Looking Back at PodCon 2
Feb 20, 2019
We can’t believe it’s been a month since PodCon 2 in Seattle. Perhaps it’s time for our take on this new convention!
Seattle can be a somewhat expensive destination, so is PodCon 2 the con for you? Hopefully, our experiences can help you decide when tickets go on sale for PodCon 3!
PodCon is unlike most conventions the Tabletop Potluck team has been to. The location was small and centralized and the convention only lasted 2 days. Unlike many catch-all conventions with a wide variety of topics covered, PodCon only focuses on podcasts.
Our very own Ray Goldberg spoke on a panel discussing Collaborative Storytelling in podcasting with Eric Silver (Join the Party), Arnie Niekamp (Hello from the Magic Tavern), Victoria Rogers (Broadswords), Celeste Conowitch (Venture Maidens), and Griffin McElroy (The Adventure Zone). Eric Silver likened DMing as building a house for his friends to come in a decorate and make feel lived in. A house isn’t a home without a party. Griffin McElroy mentioned how trust is important in collaborative storytelling which is why he started the Adventure Zone with the people he trusts the most, his family. Celeste Conowitch also cited trust as she live-streams with her party, and the joy of living in the moment- though the rest of the panel was astounded at her tenacity in doing so. Overall, it was a wonderful time and a great opportunity to work with other actual-play podcasters we admire.
Pros:
-A great way to possibly meet big podcasters you love and see some interesting live shows
-Wonderful meetups for different groups and fans of shows
-Very warm atmosphere
-There was a quiet room for whenever the con got to be too much for you, but it really should have been made more obvious to everyone
-Small venue size means it’s very manageable
Cons:
- There were some rough scheduling issues leading up to PodCon. It’s hard enough packing in so many panels into only two days, and we would have liked to have had the schedule finalized much earlier than it was for PodCon 2.
- This year they decided to go with wristbands instead of badges. The choice made podcasters lose a perfect, visible spot for their business cards.
-It would be great if PodCon showed more support for indie podcasts and included a more diverse panel of featured guests. (Also, pay your speakers, PodCon! They do SO MUCH work for nothing)
-But really, let’s get more than 2 days for this thing! It was impossible to see everything you wanted to.
-There were no physical copies of the schedule available. While going green is appreciated, the convention center has almost no cell service, signal, or wi-fi and it’s therefore unreliable when you’re trying to get the app to load your itinerary.
-We were so sad to see the Actual-Play podcast meetup taken away this year. So many featured speakers were part of actual-play podcasts, so this was a really surprising loss.
Takeaways and Highlights:
“The Multitude workshops were so incredibly helpful for anyone interested in starting a podcast or improving their pre-existing creations. Everything seemed so manageable, and Amanda was a dream of a presenter. They also put all of the information on the Multitude website for anyone!
The Spirits Live show was thoroughly enjoyable and Lisette Alvarez was a fantastic guest. It’s a shame this was scheduled at the same time as MBMBAM, because it deserved a bigger space with more viewers.
An Evening with Audio Drama Creators. This wasn’t an event that was organized by PodCon. Ada’s Lab was kind enough to welcome a large group of Indi Audio Drama creators for a night of stories, advice, and mutual love. Many tears were shed (for the best reasons) into delicious, podcast-themed cocktails.” -Megan
“All in all, PodCon is a special con because of the vibe. Everyone seemed to enjoy each other’s company for the weekend, all united by a shared interest- especially creators. It’s a highly curated experience, which I count as a good thing. PodCon 2 had a LOT to live up to- PodCon 1 is my favorite con I’ve ever been to. It didn’t surpass the experience of the original, but it still was a damn good con.” -Charlotte
“The Opening Show: I would watch a Symphony Sanders & Simone de Rochefort talk show all day every day.
Finding the Universal in the Diverse: It was incredibly cathartic hearing creators of color talk about their experiences, and now I’ve got a heck of a lot of new podcasts to listen to (but that’s the mantra of the whole weekend, isn’t it?).
Transgender Representation in Audio Drama: All the panelists were lovely and thoughtful and vulnerable, and I want to give a special shout-out to Micah Rollins for their skillful and insightful moderation.
The Fiction Podcast Meetup: Podcon needs a whole lot more excuses for creators of all exposure levels to hang out and incite collaborations.
Managing Your Party- Collaborative Storytelling in Podcasts: I may be biased, but I absolutely loved this panel. Thanks again to all my wonderful co-panelists <3” -Ray
“I loved the many shows I was introduced to including programs made through Multitude and the Whisperforge and trying out new shows thanks to live shows. Welcome to the Party Pod, Caravan, and Pump Up the Jam were specific examples of cool new shows for me. However, the best part of the con was definitely meeting new people outside of the panels and meetups! Modly, PodCon is more of a way to meet up with people in the industry in one place and I wish the con did more to support that than meetups with an amorphous meetup area.” -Marquez
“The opening and closing shows were entertaining. I enjoyed the live shows of MBMBaM and Hello From the Magic Tavern. The Transgender Representation in Audio Drama panel was insanely inspiring, as was Finding the Universal in the Diverse. I also had fun at the meetups I attended, which were a great way to make new friends and network. And of course, Managing Your Party was awesome for obvious reasons.” -Noa
Would we go back to PodCon 3? A lot of us say yes. Whether or not the official event itself had some hiccups, the people at PodCon are what make it special. As long as podcasters meet together, PodCon can be an enjoyable experience for those who create and listen to podcasts.
Maybe we’ll see you next year,
The Tabletop Potluck Team