March 25, 2025 • 41 mins
Podcast Conference Roundup 2025
We’re diving into the current podcast conference scene—what’s happening, who’s attending, and whether these events are really worth your time and money. From TravelCon recaps to previews of Podcast Movement Evolutions, Podfest Asia, and The Podcast Show London, we cover what podcasters need to know to make the most of these gatherings. Creators of all levels can appreciate these hot takes, and insider insights to help you decide which events are right for you—and how to make every conference count.
Today's Hosts: Todd Cochrane, MacKenzie Bennett, Mike Dell, Cathy Beuten, Aaron Hope, Dave Clements
The Podcast Conference Lineup
Who Attends? – Indie podcasters, major media companies, advertisers, tech innovators, and content creators.
What’s the Real Goal? – Learning, networking, brand exposure, or just an excuse to party?
📢 Pro Tip: Not all conferences are created equal—some cater to beginners, while others focus on advanced strategies.
TravelCon Recap with Aaron & Cathy
Biggest Takeaways – Key trends and insights from travel-focused podcasts.
Best Moments – Standout workshops, networking highlights, and industry discussions.
Who Should Attend Next Year? – Is TravelCon worth it for podcasters outside the travel niche?
📢 Hot Take: Travel podcasts are evolving with immersive storytelling and new monetization opportunities.
Podcast Movement Evolutions Preview with Mike & MacKenzie
What’s New at Evolutions? – Industry insights, emerging tech, and creator-focused sessions.
Sessions to Watch – Must-see panels and keynotes for podcasters at all levels.
Networking & Events – The best ways to connect with podcasters, brands, and potential collaborators.
📢 Pro Tip: Podcast Movement Evolutions is one of the best places to stay ahead of new trends, tools, and monetization strategies.
Podfest Asia & The Podcast Show London Preview with Todd and Dave
Podfest Asia – How this event is shaping the future of podcasting in Asia.
The Podcast Show London – Why this is a must-attend for international podcasters.
Global Podcasting Trends – The growth of podcasting outside the U.S. and key market developments.
📢 Industry Insight: International podcast markets are booming, and these events highlight how different regions are innovating.
Are Conferences Worth the Cost?
💰 The Costs:
Ticket prices, travel, hotels, and meals—what’s the return on investment?
Virtual vs. in-person—can you get the same value remotely?
Do paid networking events actually lead to new opportunities?
📢 Real Talk: Some podcasters land sponsorships, collaborate with top industry figures, and walk away with new business deals—others just get a tote bag.
How to Maximize Your Conference Experience
🚀 Tips for Attendees:
✅ Set clear goals before you arrive.
✅ Don’t just attend panels—networking is where the real magic happens.
✅ Bring business cards or digital contact tools (QR codes for the win!).
✅ Follow up! Most connections are wasted because no one follows up after the event.
📢 Bonus Tip: Many conferences offer post-event recordings, so you can still gain insights even if you don’t attend in person.
Final Takeaways – Should You Attend?
✔ If you're looking to grow your podcast business, conferences can be a game-changer.
✔ If you’re just starting out, virtual sessions or online communities might be enough.
✔ The best part? Meeting fellow podcasters, learning new trends, and making industry connections.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
Hey, everyone. Welcome to Podcast Insider. And boy,
oh, boy. We've got a a whole gang
here today
to, to talk to you. And, of course,
I'm Todd, the founder of the company. And
I guess we'll just go around the table
real quick before we get into what we're
gonna chitchat about.
I'm Mackenzie Bennett. I'm the marketing specialist on
the Blueberry team. I'm Mike Del, the VP
(00:21):
of customer relations here. Yeah. I'm Dave Clements,
and I am a sales and support agent
for the team. Alright. I am Kathy Buton,
and I am the communication specialist for Blueberry.
Yes. Greetings, everyone. I am Aaron, and I
am the designer at Blueberry.
You're listening to Podcast Insider hosted by Mike
Dell, Todd Cochran, and Mackenzie Bennett from the
(00:43):
Blueberry team,
bringing you weekly insights, advice, and insider tips
and tricks to help you start, grow, and
thrive through podcasting,
all with the support of your team here
at Blueberry Podcasting.
Welcome. Let's dive in.
Well, one thing's for sure is we're, like,
on a party line today, so this should
(01:03):
be fun.
You know,
podcast season is here.
And I guess the question
oftentimes
content creators ask is,
are these events really worth the investment, and
can you get some value,
by going to them? And, of course, in
this episode,
(01:24):
Kathy and Aaron are gonna recap,
what just happened at Travelcon
that they just were at. And, of course,
Mike and Mackenzie are getting ready to go
to podcast movement
Evolutions.
And then I'm going to podcast Asia here
in a couple of weeks, and we have
the podcast show in London.
So a lot to,
a lot to go over, but I guess,
(01:44):
you know, Kathy and, Aaron,
you guys just got back from from TravelCon,
and you did run into some podcasters, but
there wasn't a big number of them. Right?
Right. I mean, there were quite a few,
but most of the people we talked to
were interested in podcasting,
and had been told they should be podcasters,
(02:05):
but didn't know that much about it. So
we were quite busy talking to those folks.
Yeah. When we were there, we did meet
some of the podcasters, but, you know, it
was TravelCon. So there were, like, a lot
of content creators. So these were people who
have some form of content out there, whether
it be video,
Instagram,
TikTok,
YouTube,
or, like, they already have, like, a website.
(02:27):
They already have, like, a following of some
sort. So when we brought podcasting to them,
they were very interested. Some of them have
already had the demand from their audiences for
longer form content and things like that.
But since we were there, they were like,
great. I have all the questions. Where do
I even start? Things like that. So it
was very nice to sit down with people
(02:47):
who were excited about podcasting and were excited
about getting into that field. The bid to
pod feature was very popular because a lot
of these people had YouTube channels.
And, you know, with bid to pod, they
can just convert
their,
YouTube
videos into an audio podcast automatically.
And so we had a lot of interest
in that. I think it all worked out
(03:09):
in our favor. We try to go to,
at least one event
every year that is not podcast specific.
That is more just, you know, these people
have potential to become podcasters. And in that
same sense, we highly encourage podcasters themselves to
go to the conference of their niche.
(03:29):
So these people were already going because they
are travel
content creators, and we are a content creation
company.
So, you know, we we've talked about maybe
going to, like, Comic Con.
Todd, you've gone to Dragon Con many times
and talked about podcasting there. So whenever, like,
you're looking up podcasting conferences,
(03:50):
make sure to look up conferences in your
own topic as well and go to go
to those.
You know,
these events
that we go to, of course, the one
that's upcoming, podcast movement evolutions,
that's gonna be, you know, largely, it's a
podcaster event. So the folks are gonna be
going as podcasters. But they had originally touted
(04:12):
this event as an industry event, and the
other event is more of a general creator
event. But in the end, way it's kinda
worked out is the events have kind of
evolved into,
you
know, kind of both at the same time,
creator and industry events. So you guys are
getting ready to head out to Chicago for
for evolutions and, you know, kinda what's your
(04:34):
expectation for that event and what you're seeing
so far?
Oh, like like normal. You know, there's plenty
of creators that show up to that even
though it's supposed to be an industry one.
And,
you know, so we'll get, you know, a
lot of
the industry scuttle, but, you know, we get
to know what other companies are doing. And
and, you know, we talk to a lot
(04:55):
of the the people that, work at or
run these companies. So that that
very,
useful,
but, you know, it's not so much,
you know, podcaster event. It's podcast industry,
again. But,
Mackenzie, you you haven't been to Evolutions in
a couple years. So what are you thinking
(05:16):
it's gonna be like?
Yeah. So this one is is definitely different
in the sense that, like, the the creators
that do show up to Evolutions
are generally based wherever the show is.
You know, whenever I was in Los Angeles
A Couple Years ago for it, it was
basically all people in California.
So I assume there will be a lot
of Chicago Midwest Creators at this one. But,
(05:39):
they, yeah, they they somewhat
differentiate it, I think, less
now than than before.
But they specifically have,
a couple different stages and, like, tracks
that they that they do. So there's, like,
an industry and pro track.
There's brand success.
There's just, like, learning about,
(06:01):
how to profit
and grow. So
those are those are definitely, you know, like,
the the mindset that people are in of,
like, how do I kinda make this my
business,
instead of just, like, I wanna start this
up my hobby.
So
I think that's that's generally what we see
more often.
Yeah. And some of the keynotes and sessions
(06:22):
are are worth going to, you know, especially
the keynotes because, you know, you get kind
of a high level view of what's going
on in the industry. You know, whether
whether right or wrong,
we hear what people are thinking, and that's
that's very useful.
Absolutely.
You know, I think too, one of the
thing about going to these events is
(06:42):
the networking happens. You know, they've got the
sessions that you can go to.
You can learn, you know, a lot of
stuff by going to sessions, but having those
conversations in the hallway
with fellow podcasters is probably,
you know, the best part of any event
like this.
