Event organiser SME London managing director Tim Etchells said there are plans to expand The Podcast Show London into locations such as Sydney, New York and Berlin.
Speaking to Mash Media during day one of the show at the Business Design Centre (BDC), in Islington, London, Etchells said there are plans to launch a convention with a ‘Confex model’ featuring seminar-led content alongside exhibition stands. He said the plan is to launch at locations which are similarly strong media hubs as London.
The second edition of the Podcast Show London took place from 24-25 May, with over 3,000 people from over 40 countries in attendance and 95% of floor space filled.
The event, described by organisers as a ‘business festival’, is the brainchild of GetOnMedia managing director Jason Carter – formerly head of events at BBC Radio – who began working with Etchells on the show in 2019.
Etchells said one of the main advantages of the show is the strength of both the exhibition content and the 150-strong seminar content. This year once again featured big names including Katherine Ryan, Katie Price, Russell Tovey, Giovanna Fletcher and Alice Levine, along with partners such as Acast, BBC Sounds, Amazon Music and Spotify.
Reflecting on this year’s event, Etchells said: “It’s made the quantum leap that we expected – we’ve got more exhibitors and even bigger brands. It’s positive to see the increase in investment that these brands have made. They’ve really upped their game in terms of engagement with the audience.”
Etchells told Mash Media last year that it took him a while to get his head around Carter’s idea of a business festival, but once he did, he realised “the time was right to change”.
“Jason had a vision that he wanted to be really generous with the content,” said Etchells. “B2B trade shows are quite boring in that there’s normally only one seminar going on at one time. Here we’ve got about seven. It’s like looking at a menu at a restaurant, not knowing which one to choose.”
