch Upgrades
• Data Center Switch
Upgrades
• 500 VoIP Phones
• 1300 PoE ports
• Digital Signage
Upgrades
• DNS/DHCP Upgrades
• Increased virtualization
from 60 75%
• Student Printing
Upgrades
Anderson Academic Commons

6. # 4 Reusability
Magness Arena, Ritchie Center and other venues are now “media-ready”.
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Strategic Approach

7. • Engage experienced partners to
supplement/compliment internal resources
• Don’t reinvent the wheel; “the media knows what they
want!”
• Program/Project Management 101 (Scope, Budget,
Quality)
• Schedule was non-negotiable
• Design for flexibility and scalability
• Assume the scope is a moving target
• Risk Management approach
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Major Tactics

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Project Requirements
Project Scope: the overall project included over 100 pre- and post-debate events engaging
faculty, staff, students, and the community at large. On October 3rd we hosted a campus-
wide “debate-fest” in conjunction with the kickoff presidential debate.

9. The project included:
• Telecommunications (Internet, Wi-Fi, local
production networks, VoIP, voice, and various
channel services, 3G/4G LTE)
• Video Production (Major Media video
production, localized CCTV)
• Audio Systems (Media audio feed and localized
audio services)
• Credentialing and Authentication services
• Desktop, printing and duplication services
• Redundant web services
• Various specialized media services
• Digital photography networks
• Dedicated channelized circuits
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Project Requirements

10. • Bulk of requirements came from the CPD – Commission
on Presidential Debates
• Started with a vague contract (March 2012)
• Scope more granularly defined (May/June 2012)
• CPD Visits
• Secret Service Visits
• Pre and Post-debate events
• Moving target!
• Service changes received on day 0
• Media outlets provided basic and often ambiguous
technology requirements
• Assume it will change
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Managing Scope

11. 1st of 3 Presidential debates
• October 3, 7:00 – 8:30 p.m.
• Moderator was Jim Lehrer, PBS
• Debate Topic was Domestic Policy
• Inside DU’s Ritchie Wellness Center-
Magness Arena
3,000 media journalists:
• 700 foreign media from 47 countries
Final Nielsen Media Research rating was
67.2M viewers
• 200M internationally
• 10.3M tweets during the 90 minute
debate
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109 other programs, lectures and events from Nov
1, 2011-Oct 4, 2012
• 1,000 guests in the audience including 297 DU students
• 5,000 guests at “Debatefest”
ROI Analysis
• $5 million cost including CPD fee
• Over $55 million in estimated marketing value
• $36 million on debate day alone
• Undergraduate applications up significantly
Outcomes

12.  18 months from initial bid to CPD to
actual event
 Over 1 year of planning & preparation
 8 months to construct
telecommunications elements
 48 hours to dismantle…
 145 Technology personnel were
credentialed for event
 3.2 GW for technology (enough to
power 3,200 homes)
 100,000 feet of CAT5e cable
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 2 x 10Gb WAVE based Internet
connections w/DDOS. Completely
isolated from campus connection.
 1,300 voice lines & custom phones
 1,300 1 x GigE ports
 Ubiquitous 802.11n wireless
 125 x 42” HD television monitors and
stands
 135 x CATV drops
 10 x HD channel lineup
 Externally hosted debate website
Technology by the numbers

13. Scope – expect the scope to change up to last minute; plan for it
Secret Service and Security
• On site over 90 days
• Significant impact on design and delivery of IT services
Program/Project Management
• Hire a program manager and carefully select project
managers
• Single, integrated plan
• Regular program steering meetings; internal and external
stakeholders
• Get external stakeholders involved very early
Great opportunity to invest in campus infrastructure
Rebranding and Logos!
DU 150th Sesquicentennial Celebration (2014)
Don’t assume your team is OK. Be visible and attentive.
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Challenges, Opportunities and Lessons Learned
Follow up infrastructure
projects:
• Redundant I1/I2
• Firewall Upgrades
• Core Switch Upgrades
• Data Center Switch
Upgrades
• 500 VoIP Phones
• 1300 PoE ports
• Digital Signage
Upgrades
• DNS/DHCP Upgrades
• Increased virtualization
from 60 75%
• Student Printing
Upgrades

14. Teardown and cleanup
Bring Ritchie Center and Campus
back to normal operations!
Built and implemented over 6
months – teardown had to be
completed in 36 hours!
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The fun is not over yet!

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Questions and Comments