I know a lot of people go to
these events and they never go to a
(07:02):
session. They just talk to people in the
hallway.
I don't know if I would do that.
Or in the bar. Or the bar. Yeah.
Definitely.
You know, when you guys were at Travelcon,
did,
did you see a lot of networking going
on in the hallway? Or Oh, yeah. Absolutely.
Well and they had a section set aside
just for that, and, they would have breakouts,
(07:24):
and and it was nice. It was like
standing tables, and people would huddle around and
talk. And then in the, on the first
night, so it was Friday night,
there was an after party and there was
a lot of in a mariachi band. That
was pretty cool.
But there was a lot of networking. Yeah.
This was a great event for networking,
(07:45):
and everybody was the energy was fantastic.
And, yeah, it was just very special.
Yeah. And it was nice because where we
where our booth was was right in front
of those meetups. So we are, like, we
were literally seeing people, like, come together, talk
about stuff. They even had, like because there's
so many different niches just under travel, there
would be, like, one for couples travel, one
(08:06):
for solo travel, one for budget travel. And
then, like, at least my the most exciting
one for us was there was a a
podcaster meet up, and that's where, like, we
got to see, like, kind of all the
podcasters that were there. And it's like, oh
my god. There's a bunch there. It's crazy.
That was probably, like, the most exciting one.
But even
out of those meetups, like, people because we
would talk to this guy named Sam,
(08:28):
and he was from Canada and he came
down to travel. And he was like, yeah.
I have a show.
I haven't really been putting anything on it
because he just had a baby. So he's
like, his last couple of months have been
baby chaos.
And so he, like, was, like, this is
my first time coming back into it. And
he's like, I've met people for the first
time who I've talked to who I haven't
talked to in a couple
in, like, in months. And, like, he just
(08:50):
felt so reconnected back into the the the
field and, like, seeing people that he knew.
So it is just, like, I know, like,
you know, we talk, like, even right now,
we're digitally, like, all talking together, but there
is something about that face to face value
and just having that, like, face to face,
like, physical connection. So I know, like Yeah.
We all are distanced, but conferences really give
(09:10):
you a chance to talk to people you've
been talking to online for years. So that's,
like, a great time to go because it's
like, oh, are you going? Are you going?
Are you going? Great. People from all over
the world in the same room finally get
to talk to each other. And like you
said, Todd, like, you know, have those side
conversations, have those tidbits, have those little insights,
that only they know about or, like, just
those very specific problems,
(09:31):
because probably one of the other people have
dealt with one of those problems and have
found that solution to it. Dave, you you
and I were in Podfest,
a couple of months ago, and
you you really got to kinda experience that
first, you know, first time for, you know,
connecting with people you've been talking to on
the phone or
chatting with via email,
you know, from your perspective having
(09:54):
it for a first time attendee to an
event,
you know, what what was it for you,
you know, because I think this is important
for people that are have never attended an
event maybe to get your perspective.
Yeah.
Yeah. Beforehand,
I I was I was overwhelmed because I
haven't gone to a ton of conferences in
(10:14):
general. And then to go and be representing
the company,
that that was nerve wracking.
But I think the biggest
thing that,
once things got started, once we got the
booth set up,
being able to interact with
actual Blueberry customers that I've answered tickets for,
talked to on the phone, to put a
(10:35):
face to a name and be like, oh,
yeah. We'd you did have that goofy little
issue in PowerPress a couple weeks ago and
or yesterday when I was in between plane
flights or something like that.
Kinda goes back to Erin's point of just,
like,
there's that connection so that
it for for me in my role,
it just kind of reestablishes
(10:56):
this is why I do what I do.
This is why we as a company do
what we do,
because there are some really great people out
there
that,
have a lot of really good
information
that they wanna share.
And it's just really nice to reinforce,
that, you know, we're helping them get that
(11:17):
content out there.
So, yeah, like, we're you know, Todd and
I are going to to podcast show in
London,
in May.
And I'm excited for that because, again, it's
just that reestablishing
connections, meeting new people,
and just seeing how my work affects
what they're doing. It's
(11:38):
Sometimes these events seem like a almost like
a family reunion.
Whether you've ever met these people or not
in person, you know, we deal with them
all the time.
Yeah. And I I saw that a lot,
you know, being with with Todd at Podfest.
You know, I mean,
Todd's a popular guy. I don't know if
everybody knows that, but he's a popular guy.
(12:00):
So just people come in. Oh, Todd. Hey.
Haven't seen you in two, three years or,
you know, we just talked last week or
or something like that. And so I'm excited
to be able to go to more of
these and and really develop those kind of
connections and have have some deeper conversations with
people.
And I think too if, you know, if
someone's considering going to a podcasting event or
(12:23):
any trade show, really,
the the the value
of meeting folks and making relationships
is
at least 50%
of value of going to an event. Now
I think the biggest mistake,
an attendee can make is is being really,
really super shy.
(12:44):
Mhmm. If if you're super, super, super shy
and don't wanna talk to any folks,
you're gonna kinda lose out a little bit
on the value of the event. You're still
gonna get a lot of,
a lot of,
a value out of it. But I would
say if that is your personality, you know,
just make it a goal. Let me talk
(13:05):
to
15 people each day, you know, and and
you say, hi, my name, my show, what
do you do,
and make an effort because,
the perspectives that you're gonna get you're gonna
find that
the challenges that you're having is gonna be
the same exact challenges that other people are
(13:25):
having and you'd be able to share notes
and strategies.
And,
so the networking piece is important. And, of
course, you know, like Mike said earlier,
sometimes the conversations happen to bars and, you
know, people get a few drinks in them
and they're you know, they they kind of
let their guard down a little bit and
and have a good discussion. So,
(13:46):
I used to well, I still call it
holding court when we would hang out in
the bar and just, you know, people would
walk up and talk to you. But I
think at the same time, one thing you
said, Dave, here is sometimes,
I've had people tell me later, I was
afraid to come up and say hello.
Yeah. And I I'm
well, we're all kind of creators here,
(14:07):
to an extent,
and we all really put our pants on
the same way. So,
don't be afraid if you see someone that
you've, you know, that you'd like to talk
to, but you're afraid to talk to. I
feel most of these events, everyone is very
approachable,
and that's what we're there for. So, you
know, if you if you see your your
(14:28):
favorite podcaster or favorite you're you're you know,
if you're a fan of somebody's show, you
know, make sure you go up and say,
hey. I'm a I'm a fan. I've been
listening or I like what you do.
It it really, really goes a long way,
especially for and if you're a new attendee.
And, like Mike said, once you go to
an event a couple of times,
(14:49):
then it is. It's kinda like a family
reunion.
Yeah. And even, you know, even someone that
you would consider
famous, air quotes,
they wouldn't come to these conferences if they
didn't wanna talk to you. So
don't be afraid. Right. Yeah. Yeah. Good point.
I had that issue with with Dave Jackson,
and I mentioned it, in our Podfest,
(15:09):
episode where I was just like, I can't
talk to Dave. He's he's like an idol
in my book. And then, you know, a
couple hours later, we're standing out there just,
you know, shooting the breeze about just random
stuff. And I was like, oh, yeah. He
is a real person.
Very cool.
So yeah. Don't don't be afraid to talk
to people. Now sometimes you you may have
(15:30):
to wait in line, but yeah. Right.
Go ahead, Mackenzie.
I just wanna reiterate or even let people
know that the majority of the time these
conferences nowadays
will record the sessions.
So if you're worried about, you know, I
paid this ticket, and now I'm not learning
anything, and I'm just spending my time, like,
out in the hallway talking to people or
something like that. You're gonna get recordings of
(15:52):
all of those sessions at at least the
majority of these events. Mhmm.
So so if you kinda just, you know,
like, have your day planned out and you're
like, okay. I wanna go to this at
this time and
go to
the go to the Expo Hall at this
time, blah blah blah blah. Like, don't be
afraid to change your,
change your plans
or whoever it is that you run into,
(16:13):
whatever that good conversation is. Yeah. Because, like,
you can get so isolated doing a podcast,
because you are able to just do it
from home. You can do it alone. Like,
you don't have to do this with literally
anyone so that when you actually are at
these events,
yeah, really take take advantage of
of the people in your proximity and
(16:33):
and make that community or, you know, be
excited to meet the community that you already
have online in person, actually.
And a lot of lot of podcasters are
introverts, believe it or not. So, you know
Yes. They are. Going to a conference, turn
it on. You can you can do it
for a week.
You'll be exhausted, but Oh, yeah. You could
do it. In in a good way. Yeah.
Yeah. Absolutely. That's how I feel every time.
(16:56):
It's like drinking from the fire hose. At
Podfest Asia that I'm getting ready
to attend,
the crowd last year was so,
oh, they didn't wanna talk to anybody. You
know? They were they were all about
staying in, and we really had to kinda
because the first event
for Asia, we had to kinda really, like,
draw them in
(17:16):
and ask questions. And so I'm hoping this
year at Podfest Asia that people are a
little more comfortable and willing to ask questions
and not be shy.
