Blk Podfest Micro Con 2020 was a virtual event held as part of Podfest Global Summit and sponsored by Libsyn on Wednesday, August 12, 2020. The sessions included ways to connect with listeners and content creators in Africa; to how the industry can work to change the face of podcasting. Each session offered a plethora of knowledge and tools that podcasters of all experience levels could immediately implement. 

I had the opportunity to interview three podcasters who attended Podfest Global Summit and Blk Podfest Micro Con to gain insights on their experiences.

• Charde’ Redd founder and one-half of Black Women Diaries Podcast

• Tristain Thomas the creator of TO:SS Tristain On: Sports Show

• Abisola Akinbola host of Language and Books podcast. 

Expectations

As with any conference attendees sign up with expectations of what they hope to learn from the event. So of course I had to ask what each of them expected to gain and if Blk Podfest (BPF) delivered. 

Abisola of Language and Books podcast indicated “the only reason I registered for Podfest Global Summit was because of Blk Podfest”. She came simply looking to learn from the speakers and BPF more than delivered. 

Charde' of Black Women Diaries on the other hand stated that when she  "saw everything that the event offered for free"  she just could not miss the opportunity to indulge in this information and the chance to network with other black podcasters. 

From reviewing the feedback on social media and many I know within the podcast space, we were all excited for the amazing lineup of events and the opportunity to have access to information for free. 

Experience

As the world moves to virtual events we all have had to adjust to what that means for our experiences and our new way of connecting. Many within the Black Podcasting community have not had the opportunity to attend podcast conferences; hence, having this as a virtual event provided access that may not have been possible previously.

So in discussing their overall experiences each attendee found the information helpful but all had different session favorites. Abisola had three favorites but she learned the most from the Marketing & Audience Building session as it spoke to her needs at this moment in her podcasting journey. Charde' found the Systems & Tools for Increased Engagement session the most beneficial as she and her co-host are looking at ways to streamline and restructure their show. Tristain on the other hand loved the final panel discussion; Changing the Face of Podcasting,  because of the candid conversation and insights each panelist provided.

Overview

Overall each attendee left Blk Podfest Micro Con 2020 feeling empowered and equipped. Tristain of TO:SS stated that "Blk Podfest was phenomenal. If this was the very first one, you couldn’t tell. It was so well done from beginning to end". Abisola of Books and Languages podcast stated" It was phenomenal. I learnt a lot from all the speakers and it didn't feel like we spent 4 hours. I didn't even take a break, I was just glued to my laptop screen, taking notes, mapping out my action plan and new strategies for my podcast. Charde' stated "This was my first podcast conference and let me tell you, they set the bar! The fact that this was virtual inspired me so much! It inspired me to get back motivated on why I started podcasting and why I should have done this a long time ago when I had the idea!"

Blk Podfest certainly set the bar high for any other virtual podcast conference and many within the industry are interested in what’s to come from the platform in the future. For me as a member of Blk Pod Collective and an original team member of the Content Team, I was proud to see what Blk Pod Collective team was able to put together and know that the future of Blk Podfest will only be bigger and better.