Episode 103
The Conference Show
August 25, 2017 · Mike Murphy
EP103: THE CONFERENCE SHOW Today is Part 1 of 2 episodes about attending the biggest podcasting industry conference, Podcast Movement. Episode Summary: My pre-conference goals, expectations, reasons for attending and strategies and plan of attack.
Episode Summary: Part 1 of 2 on attending Podcast Movement, the biggest conference in podcasting — pre-conference goals, expectations, budget, and the game plan for getting the most out of it.
What You’ll Learn
- What Podcast Movement is and the real cost of attending (roughly $2,000 all-in)
- The 5 goals driving Mike’s first Podcast Movement: networking, clarity, education, inspiration, and fun
- A concrete networking strategy for conferences, business cards and elevator pitch included
- Why “watch, observe, ask questions” is the strategy for gaining business clarity at an event
This episode covers the pre-conference goals, expectations, and plan of attack for Podcast Movement, held in Anaheim, California, August 22–25, 2017. Episode 104 picks up afterward with the actual experience and takeaways.
What Is Podcast Movement?
A 4-year-old conference that started as a Kickstarter campaign, held this year in Anaheim from Tuesday, August 22 through Friday, August 25, 2017.
The Investment
- Conference ticket: $250
- Hotel: $189/night × 4 nights
- Airfare: $400
- Per diem: $100
- Total: roughly $2,000
Goals & Mindset
Five things going into the trip: networking, clarity, knowledge and education, inspiration and creativity, and travel/fun/social interaction.
Networking. By definition, interacting with others to exchange information and build contacts, especially to further a career or business. The plan: meet vendors, sponsors, podcasters, online friends, and listeners face to face — armed with uniquely designed business cards and a practiced elevator pitch (who am I, what do I do, who do I help). Listening matters as much as talking, so a set of genuine questions was prepared in advance to get people to open up.
Clarity. Looking for direction on the business by watching, observing, listening, and asking a lot of questions — what are other people doing right that could translate here?
Knowledge & education. A genuine tech nerd’s approach: attend a mix of sessions, workshops, and vendor conversations to pick up new tools, gear, and techniques.
Inspiration & creativity. Attending to recharge and refresh the creative tank — the strategy is simple: seek out people with similar skills and interests, and repeat.
Travel/fun/social interaction. A genuine love of travel and exploring, plus the appeal of spending time around a crowd of fellow podcasters and creative people.
Final Thoughts
Heading to Podcast Movement 2017 to learn, create, and move forward. Wish me luck.