And,
you know, we're we're there to share
as much knowledge as we can, and it's
really a full day. It's a big it's
a one day event.
(17:36):
And,
last year after that event, I think I
was more tired from that one day event
than standing in a booth for three days.
But it it was,
it was very exciting because it reminded me
of
the old days, and they're having the same
issues that we've had in years past.
And luckily, we've lived through all that and
(17:58):
able to share,
you know, solutions and ideas.
So this is kinda what I'm looking for,
in Podfest Asia is definitely,
seeing how that that crowd that is gonna
definitely repeat and then grow,
how it has matured
for a second year.
(18:19):
And I and at the same time,
the event was a little bit different in
that, boy, there was just a ton of
VAs
that are working with podcasters in The United
States that were there or Australia.
The actual podcasters themselves were not as numerous.
So it was a lot of editors and,
people that are doing booking and these types
(18:40):
of things. So it's it's,
it'll be interesting how the event grows,
this year from that standpoint. And, again, it's
just a one day event
and,
but they had some some huge heavy hitters
that that made it to the event. So
we'll see how it goes.
So you're going to Podfest Asia in a
(19:03):
little bit.
You and Dave are going to London later.
Last year, you and Kathy went to London,
and you you did a podcast event,
in Riyadh A Couple Years ago. So can
you tell us, like, how you see
or, like, if there's any differences between the
events that happen in The US compared to,
you know, anywhere else or just kinda like
(19:24):
the expansion of conferences
of podcast conferences worldwide? Well, you know, Riyadh
was just a huge eye opener for me
and it was basically the
changing politics in Saudi Arabia.
There was as many women at the conferences
as there were men and I think the
women were more passionate about
creating content than even the guys were.
(19:47):
And
I'm just I wish I could speak Arabic
because I I wanted to listen to all
these stories that were coming
out of a country that has largely not
had
a lot of rights for people to create
content on their own. And
there was a interesting fact, and I may
get this wrong, but, like, 65 or 70%
of the population in Saudi Arabia is made
(20:08):
up of people 35.
So the kingdom has had to make had
to make has had to make changes in
order to,
how should we say it, quell the populace
and allow them to have more freedoms. And,
of course, women there can drive now and
own businesses, and it was quite the eye
opening trip for me. But
(20:29):
here you had these people just absolutely hungry
to create content
and tell their story.
And then you had
Asia
where
it was more like an emerging market and,
you know, there was a little bit of
knowledge, but in the end,
the the business of podcasting
is
(20:50):
about the same as it is in United
States
where London, and maybe Kathy can weigh in,
there's definitely,
a lot of professionals,
radio specifically
doing podcasting. It's more seems more organized.
It doesn't feel as indie in London, although
(21:12):
there was a lot of people that came
through
to talk to us that were thinking about
doing a podcast.
Mhmm.
It definitely had a little bit different vibe,
but
I think that
in the end,
the rules still apply. Everyone's got the ability
(21:34):
now to pull up a microphone and be
heard and tell their story. I don't know,
Cassie, from you being in London, what was
your perspective on the attendees?
Well, like you said, they were all very
professional
and a lot of them had established shows
and,
yeah, they've the way they approached us was
very professional
and,
(21:55):
there and yet still laid back. So London
is a lot more laid back than The
US is. And so they're very down to
earth and,
they just take things a little easier than
we do. And, yeah, it was it was
a it was a different,
kind of audience, but it was very,
very
(22:16):
productive and very interesting. Those the people who
came were very interesting and interested in us,
and so that was great. Yeah. And because
a lot of people didn't know who we
were. They just, you know, it's they have
several podcast companies that are popular in The
UK and the surrounding region.
So for us being there, like, what do
you guys do? Who are you? And they
never really heard of us.
(22:37):
So that was for me was kind of
an eye opener to show,
yeah, here in The United States, you know,
we go to event. We're well known.
You
know, as compared to even being in Asia
where almost everyone,
because of the economic situation, are using some
of the free hosts out there, and then
you start talking about the advantages of being
(22:59):
on a paid host, and it really opens
people's eyes. So,
again, regionally, things are
you know, it's a little bit different, but
in the end, it's all about creators wanting
to be successful.
I noticed the last few
conferences I've been to, we're getting that question
a little more in The US as well.
You know? What do you guys do? You
(23:21):
know? And and there's just always people coming
into the industry and people leaving the industry.
So,
why we have to go to these things
to wave the flag.
I think You know, last year in London
too, we had just released blueberry pie, our
AI,
and,
(23:43):
the participants there were just fascinated by that.
They had you know, nobody else had done
that and they were just really interested in
it. And so that was a big selling
point for us there.
Yeah. And I'm actually gonna be speaking about,
pie, about AI specifically here in Asia.
And I think it'll resonate well,
(24:03):
based upon what we've really learned about
using all these tools over the past year
and how it can improve,
the overall product. You know, still,
what we put on the microphone or what
we put record digitally
is one thing, but then what we present
in metadata,
AI has just made such a huge difference
(24:24):
even for my show. And, you know, I
I kinda laugh because I've always said,
you know, you need great rich show notes,
but yet I'd write a paragraph.
You know,
didn't drink my own Kool Aid. And now
I have,
you know, rich show notes beyond
beyond measure. And, so it's gonna be fun
kinda sharing those,
these lessons learned that we've learned over the
(24:45):
past years. But, you know, I I think
the question I would ask
each of you
and
are these conferences do you think it's worth
it for a podcaster to go to considering
the cost and time? I think you need
to try it.
Choose the one most affordable and convenient for
you.
(25:06):
The one that you think, you know,
you can get the most value out of
but also
actually pay for,
and and go to that one and see
how it goes. But, also,
there are virtual ones.
You know? They're they're definitely,
less now that we're doing everything in person
nowadays, but they do still happen.
(25:28):
And and they still have a price tag
attached to them, but,
really, that one is is you know,
it just depends on on the conference and
how well they do that virtually, but there's
still something that you can get out of
it.
It's it's kind of that mindset thing of
you're like,
if I'm gonna be here, I'm gonna be
here. I'm not just gonna, like, be here
(25:49):
in attendance only and not actually
actively trying to reach your own goals.
Yeah. You get you get out of it
what you kinda put into it too. You
know? Again, just make sure you're,
you know, it's something that's within your budget.
Make sure, you know, that that, you know,
that's all good.
And then just go there and try to
(26:11):
learn stuff,
meet people.
It it definitely
can be worth it.
You know, now some some events are pricing
themselves out of the market for the for
the indie podcaster.
But, you know, just make sure
that if you're gonna do this,
make sure you can afford it, and, and
(26:31):
you will get out of it what you
put into it.
I've been doing podcast for
almost thirteen years now.
And having just gone to Podfest,
I I think I told Todd, and I
was definitely telling my wife. I was like,
man. Like, this got me excited to make
podcasts again. And I wasn't there as a
(26:51):
podcaster.
I was there representing
Blueberry.
But I came home and I was like,
I need to record something just because I
was talking to people,
you know, other podcasters.
Their their passion
reignited my passion. So I think that that's
also a benefit that,
you know, I don't I don't know that
(27:13):
you can really put a price on it,
but, you know, building off of everybody else's
input,
you know,
go to what you can afford. Go digitally
if you need to. But I think in
person is really where it could be at.
I know it will be for me. So
I I'm gonna be looking for stuff that's
a little closer to me that I can
afford,
(27:33):
even if I'm not going there to represent
the company.
And on that note, Dave, like, these, conferences,
they're never in the same city every year.
Like, they travel. They go East Coast. They
go West Coast. So even if you find
one that is far away, it's, like, always
check later that year for another one because
it might be closer and then maybe next
year it might be closer.
(27:53):
So it definitely is, like, something to go
look at the different conferences and see where
they're gonna be that year. And then if
there's not one near you, maybe follow them
because they'll announce where they're gonna be next
year. And if that's closer to you, then
maybe you can go to that one. Right?
You know, one thing I'll say and is
if you if you attend
and,
(28:15):
have a have a bit of a preplan.
Understand
what if if you have a burning question
that's been driving you crazy
and you haven't talked to us during a
one on one, which you can do if
you can get that burning question answered. But,
definitely know what your goal
is
(28:35):
before you arrive.
And when you attend sessions, I this is
the biggest piece of advice I can give
you. You're gonna be drinking from the fire
hose, and
there is going to be probably per session
ten, fifteen, 20 takeaways.
But I would say, you know, have note
note paper and pen
(28:55):
or your laptop or however you wanna take
notes
and
try to have at least one
major
takeaway from a panel.
You know, focus on the one thing that
really kinda struck you that made you wanna
go, oh, wow. I'm gonna do that when
I get home,
because
there will always be at least one thing
(29:16):
that you'll get out of the panel,
that you've that you wanted to attend. And,
again, sometimes you're gonna get twenty, thirty, forty,
and then you get home, you're like,
you know, I've where do I start? So,
you know, try to pick that one thing,
from the panel. Also,
bring some sort of contact tool, whether it
be a business card,
(29:38):
whether it be a QR code, whether it
be a way to to scan to get
your contact information.
