Sign up to save your podcasts
Or
Share The Audacity to Podcast: Avoid These Mistakes If You Go to Events – TAP321
Share to email
Share to Facebook
Share to X
Share to email
Share to Facebook
Share to X
Or
The Audacity to Podcast: Avoid These Mistakes If You Go to Events – TAP321
Attending events relevant or beneficial to your podcast can hold exciting opportunities—unless you make these mistakes.
I also recommend you listen to “How to Get the Most from Podcasting and Social-Media Conferences” (https://theaudacitytopodcast.com/how-to-get-the-most-from-podcasting-and-social-media-conferences-tap229/) (episode 229) and “9 Tips for How to Grow Your Audience by Attending Social-Media Events” (https://theaudacitytopodcast.com/tap054-9-tips-for-how-to-grow-your-audience-by-attending-social-media-events/) (episode 54).
Going without a plan
You may be tempted to wait until you're at the event to go with your feelings on decisions, but this often leads to missing important things.
If you have people you want to meet, sessions you want to attend, or other things you want to do, you'll be far more likely to accomplish them all if you make a plan before the event.
Committing or trying to do too much
Even with a plan, it can be easy to overcommit yourself at an event. Schedules need margin for each event to account for travel, traffic, overtime, physical needs, and any other kind of delay or extension.
At Podcast Movement (https://theaudacitytopodcast.com/podcastmovement) 2017, I wanted to record audio interviews for a podcast episode and record video testimonials from Podcasters' Society (https://theaudacitytopodcast.com/podcasterssociety) members. Neither of these actually happened because I didn't have a plan and even if I did, I was trying to cram too many things into an already tight schedule with other commitments.
Neglecting your body's needs
Events can be rough on your body. There's the stress of travel, the potential shift in time zones, probably less sleep, a lot of talking, contact with germ-carrying creatures (often called “other humans attending the event”), and the adrenaline rush that can distract you from what your body needs.
Podcast Movement (https://theaudacitytopodcast.com/podcastmovement) 2017 was right after I had a weird tonsil issue, so my throat was still sensitive and I was prone to frequent coughing. So I needed to hydrate with a lot of water. Consequently, this also meant I had to use the restroom quite frequently. Neglecting either of these physical need would have put me in greater discomfort and reduced health.
Listen to my hilariously embarrassing story of when I neglected my body's needs at a CES (https://cleancomedypodcast.com/well-hydrated-the-ramen-noodle-205/).
Investing in the wrong places
I want to make this point with my own experience, which could be completely different from your own results.
At this point, I have very little booth and sponsoring experience with conferences: I've had a booth at two Podcast Movements. But what I'm about to share is more a reflection on me, my business, and what I have to offer. So this is not about the potential value of sponsoring in general, or of sponsoring Podcast Movement (https://theaudacitytopodcast.com/podcastmovement).
That said, I now realize it was a mistake for me to sponsor with a booth at Podcast Movement (https://theaudacitytopodcast.com/podcastmovement). This is because I realized it's not a good fit for me. I think the advertised cost for my little kiosk was $1,800. Add to that the expense of getting banners made and my investment was a little over $2,000.
I loved having a place where people knew they could almost always find me. But it became more of a burden that meant I had to be there almost the entire time.
At least this year, I had fellow Podcasters' Society (https://theaudacitytopodcast.com/podcasterssociety) expert Erik K. Johnson (also host of The Podcast Talent Coach and cohost of Podcast Review Show) helping me with the booth, and that was a wonderful relief when I needed a break or it was time for my session. And Erik did a great job representing Podcasters' Society (https://theaudacitytopodcast.com/podcasterssociety) and My Podcast Reviews (https://theaudacitytopodcast.com/mpr).
View all episodes
Attending events relevant or beneficial to your podcast can hold exciting opportunities—unless you make these mistakes.
I also recommend you listen to “How to Get the Most from Podcasting and Social-Media Conferences” (https://theaudacitytopodcast.com/how-to-get-the-most-from-podcasting-and-social-media-conferences-tap229/) (episode 229) and “9 Tips for How to Grow Your Audience by Attending Social-Media Events” (https://theaudacitytopodcast.com/tap054-9-tips-for-how-to-grow-your-audience-by-attending-social-media-events/) (episode 54).
Going without a plan
You may be tempted to wait until you're at the event to go with your feelings on decisions, but this often leads to missing important things.
If you have people you want to meet, sessions you want to attend, or other things you want to do, you'll be far more likely to accomplish them all if you make a plan before the event.
Committing or trying to do too much
Even with a plan, it can be easy to overcommit yourself at an event. Schedules need margin for each event to account for travel, traffic, overtime, physical needs, and any other kind of delay or extension.
At Podcast Movement (https://theaudacitytopodcast.com/podcastmovement) 2017, I wanted to record audio interviews for a podcast episode and record video testimonials from Podcasters' Society (https://theaudacitytopodcast.com/podcasterssociety) members. Neither of these actually happened because I didn't have a plan and even if I did, I was trying to cram too many things into an already tight schedule with other commitments.
Neglecting your body's needs
Events can be rough on your body. There's the stress of travel, the potential shift in time zones, probably less sleep, a lot of talking, contact with germ-carrying creatures (often called “other humans attending the event”), and the adrenaline rush that can distract you from what your body needs.
Podcast Movement (https://theaudacitytopodcast.com/podcastmovement) 2017 was right after I had a weird tonsil issue, so my throat was still sensitive and I was prone to frequent coughing. So I needed to hydrate with a lot of water. Consequently, this also meant I had to use the restroom quite frequently. Neglecting either of these physical need would have put me in greater discomfort and reduced health.
Listen to my hilariously embarrassing story of when I neglected my body's needs at a CES (https://cleancomedypodcast.com/well-hydrated-the-ramen-noodle-205/).
Investing in the wrong places
I want to make this point with my own experience, which could be completely different from your own results.
At this point, I have very little booth and sponsoring experience with conferences: I've had a booth at two Podcast Movements. But what I'm about to share is more a reflection on me, my business, and what I have to offer. So this is not about the potential value of sponsoring in general, or of sponsoring Podcast Movement (https://theaudacitytopodcast.com/podcastmovement).
That said, I now realize it was a mistake for me to sponsor with a booth at Podcast Movement (https://theaudacitytopodcast.com/podcastmovement). This is because I realized it's not a good fit for me. I think the advertised cost for my little kiosk was $1,800. Add to that the expense of getting banners made and my investment was a little over $2,000.
I loved having a place where people knew they could almost always find me. But it became more of a burden that meant I had to be there almost the entire time.
At least this year, I had fellow Podcasters' Society (https://theaudacitytopodcast.com/podcasterssociety) expert Erik K. Johnson (also host of The Podcast Talent Coach and cohost of Podcast Review Show) helping me with the booth, and that was a wonderful relief when I needed a break or it was time for my session. And Erik did a great job representing Podcasters' Society (https://theaudacitytopodcast.com/podcasterssociety) and My Podcast Reviews (https://theaudacitytopodcast.com/mpr).