Episode 78
The PodFest 2017 Show
March 3, 2017 · Mike Murphy
Ep78: The PodFest 2017 Show What is The Podfest Multimedia Expo? Episode Summary: Why did I attend? What did I learn? What tips do I have for your next event or conference?
Episode Summary: A recap of Podfest Multimedia Expo 2017 — why the reason for attending shifted from year one to year two, 4 real takeaways, and a full conference survival kit for anyone attending their own next event.
What You’ll Learn
- What Podfest Multimedia Expo is and how the reason for attending shifted year over year
- 4 real takeaways from Podfest 2017: networking, listening, vendors, and audience awareness
- A full conference survival kit and pre/during/after checklist
- Why “what’s obvious to you is amazing to others” matters for content creators specifically
What Is Podfest Multimedia Expo?
An educational and training conference for independent podcasters, created by Chris and Katie Krimitsos. Per Podfest’s own description: “the conference for podcasters, digital influencers and changemakers who want to grow their brand and audience and maximize their income.”
2017 details: February 22–25, 2017, $249 early bird, at the Caribe Royale Hotel in Orlando, FL ($180/night). Schedule ran classes and workshops 8am–5pm, with meet-and-greets running late into the evening.
Why Attend?
Year 1 (2016): learning audio production and how to grow the podcast, plus getting a face and brand in front of the community. (See Episode 27 for the full 2016 reflection.)
Year 2 (2017): the focus shifted to Mike Murphy LLC as a business. For anyone on a similar path — building something of their own — these events are a goldmine of inspiration and ideas. The biggest ongoing struggle: charging others for knowledge and expertise. Mantra: just keep creating and doing the work. It will happen.
Takeaways From Podfest 2017
- The power of networking. Meeting people face to face beats social media relationships by a wide margin.
- Listen and observe more than you talk. Make conversations about genuine interest in the other person — they’ll stay more engaged and more willing to help.
- Don’t forget the vendors. They represent brands actively marketing to the podcast community — a good connection can lead to sponsorships, product demos, or affiliate introductions.
- You never know who’s listening. True of the podcast, the blog, the Medium articles, the tutorials — repeated often because it’s repeatedly proven true.
“What’s obvious to you is amazing to others.” — Derek Sivers
Even without much visible engagement or feedback, people are tuning in — showing up and delivering the best content possible matters regardless of the metrics in front of you.
Conference Tips
Pre-event: be active and kind in the event’s Facebook group so people want to meet in person, research who specializes in what to have meaningful conversations ready, get clear on the goal for attending, plan what to say to key people, look for common ground as an icebreaker, and expect early mornings and long days.
During the event — survival kit: a warm jacket or sweatshirt (conference halls run cold), snacks like nuts and fruit, plenty of water, chapstick, Emerge-C or Throat Coat to protect the voice, a phone charger and external battery, and plenty of business cards.
After the event: follow up with everyone promised a follow-up, send thank-yous by email or social, and log collected business cards into Google Contacts (or a CRM) with notes — including the event name itself, so it’s searchable later.
Resource: Conferencetopia by Michael O’Neal — a solid free 3-video course on getting the most out of conferences.
Next Podcast Event
Podcast Movement, August 23–25, 2017, in Anaheim, CA — covered later in Episode 103 and Episode 104.