I'm still a big believer in business cards.
I bring those home.
I, and we we you know, as a
vendor, we can scan your badge and we
get your contact information. But in the hallway,
I'm not scanning your badge. I'm getting your
card or, you know, you maybe you've got
(29:58):
something for your show,
maybe a sticker or something.
But have a way to be able to
connect and be able to make sure that
when you get home, you're like, I was
talking to that guy,
and what was his name? And
if you have their card, you can go,
oh, yeah. That was John, and I need
(30:19):
to reach out to John. Because I do
the same thing. I talk to
20 people in an evening,
and I'm like,
oh, who is that person? And if I
have some sort of contact information,
at least then I can reach out later.
And I I I think it's,
that is probably the most important piece. And
you may think, business cards are old school,
(30:41):
but they are really effective because what you
can do is you can take someone's business
card, flip it over, and write a note
on the back. Yeah. John's got a,
you know, he's got a travel show, and
he's been doing it for five years, and
he has this idea.
Maybe there's a networking opportunity. You can write
on the back of it, and then when
you get home, you've got that kind of
(31:02):
as a
reminder.
Is there
any other, you know, Mike and
and Mackenzie,
what what others
advice do you get for maximizing your your
conference experience?
Once the expo hall is over,
and we get to whatever party there is
or the bar or whatever,
(31:23):
I just go and talk to people as
a person. I I don't bring up that
I work for Blueberry immediately. I don't ask
them about their podcast. I'm just like, hey.
What's up? I just talked to him as
a person. Like, I'm in a bar
at home on a Wednesday night.
Because I think at that point, like, people
are kinda getting to the point where they're
like, I can't talk about this anymore
(31:45):
or including myself.
But,
also, it's just easier to, you know, kinda
go up to anyone instead of being like,
hi.
Can we do speed dating about podcasting right
now? Like, it's just I I you know,
I we've already we've been here for twelve
hours already.
What's up?
Like, that's what I wanna know. Spend all
(32:05):
spend all day giving elevator pitches and, you
know, you're kinda over it. That's exactly what
I mean. Anybody else have any takeaways about
maximizing your conference experience?
Well, I would just say that, you know,
no matter what conference that you go to,
it is going to expand your horizons.
You're going to,
you know, probably be blown away by the
(32:26):
diversity of, you know, different kind of podcasts.
I mean, we just came from travel con
and we did not know before then that
there are adventure travel podcasts, sustainable travel, culinary
food,
points and miles, you know, podcasts. So, yeah,
it's gonna expand your mind and it's gonna
make room for really
outstanding collaborations
(32:47):
if, you're open to that.
Yeah. I would agree with Kathy because it's
like we didn't need people who were I
wanna do a podcast about this, but I
don't know if anyone's gonna wanna listen. And
I'm like, we've already talked to three people
who that's their podcast. So it's like it's
like people are already listening to that type
type of content.
And then, like, my my advice would be
(33:10):
bringing some type of folder
or some type of bag because
while this is a very digital age, people
are gonna give you paper,
and you need to be able to put
that paper somewhere. And some people, they would
just have to just, like, carrying around, like,
a stack of paper or, like, folding up
and, like, putting them in, like, a tiny
tote bag. And it's, like, you you're gonna
have some kind of materials from this. And
(33:31):
like you said, like, if you have business
cards and just being able to shove all
that into one reciprocal
and then going home or going back to
your hotel and, like, laying it out and
be like, okay. What do I want? What
do I need? What do I say? Just
because, like Todd said, like, you're talking to
a bunch of people. You're going to a
bunch of different,
conversations, a bunch of different sessions. There's always
gonna be a bunch of different booths. Like,
(33:53):
it's gonna be hard for you to remember.
You know, it's just so much cognitive
overload that's gonna happen at first that it's
like, okay. Once you're back at your hotel
room, you'd be like, okay. I got this
card from this person. I got this flyer
from this spoof. Like, this is useful. Like,
this one's not. Like and so, like, taking
so, like, making sure you have some kind
of receptacle to carry all that stuff in
is definitely gonna help you from, you know,
(34:14):
keeping it and not, like, leaving it somewhere,
later throughout the day. Sometimes I take a
selfie with the person or their booth
because
I'm horrible.
I'm really horrible about putting faces to names
later.
So for me, if I have their card
and I have a selfie, I just oh,
yeah. I remember. And then it helps me
(34:36):
with that,
you know, that reconnect.
So that's what I often do myself is
take a selfie or or take a picture
of their booth before I leave so I
can remember more on but if you're one
of these people who have a photographic memory
and you can remember every person you talk
to, you know, Bless you because that is
not me.
(34:57):
You know, and I it's it's like people
I've talked to for years, sometimes I have
to look at their badge. Oh, yeah. That's
Tony.
It's it's horrible, but, you know, some people
are better at it than others. So,
don't be afraid to look at their badge
if you don't remember their name or want
to know their name. That's the good thing
about conferences as well. Everyone's got a badge
with their name on it. I'll give one
(35:18):
last piece of advice for that is,
bring liquid IV, comfortable shoes,
and,
maybe a granola bar. I've been to,
like,
70 plus podcast conferences and,
you know, a couple dozen music festivals that
will keep you alive. I promise you.
Especially gonna say the exact same thing. It'll
(35:40):
happen now. Yeah. We we we all wear
tennis shoes at these events,
just because your feet are gonna hurt by
the end of the day. You've been standing
on a very thin carpet with a concrete
floor underneath you and, you know,
you you sit down in your room and
your feet go.
So, yeah, comfortable shoes is good. So let's
talk about some takeaways here.
(36:01):
I've always thought that going to a trade
show is a great way to build your
business.
It can be a real game changer for
you because you're gonna make connections.
You may have business opportunities
that come to light. Maybe there's a network
option.
You just never know what's gonna come out
of an event.
Oftentimes,
(36:22):
someone will come up to me and
they'll start talking and I'll be like, okay.
Say that again
because
I wanna really pay attention to what they're
saying. And then all of a sudden, like,
oh my god. We'd have to have a
call
after the show.
And
so you just never know what's gonna happen
to grow your business.
(36:42):
Also a tax write off. You can pay
for this with your business. That's true.
If you're trying to figure out how to
afford it, that is how. Yeah. That'll make
your partner happy, especially if you're you're doing
this as a hobby or you're just getting
started and you're not making a lot of
money.
Yes. It is a it is a nice
tax write off and a completely legal one
(37:02):
for sure. Airfare, hotel, food,
the whole nine yards. Of course, check with
your tax accountant. But, again, you can virtually
write everything off from door to door.
Any other takeaways?
No. I'm just soaking it all up like
a sponge so I'm ready when London comes
around.
Okay. What else do we have this year?
We have Podcast Movement,
(37:22):
the big one in Dallas in August. Mhmm.
And I think we're kinda undecided
for the for the rest of the year.
Yeah. There might be one in Vegas at
the end of the year, but we're Mhmm.
We're determining.
So Yeah. But is our conference that any
of you that are listening go to that
you think we should go?
(37:43):
Is there something in your genre of content?
Because that's what I did when I started
doing my show. I went to I well,
this is the first year I didn't go
in many years, but I go to the
CES show as a tech maven. You go
there and soak up all the tech gear
for a for techie.
Is there a trade show that you go
to that you think we should go to
to
(38:04):
represent podcasting and share the,
I guess, the gospel of podcasting? Kind of
a weird way to say it, but, you
know, this is essentially what we do.
No. A lot of these conferences are, you
know, whatever genre, there's always gonna be some
sort of content creators. So,
definitely, if you go, let us know. We
might go.
(38:25):
Yeah. I would say,
BinCon is coming up in September, and I
don't know that we'll be able to go
to that. But that's a nice business
niche
for business podcasters,
who are looking to expand their shows or,
knowledge on it. So
Bin Khan for a first time attendee,
drink lots of water,
(38:46):
be prepared,
that would be one that you will not
get much sleep from. It's a it's a
massive conference,
and they
keep you very, very busy the entire time
for sure.
But are you attending a podcast conference this
year? Which one are you most excited about?
Let us know.
And, of course, we we will feature your
(39:08):
thoughts in a future episode if you let
us know. It's very easy to do so.
Contact information
is in the show notes and in the
outro.
Any other thoughts from the team here? Looking
forward to seeing people in Chicago.
Have fun.
Yeah. And if you're coming to London, make
sure you stop by the booth. We're gonna
have some very, very cool giveaways.
(39:29):
Stop by and say hello to Dave and
I, and tell us where we should go
to eat.
Yes.
Food is important. That's all I've been looking
at. Are we going to a podcast conference,
or are we just going to London to
eat? Because that's what my search history shows.
