🎟️Your Podcast Event Planning Guide for 2025
Not just a list of events, but how to get the most out of your time
Looking to find more work, more visibility, more name recognition, more networking, and more education in the podcasting space? Podcast events might be the best next step for you in your audio career. Events aren’t always for everyone – they can be cost-prohibitive, on top of travel and in-person events being inaccessible for plenty of creators for plenty of reasons. If you’re someone who can go, we recommend that you do!
If you’re already familiar with the typical slate of annual podcast events, you might be missing some ways you could be getting even more out of the experience! This guide is less a 101 on the slate, and more a deep dive into how to get the best bang for your buck.
🎪An event overview
There’s plenty of sites out there that list every single event happening every single year – we’re a big fan of this list on Podnews, especially since it immediately shows which events are virtual or in-person, and which events are free.
Let’s break down the different types of events you can find in podcasting.
The Big Conferences: Podcast Movement, On Air, PodFest
These are events with panels, workshops, keynotes, and other public speaking events from industry experts. You might find a rogue live show or two, but mostly, you’ll be here to learn. These events are great for education and for networking – they’re where you’ll find other podcasters looking to take themselves seriously, and who are often looking for marketing partners in the podcast space.
We want to especially highlight Resonate, which is similar to the previously mentioned events, but with a much stronger focus on content, craft, and artistry than business and networking. The dates for 2025 haven’t been announced yet, but keep your eyes peeled for tickets to go on sale in July; they go FAST.
The Festivals and Awards: The Signal Awards, The Ambies, The Podcast Show
These events are focused on highlighting and celebrating the best of the best in podcasting. Typically, these events have a strong presence of creators whose shows are part of the annual selection – which means they can be great places to go and find not just your next favorite podcast, but your new friends in the podcast space who are making something beautiful. These events are great for networking and inspiration.
Here, we want to highlight the NJ Web Fest, an annual festival for webseries, pilots, short films, trailers, scripts, music videos, and audio fiction projects. Fiction podcasts, this is such a great place to be celebrated and find collaborators!
The Meetups
Meetup events are often driven by something in common besides just being podcast creators. There’s local meetup groups where you can meet your local, in-person podcasting community (PHX Podcast Club, I miss you!). There are demographic-based events like next week’s Latinas in Podcasting and WOC Podcasters meetup in Chicago, or the upcoming virtual and free Business and Podcasting Networking Event For Female Entrepreneurs. Keep an eye out for local events near you! These are great for education and networking.
The Live Shows
Live podcast shows are SO UNDERRATED. Not only are these great events for inspiration, they can also be huge insights for one of the secret revenue streams here in audio. Events, if you have the audience, can be a great way to monetize – and these events show you how and why, on top of being really fun. Mike Schubert frequently tours for podcasts like The Newest Olympian, as do the McElroy family with shows like My Brother, My Brother and Me.
💼 How to get the most out of your event time
Now that you have a better idea of which events to attend to and why, let’s go over some of my favorite tips for getting the most out of your time! These tips are mostly for the big conferences, but pick and choose – plenty can apply for all event types.
Pack business cards. Seriously. I’ve never given out more business cards in my life than at these events. Make sure they include a listen link and/or QR code! Include ways to get in contact with you after the event, too.
Pack comfy shoes. If you’re going to one of the bigger events, you’re probably going to be walking about a lot. See also: water bottles! Stay hydrated!
Get ready to act like an extrovert. To make the most of these events, you’re probably going to have to be the one to initiate conversation and make new friends. If everyone else is shy, being the person who isn’t is the best way to make new connections – even if it might not come naturally. Realtalk: fake it til you make it. Don’t forget that everyone is probably feeling the same as you!
Take quality notes. Bring a notebook or, if you’re like me, literally live tweet/post/etc. each part of the event as you go (look back at that Resonate post linked above for an example). It can be easy to get swept up into Event Energy™️and let things fly by without time for you to really learn and process.
Go to the “boring” shit. The best talks at events like Podcast Movement are always the ones that seem like they might be boring: talks on legal and talks on data. These sessions are always absolutely invaluable. If you want to actually grow your podcast into a business, you cannot miss the sessions that are things you actually need to know to do it. And they’re always more fun than you’d expect!
And actually – make sure you’re, like, going to events. If you paid for the ticket, why are you chilling in your hotel room if you don’t have to? It’s important to decompress, and I am acutely aware of needing to take breaks especially if you’re disabled. Otherwise, though, try to see as much per day as you can. You never know when you’ll find something new and fascinating to inspire you.
Be humble. No matter how big and famous and cool and special your podcast is, always remember that you are no better than anyone else in the room. Come expecting to learn from everyone you meet. Give people your attention no matter the size of their following. Do NOT publicly shittalk anyone else at the event – you never know who will be listening (I personally have a list of podcasters I refuse to work with or promote because I’ve overheard them doing this at events). Not only is this the kind and, frankly, honest way to engage with your community, it’ll also ensure your mind is open to tips and tricks you might have missed if you came in cocky.
✨ More Magic
CANARDIAN IS BACK!!! Omg, we’re so excited for the Season 2 return of this “[celebration] the weird and wonderful Canadian identity.” Listen to host Kattie Laur of Pod the North talk gossip about Canadian hometowns with other podcasters on April 7th – or early for a LIVE YouTube premier the night before!
Speaking of events! Time: You Don’t Have Enough with Brigid Reale & Lynn Norris looks like such an important event for voice actors out there. Learn how you can use tools and tricks to better manage your time! Sliding scale tickets starting at $10, free for all NAVA members!
Lovinggggggggg Courney Kocak’s ongoing Podcast Curious to Podcast Pro in Just Six Months course over at Podcast Bestie – and this recent edition on your podcast’s budget is mandatory reading!
🎧 From the Desk of Tink
Balancing the Future is all about sustainable technology. How can tech help, instead of hinder, the Earth and our lives? From alternatives to the meat industry to blood tests for breast cancer screening, this podcast mixes science with fascinating narratives that help paint a brighter future through tech.
And introducing our next special series……🥁🥁🥁…… next month is QUALITY MONTH here at PMM! Let’s get good!!!
– Wil🦇
Thanks so much for highlighting our upcoming meetup in Chicago, Wil!! 💗💗💗
If folks are in Toronto and want to hear celebrated Irish-Canadian author Emma Donoghue speak with the Reframeables Podcast for a live recording follow along with our substack (or any Reframeables socials) for more details. June 8th!!