The Student Missionary Union is raising the bar for the 2014 Missions Conference with unique pre-conference events and improved cables for overflow live feeds. The 85th annual conference is next week, March 12-14.

Spotty video feeds between Chase Gymnasium and overflow sites frustrated students during Torrey Conference last fall. This semester, Event Services plans on using their new 1,000-foot fiber optic cable, which trumps the old system of 300-foot cables linked by converter boxes, according to Event Services production supervisor Anthony Melendrez.

The number of separate cables was a weakness in the old system. The converter boxes on the roofs during Torrey Conference overheated and thus lost the signal.

“It’s a tactical cable, which means it’s designed for military grade,” Melendrez said.

The cable will run directly from Chase to Sutherland Hall and Calvary Chapel. Only one fiber optic cable is necessary because signal is only lost after five or 10 miles of line, according to Melendrez.

The cable will reach Sutherland and Calvary because both are further from the gym than Crowell.

"Now we just have one cable with no in-between issues or anything like that,” Melendrez said. “We’ve already used it multiple times for commencement and the Ravi Zacharias event, and it’s always been tried and true. There’s never been a problem.”

Global Ministries plans on having postcard pamphlets for each track to occupy and educate students about each track happening on Wednesday.

“We are doing a pamphlet, postcard type thing. They’ll be handed out to people in the line so that they can read it while they’re walking in the rooms and can be informed about the rooms they’re going to be walking into. They’re specialized for each of the three simultaneous tracks,” said Global Ministries coordinator Sarah Longinow.

Additionally, the mission organization booths are moving to the first level of the parking structure for the first time this year. This is because SMU wants them to be closer to the gym, and to also shelter them from possible rain, according to Missions Conference director Cody Nord.

Closing down the first level will not affect parking accessibility, according to Nord.

“It’s a state law that you can’t shut down more than 10 percent of parking in a structure, and we’re not even getting close to 10 percent. People can still park on the second level,” he said.

Tijuana Ministries and SMU are organizing an exploration trip to Tijuana for the Saturday after Missions Conference. Sign-ups are coming soon.

“Go to chapel on Monday, March 10 to hear what the theme is and other key announcements about stuff we’re doing this year that I can’t talk about,” Nord said.