Well, I tell you, I Hey. You know
what? One more practical thing. If you're,
(39:49):
if you're running a booth at a at
a conference,
probably doesn't apply to very many people,
when you can get lunch, get lunch.
Get lunch. Otherwise, you'll starve.
Yeah. That's exactly the truth.
Eat a big breakfast. Speaking
speaking of food, it was so funny. We
had, like, someone, like, just run over to
our boob and was like, I'm sorry. Could
(40:10):
I get one of your stickers? My son
loves blueberries.
Yeah. Because I took, like, one of our
holographic logos because he was like, he just
love blueberries. He's gonna love this. So definitely
having some fun since we're going back to
the booth thing, having some fun stickers,
having something,
that people can easily, like, take away as,
like, a almost like a souvenir,
(40:32):
it would also be, like, you know, a
great way to be memorable by that person.
Yeah. The pens were a hit.
The pens were a hit.
The swag is always good, so go swag
hunting when you go to events
for sure.
Well, from Mike, Kathy,
Mackenzie, Aaron, and Dave,
thank you all for listening to Podcast Insider,
(40:52):
and, we look forward
to seeing you at an upcoming podcasting event
or hearing where you went
and what you learned. So thank you so
much for, hanging out with us. Thanks, everyone.
Thanks, Al. Yeah. Thanks. Thank you.
Thanks for joining us. Come back next week.
And in the meantime,
head to podcastinsider.com
for more information.
(41:12):
To subscribe, share, and read our show notes,
check out the latest suite of services and
learn how Blueberry
can help you leverage your podcast, visit blueberry.com.
That's Blueberry without the e's because we can't
afford the e's.
Hey, everyone. Welcome to Podcast Insider. And boy,
oh, boy. We've got a a whole gang
here today
to, to talk to you. And, of course,
I'm Todd, the founder of the company. And
I guess we'll just go around the table
real quick before we get into what we're
gonna chitchat about.
I'm Mackenzie Bennett. I'm the marketing specialist on
the Blueberry team. I'm Mike Del, the VP
(00:21):
of customer relations here. Yeah. I'm Dave Clements,
and I am a sales and support agent
for the team. Alright. I am Kathy Buton,
and I am the communication specialist for Blueberry.
Yes. Greetings, everyone. I am Aaron, and I
am the designer at Blueberry.
You're listening to Podcast Insider hosted by Mike
Dell, Todd Cochran, and Mackenzie Bennett from the
(00:43):
Blueberry team,
bringing you weekly insights, advice, and insider tips
and tricks to help you start, grow, and
thrive through podcasting,
all with the support of your team here
at Blueberry Podcasting.
Welcome. Let's dive in.
Well, one thing's for sure is we're, like,
on a party line today, so this should
(01:03):
be fun.
You know,
podcast season is here.
And I guess the question
oftentimes
content creators ask is,
are these events really worth the investment, and
can you get some value,
by going to them? And, of course, in
this episode,
(01:24):
Kathy and Aaron are gonna recap,
what just happened at Travelcon
that they just were at. And, of course,
Mike and Mackenzie are getting ready to go
to podcast movement
Evolutions.
And then I'm going to podcast Asia here
in a couple of weeks, and we have
the podcast show in London.
So a lot to,
a lot to go over, but I guess,
(01:44):
you know, Kathy and, Aaron,
you guys just got back from from TravelCon,
and you did run into some podcasters, but
there wasn't a big number of them. Right?
Right. I mean, there were quite a few,
but most of the people we talked to
were interested in podcasting,
and had been told they should be podcasters,
(02:05):
but didn't know that much about it. So
we were quite busy talking to those folks.
Yeah. When we were there, we did meet
some of the podcasters, but, you know, it
was TravelCon. So there were, like, a lot
of content creators. So these were people who
have some form of content out there, whether
it be video,
Instagram,
TikTok,
YouTube,
or, like, they already have, like, a website.
(02:27):
They already have, like, a following of some
sort. So when we brought podcasting to them,
they were very interested. Some of them have
already had the demand from their audiences for
longer form content and things like that.
But since we were there, they were like,
great. I have all the questions. Where do
I even start? Things like that. So it
was very nice to sit down with people
(02:47):
who were excited about podcasting and were excited
about getting into that field. The bid to
pod feature was very popular because a lot
of these people had YouTube channels.
And, you know, with bid to pod, they
can just convert
their,
YouTube
videos into an audio podcast automatically.
And so we had a lot of interest
in that. I think it all worked out
(03:09):
in our favor. We try to go to,
at least one event
every year that is not podcast specific.
That is more just, you know, these people
have potential to become podcasters. And in that
same sense, we highly encourage podcasters themselves to
go to the conference of their niche.
(03:29):
So these people were already going because they
are travel
content creators, and we are a content creation
company.
So, you know, we we've talked about maybe
going to, like, Comic Con.
Todd, you've gone to Dragon Con many times
and talked about podcasting there. So whenever, like,
you're looking up podcasting conferences,
(03:50):
make sure to look up conferences in your
own topic as well and go to go
to those.
You know,
these events
that we go to, of course, the one
that's upcoming, podcast movement evolutions,
that's gonna be, you know, largely, it's a
podcaster event. So the folks are gonna be
going as podcasters. But they had originally touted
(04:12):
this event as an industry event, and the
other event is more of a general creator
event. But in the end, way it's kinda
worked out is the events have kind of
evolved into,
you
know, kind of both at the same time,
creator and industry events. So you guys are
getting ready to head out to Chicago for
for evolutions and, you know, kinda what's your
(04:34):
expectation for that event and what you're seeing
so far?
Oh, like like normal. You know, there's plenty
of creators that show up to that even
though it's supposed to be an industry one.
And,
you know, so we'll get, you know, a
lot of
the industry scuttle, but, you know, we get
to know what other companies are doing. And
and, you know, we talk to a lot
(04:55):
of the the people that, work at or
run these companies. So that that
very,
useful,
but, you know, it's not so much,
you know, podcaster event. It's podcast industry,
again. But,
Mackenzie, you you haven't been to Evolutions in
a couple years. So what are you thinking
(05:16):
it's gonna be like?
Yeah. So this one is is definitely different
in the sense that, like, the the creators
that do show up to Evolutions
are generally based wherever the show is.
You know, whenever I was in Los Angeles
A Couple Years ago for it, it was
basically all people in California.
So I assume there will be a lot
of Chicago Midwest Creators at this one. But,
(05:39):
they, yeah, they they somewhat
differentiate it, I think, less
now than than before.
But they specifically have,
a couple different stages and, like, tracks
that they that they do. So there's, like,
an industry and pro track.
There's brand success.
There's just, like, learning about,
(06:01):
how to profit
and grow. So
those are those are definitely, you know, like,
the the mindset that people are in of,
like, how do I kinda make this my
business,
instead of just, like, I wanna start this
up my hobby.
So
I think that's that's generally what we see
more often.
Yeah. And some of the keynotes and sessions
(06:22):
are are worth going to, you know, especially
the keynotes because, you know, you get kind
of a high level view of what's going
on in the industry. You know, whether
whether right or wrong,
we hear what people are thinking, and that's
that's very useful.
Absolutely.
You know, I think too, one of the
thing about going to these events is
(06:42):
the networking happens. You know, they've got the
sessions that you can go to.
You can learn, you know, a lot of
stuff by going to sessions, but having those
conversations in the hallway
with fellow podcasters is probably,
you know, the best part of any event
like this.
I know a lot of people go to
these events and they never go to a
(07:02):
session. They just talk to people in the
hallway.
I don't know if I would do that.
Or in the bar. Or the bar. Yeah.
Definitely.
You know, when you guys were at Travelcon,
did,
did you see a lot of networking going
on in the hallway? Or Oh, yeah. Absolutely.
Well and they had a section set aside
just for that, and, they would have breakouts,
(07:24):
and and it was nice. It was like
standing tables, and people would huddle around and
talk. And then in the, on the first
night, so it was Friday night,
there was an after party and there was
a lot of in a mariachi band. That
was pretty cool.
But there was a lot of networking. Yeah.
This was a great event for networking,
(07:45):
and everybody was the energy was fantastic.
And, yeah, it was just very special.
Yeah. And it was nice because where we
where our booth was was right in front
of those meetups. So we are, like, we
were literally seeing people, like, come together, talk
about stuff. They even had, like because there's
so many different niches just under travel, there
would be, like, one for couples travel, one
(08:06):
for solo travel, one for budget travel. And
then, like, at least my the most exciting
one for us was there was a a
podcaster meet up, and that's where, like, we
got to see, like, kind of all the
podcasters that were there. And it's like, oh
my god. There's a bunch there. It's crazy.
That was probably, like, the most exciting one.
But even
out of those meetups, like, people because we
would talk to this guy named Sam,
(08:28):
and he was from Canada and he came
down to travel. And he was like, yeah.
I have a show.
I haven't really been putting anything on it
because he just had a baby. So he's
like, his last couple of months have been
baby chaos.
