In this week's episode of The Podcast Trapper, I'm asking an important question: Do you still want to attend podcast conferences?!

Today we’re facing this question head-on and asking ourselves what value they offer, why they create connections in marginalized communities and how we can reimagine conference hosting if we decide to do so.

I discuss the role race plays in podcast conference funding (predominantly white podcast conferences have not been getting canceled, just saying…) and shining a spotlight on the fact that funding is drying up, big time.

In this episode, we’ll talk about podcast conferences and what role they play. After you check it out, be sure to let me know what you think by shooting me an email at support@adodemedia.com.

Podcast conferences are being canceled.

You’ve seen it,  I’ve seen it - left and right, podcast conferences are being canceled.

What a mess.

Refunded tickets, dashed hopes and annoyed consumers abound. It’s unfortunate, and I want to talk about it because I have some solutions to share! But in the meantime, let’s discuss the issue at hand.

As a Black creator and Founder of Blk Pod Collective, I see this as a concerning shift away from live events. But what’s less clear is why it’s happening, and what course of action we should take.

Let’s get into it…

What is the cause of this decline in podcast conferences?

I’ve been puzzling over this question for a little while now. I have some ideas about why this might be happening.

Firstly, we’re entering a recession. During times of financial uncertainty, people don’t make decisive choices about live events. My questions are: Are people just unable to buy tickets or afford travel right now? Or are they not compelled enough by the actual value these events bring? It may be that the benefits of live events are not being recognized and are being overshadowed by the state of the economy.

It’s important that consumers see a return on their investment. I would love to hear from you - what value have you received from attending live podcasting events in the past? Was it worth your time and money or not? What made it a great investment or a bad investment? What tips the scale in favor of going? More than anything, I’d love to know what would incentivize you to attend a podcast conference at this point. What would add value and make you decide to buy a ticket?

I also want to state the obvious - Black creators seem to always wait until the last minute to purchase event tickets. Am I right? I know I speak from personal experience, but that is in fact a trend I am seeing in our own community. We have a lot going on, and frequently put  off our buying decisions until the last second.

There is another potential reason: Loss of funding for BIPOC projects and events. Large, commercial, majority-white podcast conferences aren’t being canceled, and they usually seem to have plenty of funding. In stark contrast, we saw an influx of financial support for the Black and entire BIPOC community in the early days of 2020 - but it has been in decline since.

Especially in recent months, we’re seeing a dramatic decrease in the money brands are investing in creators of color. To me this communicates that their efforts were temporary and performative, and I’d love to hear your thoughts on whether you agree. We all know that funding and sponsorship from brands makes podcast conferences possible, so this stands out to me as a possible reason. There is some evidence to support this. Events like CultureCon have done really well - and despite being primarily geared towards Black people, it is inclusive of everyone, and not overly segmented. Since podcasting is changing, this might just be a pivot we will have to make.

How can we reimagine podcast conferences?

All of the canceled conferences and the stressed-out hosts tell us something important: What we’re doing is not working, and we can do it better! When people wait until the last minute to purchase conference tickets, event hosts are putting a lot on the line. It creates an incredible amount of stress for them, wondering if their community will show up.

Not only is this stressful emotionally, but hosts are often investing a lot of their own money and time to produce these events. With zero guarantee that their community will show up, it’s a risk that many hosts are opting not to take. Now, don’t get me wrong - our community members do not owe us anything! But if they are in fact interested in attending, there are some ways to get them to commit.

We need to pivot podcast conferences and make them more sustainable financially. The first method is to have paid waitlists. In this scenario, hopeful event goers would essentially put down a small deposit to hold their spot. Once attendance on the waitlist reaches a certain point, the event will be fully scheduled and vendors can be hired and swag bags can be purchased for attendees. The event will proceed as planned.

If not enough interest is generated, the event will be dissolved and refunds will be issued automatically. No mess, no stress, no last-minute canceled conference.

Another method is to host conferenced virtually. For me, this detracts from the actual value of going to the events! There is something about connecting with other creators live and in-person that is especially inspiring! Yes, I know it saves money and travel time - but I wonder if we reap the same value from virtual conferences? If you’ve attended one, please speak up and let me know.

Lastly, we can ask the questions, like I’m doing right now!

When in doubt, I turn to my community for valuable feedback on what is working for them, or what isn’t.

I am asking you:

• Do you still want podcast conferences?

• What makes a conference a valuable investment to you?

If you have a response, feel free to shoot me an email at support@adodemedia.com. I would love to hear from you.

That’s all for today’s episode!

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