And so he, like, was, like, this is
my first time coming back into it. And
he's like, I've met people for the first
time who I've talked to who I haven't
talked to in a couple
in, like, in months. And, like, he just
(08:50):
felt so reconnected back into the the the
field and, like, seeing people that he knew.
So it is just, like, I know, like,
you know, we talk, like, even right now,
we're digitally, like, all talking together, but there
is something about that face to face value
and just having that, like, face to face,
like, physical connection. So I know, like Yeah.
We all are distanced, but conferences really give
(09:10):
you a chance to talk to people you've
been talking to online for years. So that's,
like, a great time to go because it's
like, oh, are you going? Are you going?
Are you going? Great. People from all over
the world in the same room finally get
to talk to each other. And like you
said, Todd, like, you know, have those side
conversations, have those tidbits, have those little insights,
that only they know about or, like, just
those very specific problems,
(09:31):
because probably one of the other people have
dealt with one of those problems and have
found that solution to it. Dave, you you
and I were in Podfest,
a couple of months ago, and
you you really got to kinda experience that
first, you know, first time for, you know,
connecting with people you've been talking to on
the phone or
chatting with via email,
you know, from your perspective having
(09:54):
it for a first time attendee to an
event,
you know, what what was it for you,
you know, because I think this is important
for people that are have never attended an
event maybe to get your perspective.
Yeah.
Yeah. Beforehand,
I I was I was overwhelmed because I
haven't gone to a ton of conferences in
(10:14):
general. And then to go and be representing
the company,
that that was nerve wracking.
But I think the biggest
thing that,
once things got started, once we got the
booth set up,
being able to interact with
actual Blueberry customers that I've answered tickets for,
talked to on the phone, to put a
(10:35):
face to a name and be like, oh,
yeah. We'd you did have that goofy little
issue in PowerPress a couple weeks ago and
or yesterday when I was in between plane
flights or something like that.
Kinda goes back to Erin's point of just,
like,
there's that connection so that
it for for me in my role,
it just kind of reestablishes
(10:56):
this is why I do what I do.
This is why we as a company do
what we do,
because there are some really great people out
there
that,
have a lot of really good
information
that they wanna share.
And it's just really nice to reinforce,
that, you know, we're helping them get that
(11:17):
content out there.
So, yeah, like, we're you know, Todd and
I are going to to podcast show in
London,
in May.
And I'm excited for that because, again, it's
just that reestablishing
connections, meeting new people,
and just seeing how my work affects
what they're doing. It's
(11:38):
Sometimes these events seem like a almost like
a family reunion.
Whether you've ever met these people or not
in person, you know, we deal with them
all the time.
Yeah. And I I saw that a lot,
you know, being with with Todd at Podfest.
You know, I mean,
Todd's a popular guy. I don't know if
everybody knows that, but he's a popular guy.
(12:00):
So just people come in. Oh, Todd. Hey.
Haven't seen you in two, three years or,
you know, we just talked last week or
or something like that. And so I'm excited
to be able to go to more of
these and and really develop those kind of
connections and have have some deeper conversations with
people.
And I think too if, you know, if
someone's considering going to a podcasting event or
(12:23):
any trade show, really,
the the the value
of meeting folks and making relationships
is
at least 50%
of value of going to an event. Now
I think the biggest mistake,
an attendee can make is is being really,
really super shy.
(12:44):
Mhmm. If if you're super, super, super shy
and don't wanna talk to any folks,
you're gonna kinda lose out a little bit
on the value of the event. You're still
gonna get a lot of,
a lot of,
a value out of it. But I would
say if that is your personality, you know,
just make it a goal. Let me talk
(13:05):
to
15 people each day, you know, and and
you say, hi, my name, my show, what
do you do,
and make an effort because,
the perspectives that you're gonna get you're gonna
find that
the challenges that you're having is gonna be
the same exact challenges that other people are
(13:25):
having and you'd be able to share notes
and strategies.
And,
so the networking piece is important. And, of
course, you know, like Mike said earlier,
sometimes the conversations happen to bars and, you
know, people get a few drinks in them
and they're you know, they they kind of
let their guard down a little bit and
and have a good discussion. So,
(13:46):
I used to well, I still call it
holding court when we would hang out in
the bar and just, you know, people would
walk up and talk to you. But I
think at the same time, one thing you
said, Dave, here is sometimes,
I've had people tell me later, I was
afraid to come up and say hello.
Yeah. And I I'm
well, we're all kind of creators here,
(14:07):
to an extent,
and we all really put our pants on
the same way. So,
don't be afraid if you see someone that
you've, you know, that you'd like to talk
to, but you're afraid to talk to. I
feel most of these events, everyone is very
approachable,
and that's what we're there for. So, you
know, if you if you see your your
(14:28):
favorite podcaster or favorite you're you're you know,
if you're a fan of somebody's show, you
know, make sure you go up and say,
hey. I'm a I'm a fan. I've been
listening or I like what you do.
It it really, really goes a long way,
especially for and if you're a new attendee.
And, like Mike said, once you go to
an event a couple of times,
(14:49):
then it is. It's kinda like a family
reunion.
Yeah. And even, you know, even someone that
you would consider
famous, air quotes,
they wouldn't come to these conferences if they
didn't wanna talk to you. So
don't be afraid. Right. Yeah. Yeah. Good point.
I had that issue with with Dave Jackson,
and I mentioned it, in our Podfest,
(15:09):
episode where I was just like, I can't
talk to Dave. He's he's like an idol
in my book. And then, you know, a
couple hours later, we're standing out there just,
you know, shooting the breeze about just random
stuff. And I was like, oh, yeah. He
is a real person.
Very cool.
So yeah. Don't don't be afraid to talk
to people. Now sometimes you you may have
(15:30):
to wait in line, but yeah. Right.
Go ahead, Mackenzie.
I just wanna reiterate or even let people
know that the majority of the time these
conferences nowadays
will record the sessions.
So if you're worried about, you know, I
paid this ticket, and now I'm not learning
anything, and I'm just spending my time, like,
out in the hallway talking to people or
something like that. You're gonna get recordings of
(15:52):
all of those sessions at at least the
majority of these events. Mhmm.
So so if you kinda just, you know,
like, have your day planned out and you're
like, okay. I wanna go to this at
this time and
go to
the go to the Expo Hall at this
time, blah blah blah blah. Like, don't be
afraid to change your,
change your plans
or whoever it is that you run into,
(16:13):
whatever that good conversation is. Yeah. Because, like,
you can get so isolated doing a podcast,
because you are able to just do it
from home. You can do it alone. Like,
you don't have to do this with literally
anyone so that when you actually are at
these events,
yeah, really take take advantage of
of the people in your proximity and
(16:33):
and make that community or, you know, be
excited to meet the community that you already
have online in person, actually.
And a lot of lot of podcasters are
introverts, believe it or not. So, you know
Yes. They are. Going to a conference, turn
it on. You can you can do it
for a week.
You'll be exhausted, but Oh, yeah. You could
do it. In in a good way. Yeah.
Yeah. Absolutely. That's how I feel every time.
(16:56):
It's like drinking from the fire hose. At
Podfest Asia that I'm getting ready
to attend,
the crowd last year was so,
oh, they didn't wanna talk to anybody. You
know? They were they were all about
staying in, and we really had to kinda
because the first event
for Asia, we had to kinda really, like,
draw them in
(17:16):
and ask questions. And so I'm hoping this
year at Podfest Asia that people are a
little more comfortable and willing to ask questions
and not be shy.
And,
you know, we're we're there to share
as much knowledge as we can, and it's
really a full day. It's a big it's
a one day event.
(17:36):
And,
last year after that event, I think I
was more tired from that one day event
than standing in a booth for three days.
But it it was,
it was very exciting because it reminded me
of
the old days, and they're having the same
issues that we've had in years past.
And luckily, we've lived through all that and
(17:58):
able to share,
you know, solutions and ideas.
So this is kinda what I'm looking for,
in Podfest Asia is definitely,
seeing how that that crowd that is gonna
definitely repeat and then grow,
how it has matured
for a second year.
(18:19):
And I and at the same time,
the event was a little bit different in
that, boy, there was just a ton of
VAs
that are working with podcasters in The United
States that were there or Australia.
The actual podcasters themselves were not as numerous.
So it was a lot of editors and,
people that are doing booking and these types
(18:40):
of things. So it's it's,
it'll be interesting how the event grows,
this year from that standpoint. And, again, it's
just a one day event
and,
but they had some some huge heavy hitters
that that made it to the event. So
we'll see how it goes.
So you're going to Podfest Asia in a
(19:03):
little bit.
You and Dave are going to London later.
Last year, you and Kathy went to London,
and you you did a podcast event,
in Riyadh A Couple Years ago. So can
you tell us, like, how you see
or, like, if there's any differences between the
events that happen in The US compared to,
you know, anywhere else or just kinda like
(19:24):
the expansion of conferences
of podcast conferences worldwide? Well, you know, Riyadh
was just a huge eye opener for me
and it was basically the
changing politics in Saudi Arabia.
There was as many women at the conferences
as there were men and I think the
women were more passionate about
creating content than even the guys were.
(19:47):
And
I'm just I wish I could speak Arabic
because I I wanted to listen to all
these stories that were coming
out of a country that has largely not
had
a lot of rights for people to create
content on their own. And
there was a interesting fact, and I may
get this wrong, but, like, 65 or 70%
of the population in Saudi Arabia is made
(20:08):
up of people 35.
So the kingdom has had to make had
to make has had to make changes in
order to,
how should we say it, quell the populace
and allow them to have more freedoms. And,
of course, women there can drive now and
own businesses, and it was quite the eye
opening trip for me. But
(20:29):
here you had these people just absolutely hungry
to create content
and tell their story.
And then you had
Asia
where
it was more like an emerging market and,
you know, there was a little bit of
knowledge, but in the end,
the the business of podcasting
is
(20:50):
about the same as it is in United
States
where London, and maybe Kathy can weigh in,
there's definitely,
a lot of professionals,
radio specifically
doing podcasting. It's more seems more organized.
It doesn't feel as indie in London, although
(21:12):
there was a lot of people that came
through
to talk to us that were thinking about
doing a podcast.
Mhmm.
It definitely had a little bit different vibe,
but
I think that
in the end,
the rules still apply. Everyone's got the ability
(21:34):
now to pull up a microphone and be
heard and tell their story. I don't know,
Cassie, from you being in London, what was
your perspective on the attendees?
Well, like you said, they were all very
professional
and a lot of them had established shows
and,
yeah, they've the way they approached us was
very professional
and,
(21:55):
there and yet still laid back. So London
is a lot more laid back than The
US is. And so they're very down to
earth and,
they just take things a little easier than
we do. And, yeah, it was it was
a it was a different,
kind of audience, but it was very,
very
(22:16):
productive and very interesting. Those the people who
came were very interesting and interested in us,
and so that was great. Yeah. And because
a lot of people didn't know who we
were. They just, you know, it's they have
several podcast companies that are popular in The
UK and the surrounding region.
So for us being there, like, what do
you guys do? Who are you? And they
never really heard of us.
(22:37):
So that was for me was kind of
an eye opener to show,
yeah, here in The United States, you know,
we go to event. We're well known.
You
know, as compared to even being in Asia
where almost everyone,
because of the economic situation, are using some
of the free hosts out there, and then
you start talking about the advantages of being
(22:59):
on a paid host, and it really opens
people's eyes. So,
again, regionally, things are
you know, it's a little bit different, but
in the end, it's all about creators wanting
to be successful.
I noticed the last few
conferences I've been to, we're getting that question
a little more in The US as well.
You know? What do you guys do? You
(23:21):
know? And and there's just always people coming
into the industry and people leaving the industry.
So,
why we have to go to these things
to wave the flag.
I think You know, last year in London
too, we had just released blueberry pie, our
AI,
and,
(23:43):
the participants there were just fascinated by that.
They had you know, nobody else had done
that and they were just really interested in
it. And so that was a big selling
point for us there.
Yeah. And I'm actually gonna be speaking about,
pie, about AI specifically here in Asia.
And I think it'll resonate well,
(24:03):
based upon what we've really learned about
using all these tools over the past year
and how it can improve,
the overall product. You know, still,
what we put on the microphone or what
we put record digitally
is one thing, but then what we present
in metadata,
AI has just made such a huge difference
(24:24):
even for my show. And, you know, I
I kinda laugh because I've always said,
you know, you need great rich show notes,
but yet I'd write a paragraph.
You know,
didn't drink my own Kool Aid. And now
I have,
you know, rich show notes beyond
beyond measure. And, so it's gonna be fun
kinda sharing those,
these lessons learned that we've learned over the
(24:45):
past years. But, you know, I I think
the question I would ask
each of you
and
are these conferences do you think it's worth
it for a podcaster to go to considering
the cost and time? I think you need
to try it.
Choose the one most affordable and convenient for
you.
(25:06):
The one that you think, you know,
you can get the most value out of
but also
actually pay for,
and and go to that one and see
how it goes. But, also,
there are virtual ones.
You know? They're they're definitely,
less now that we're doing everything in person
nowadays, but they do still happen.
(25:28):
And and they still have a price tag
attached to them, but,
really, that one is is you know,
it just depends on on the conference and
how well they do that virtually, but there's
still something that you can get out of
it.
It's it's kind of that mindset thing of
you're like,
if I'm gonna be here, I'm gonna be
here. I'm not just gonna, like, be here
(25:49):
in attendance only and not actually
actively trying to reach your own goals.
Yeah. You get you get out of it
what you kinda put into it too. You
know? Again, just make sure you're,
you know, it's something that's within your budget.
Make sure, you know, that that, you know,
that's all good.
And then just go there and try to
(26:11):
learn stuff,
meet people.
It it definitely
can be worth it.
You know, now some some events are pricing
themselves out of the market for the for
the indie podcaster.
But, you know, just make sure
that if you're gonna do this,
make sure you can afford it, and, and
(26:31):
you will get out of it what you
put into it.
I've been doing podcast for
almost thirteen years now.
And having just gone to Podfest,
I I think I told Todd, and I
was definitely telling my wife. I was like,
man. Like, this got me excited to make
podcasts again. And I wasn't there as a
(26:51):
podcaster.
I was there representing
Blueberry.
But I came home and I was like,
I need to record something just because I
was talking to people,
you know, other podcasters.
Their their passion
reignited my passion. So I think that that's
also a benefit that,
you know, I don't I don't know that
(27:13):
you can really put a price on it,
but, you know, building off of everybody else's
input,
you know,
go to what you can afford. Go digitally
if you need to. But I think in
person is really where it could be at.
I know it will be for me. So
I I'm gonna be looking for stuff that's
a little closer to me that I can
afford,
(27:33):
even if I'm not going there to represent
the company.
And on that note, Dave, like, these, conferences,
they're never in the same city every year.
Like, they travel. They go East Coast. They
go West Coast. So even if you find
one that is far away, it's, like, always
check later that year for another one because
it might be closer and then maybe next
year it might be closer.
(27:53):
So it definitely is, like, something to go
look at the different conferences and see where
they're gonna be that year. And then if
there's not one near you, maybe follow them
because they'll announce where they're gonna be next
year. And if that's closer to you, then
maybe you can go to that one. Right?
You know, one thing I'll say and is
if you if you attend
and,
(28:15):
have a have a bit of a preplan.
Understand
what if if you have a burning question
that's been driving you crazy
and you haven't talked to us during a
one on one, which you can do if
you can get that burning question answered. But,
definitely know what your goal
is
(28:35):
before you arrive.
And when you attend sessions, I this is
the biggest piece of advice I can give
you. You're gonna be drinking from the fire
hose, and
there is going to be probably per session
ten, fifteen, 20 takeaways.
But I would say, you know, have note
note paper and pen
(28:55):
or your laptop or however you wanna take
notes
and
try to have at least one
major
takeaway from a panel.
You know, focus on the one thing that
really kinda struck you that made you wanna
go, oh, wow. I'm gonna do that when
I get home,
because
there will always be at least one thing
(29:16):
that you'll get out of the panel,
that you've that you wanted to attend. And,
again, sometimes you're gonna get twenty, thirty, forty,
and then you get home, you're like,
you know, I've where do I start? So,
you know, try to pick that one thing,
from the panel. Also,
bring some sort of contact tool, whether it
be a business card,
(29:38):
whether it be a QR code, whether it
be a way to to scan to get
your contact information.
I'm still a big believer in business cards.
I bring those home.
I, and we we you know, as a
vendor, we can scan your badge and we
get your contact information. But in the hallway,
I'm not scanning your badge. I'm getting your
card or, you know, you maybe you've got
(29:58):
something for your show,
maybe a sticker or something.
But have a way to be able to
connect and be able to make sure that
when you get home, you're like, I was
talking to that guy,
and what was his name? And
if you have their card, you can go,
oh, yeah. That was John, and I need
(30:19):
to reach out to John. Because I do
the same thing. I talk to
20 people in an evening,
and I'm like,
oh, who is that person? And if I
have some sort of contact information,
at least then I can reach out later.
And I I I think it's,
that is probably the most important piece. And
you may think, business cards are old school,
(30:41):
but they are really effective because what you
can do is you can take someone's business
card, flip it over, and write a note
on the back. Yeah. John's got a,
you know, he's got a travel show, and
he's been doing it for five years, and
he has this idea.
Maybe there's a networking opportunity. You can write
on the back of it, and then when
you get home, you've got that kind of
(31:02):
as a
reminder.
Is there
any other, you know, Mike and
and Mackenzie,
what what others
advice do you get for maximizing your your
conference experience?
Once the expo hall is over,
and we get to whatever party there is
or the bar or whatever,
(31:23):
I just go and talk to people as
a person. I I don't bring up that
I work for Blueberry immediately. I don't ask
them about their podcast. I'm just like, hey.
What's up? I just talked to him as
a person. Like, I'm in a bar
at home on a Wednesday night.
Because I think at that point, like, people
are kinda getting to the point where they're
like, I can't talk about this anymore
(31:45):
or including myself.
But,
also, it's just easier to, you know, kinda
go up to anyone instead of being like,
hi.
Can we do speed dating about podcasting right
now? Like, it's just I I you know,
I we've already we've been here for twelve
hours already.
What's up?
Like, that's what I wanna know. Spend all
(32:05):
spend all day giving elevator pitches and, you
know, you're kinda over it. That's exactly what
I mean. Anybody else have any takeaways about
maximizing your conference experience?
Well, I would just say that, you know,
no matter what conference that you go to,
it is going to expand your horizons.
You're going to,
you know, probably be blown away by the
(32:26):
diversity of, you know, different kind of podcasts.
I mean, we just came from travel con
and we did not know before then that
there are adventure travel podcasts, sustainable travel, culinary
food,
points and miles, you know, podcasts. So, yeah,
it's gonna expand your mind and it's gonna
make room for really
outstanding collaborations
(32:47):
if, you're open to that.
Yeah. I would agree with Kathy because it's
like we didn't need people who were I
wanna do a podcast about this, but I
don't know if anyone's gonna wanna listen. And
I'm like, we've already talked to three people
who that's their podcast. So it's like it's
like people are already listening to that type
type of content.
And then, like, my my advice would be
(33:10):
bringing some type of folder
or some type of bag because
while this is a very digital age, people
are gonna give you paper,
and you need to be able to put
that paper somewhere. And some people, they would
just have to just, like, carrying around, like,
a stack of paper or, like, folding up
and, like, putting them in, like, a tiny
tote bag. And it's, like, you you're gonna
have some kind of materials from this. And
(33:31):
like you said, like, if you have business
cards and just being able to shove all
that into one reciprocal
and then going home or going back to
your hotel and, like, laying it out and
be like, okay. What do I want? What
do I need? What do I say? Just
because, like Todd said, like, you're talking to
a bunch of people. You're going to a
bunch of different,
conversations, a bunch of different sessions. There's always
gonna be a bunch of different booths. Like,
(33:53):
it's gonna be hard for you to remember.
You know, it's just so much cognitive
overload that's gonna happen at first that it's
like, okay. Once you're back at your hotel
room, you'd be like, okay. I got this
card from this person. I got this flyer
from this spoof. Like, this is useful. Like,
this one's not. Like and so, like, taking
so, like, making sure you have some kind
of receptacle to carry all that stuff in
is definitely gonna help you from, you know,
(34:14):
keeping it and not, like, leaving it somewhere,
later throughout the day. Sometimes I take a
selfie with the person or their booth
because
I'm horrible.
I'm really horrible about putting faces to names
later.
So for me, if I have their card
and I have a selfie, I just oh,
yeah. I remember. And then it helps me
(34:36):
with that,
you know, that reconnect.
So that's what I often do myself is
take a selfie or or take a picture
of their booth before I leave so I
can remember more on but if you're one
of these people who have a photographic memory
and you can remember every person you talk
to, you know, Bless you because that is
not me.
(34:57):
You know, and I it's it's like people
I've talked to for years, sometimes I have
to look at their badge. Oh, yeah. That's
Tony.
It's it's horrible, but, you know, some people
are better at it than others. So,
don't be afraid to look at their badge
if you don't remember their name or want
to know their name. That's the good thing
about conferences as well. Everyone's got a badge
with their name on it. I'll give one
(35:18):
last piece of advice for that is,
bring liquid IV, comfortable shoes,
and,
maybe a granola bar. I've been to,
like,
70 plus podcast conferences and,
you know, a couple dozen music festivals that
will keep you alive. I promise you.
Especially gonna say the exact same thing. It'll
(35:40):
happen now. Yeah. We we we all wear
tennis shoes at these events,
just because your feet are gonna hurt by
the end of the day. You've been standing
on a very thin carpet with a concrete
floor underneath you and, you know,
you you sit down in your room and
your feet go.
So, yeah, comfortable shoes is good. So let's
talk about some takeaways here.
(36:01):
I've always thought that going to a trade
show is a great way to build your
business.
It can be a real game changer for
you because you're gonna make connections.
You may have business opportunities
that come to light. Maybe there's a network
option.
You just never know what's gonna come out
of an event.
Oftentimes,
(36:22):
someone will come up to me and
they'll start talking and I'll be like, okay.
Say that again
because
I wanna really pay attention to what they're
saying. And then all of a sudden, like,
oh my god. We'd have to have a
call
after the show.
And
so you just never know what's gonna happen
to grow your business.
(36:42):
Also a tax write off. You can pay
for this with your business. That's true.
If you're trying to figure out how to
afford it, that is how. Yeah. That'll make
your partner happy, especially if you're you're doing
this as a hobby or you're just getting
started and you're not making a lot of
money.
Yes. It is a it is a nice
tax write off and a completely legal one
(37:02):
for sure. Airfare, hotel, food,
the whole nine yards. Of course, check with
your tax accountant. But, again, you can virtually
write everything off from door to door.
Any other takeaways?
No. I'm just soaking it all up like
a sponge so I'm ready when London comes
around.
Okay. What else do we have this year?
We have Podcast Movement,
(37:22):
the big one in Dallas in August. Mhmm.
And I think we're kinda undecided
for the for the rest of the year.
Yeah. There might be one in Vegas at
the end of the year, but we're Mhmm.
We're determining.
So Yeah. But is our conference that any
of you that are listening go to that
you think we should go?
(37:43):
Is there something in your genre of content?
Because that's what I did when I started
doing my show. I went to I well,
this is the first year I didn't go
in many years, but I go to the
CES show as a tech maven. You go
there and soak up all the tech gear
for a for techie.
Is there a trade show that you go
to that you think we should go to
to
(38:04):
represent podcasting and share the,
I guess, the gospel of podcasting? Kind of
a weird way to say it, but, you
know, this is essentially what we do.
No. A lot of these conferences are, you
know, whatever genre, there's always gonna be some
sort of content creators. So,
definitely, if you go, let us know. We
might go.
(38:25):
Yeah. I would say,
BinCon is coming up in September, and I
don't know that we'll be able to go
to that. But that's a nice business
niche
for business podcasters,
who are looking to expand their shows or,
knowledge on it. So
Bin Khan for a first time attendee,
drink lots of water,
(38:46):
be prepared,
that would be one that you will not
get much sleep from. It's a it's a
massive conference,
and they
keep you very, very busy the entire time
for sure.
But are you attending a podcast conference this
year? Which one are you most excited about?
Let us know.
And, of course, we we will feature your
(39:08):
thoughts in a future episode if you let
us know. It's very easy to do so.
Contact information
is in the show notes and in the
outro.
Any other thoughts from the team here? Looking
forward to seeing people in Chicago.
Have fun.
Yeah. And if you're coming to London, make
sure you stop by the booth. We're gonna
have some very, very cool giveaways.
(39:29):
Stop by and say hello to Dave and
I, and tell us where we should go
to eat.
Yes.
Food is important. That's all I've been looking
at. Are we going to a podcast conference,
or are we just going to London to
eat? Because that's what my search history shows.
Well, I tell you, I Hey. You know
what? One more practical thing. If you're,
(39:49):
if you're running a booth at a at
a conference,
probably doesn't apply to very many people,
when you can get lunch, get lunch.
Get lunch. Otherwise, you'll starve.
Yeah. That's exactly the truth.
Eat a big breakfast. Speaking
speaking of food, it was so funny. We
had, like, someone, like, just run over to
our boob and was like, I'm sorry. Could
(40:10):
I get one of your stickers? My son
loves blueberries.
Yeah. Because I took, like, one of our
holographic logos because he was like, he just
love blueberries. He's gonna love this. So definitely
having some fun since we're going back to
the booth thing, having some fun stickers,
having something,
that people can easily, like, take away as,
like, a almost like a souvenir,
(40:32):
it would also be, like, you know, a
great way to be memorable by that person.
Yeah. The pens were a hit.
The pens were a hit.
The swag is always good, so go swag
hunting when you go to events
for sure.
Well, from Mike, Kathy,
Mackenzie, Aaron, and Dave,
thank you all for listening to Podcast Insider,
(40:52):
and, we look forward
to seeing you at an upcoming podcasting event
or hearing where you went
and what you learned. So thank you so
much for, hanging out with us. Thanks, everyone.
Thanks, Al. Yeah. Thanks. Thank you.
Thanks for joining us. Come back next week.
And in the meantime,
head to podcastinsider.com
for more information.
(41:12):
To subscribe, share, and read our show notes,
check out the latest suite of services and
learn how Blueberry
can help you leverage your podcast, visit blueberry.com.
That's Blueberry without the e's because we can't
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