Podcastcon UK 2005 - from the other side of the microphone

Published by neil on September 22nd, 2005

There are countless views, opinions and descriptions of the day all around the web, so in an attempt to not risk you falling alseep in a river of repetition, I thought my personal view of the conference from one who was so intensely wrapped up in the minute-by-minute events of the day. So here’s an almost minute-by-minute journal of my personal experience of the day.

Thursday 15th September, 0802: I am sat in the doctor’s office having him examine the imminent return of a recent throat infection. My voice is scratchy. I have to present an entire conference in two days. Plan B might be to write segues on large sheets of cardboard and hold them up for the audience to read.

Friday 16th September, 0800: Wake up with significant throat discomfort. Voice is low and hoarse. Where did I store those large cardboard sheets?

Saturday 17th September, 0530 (after 4.5 hours sleep): Antibiotics seems to be kicking in, throat is not too bad, voice..? Phew, there is a voice. With my trusted Vocalzone in my pocket, I think I might be OK.

0850: “It’s around the next corner, I’m sure of it” Jen and I race from Tottenham Court Road tube after a longer than expected journey. She has to set up the welcome desk which is scheduled to begin at 0900… we are both a little flustered. As we arrive, people are already checking in… but that’s not my concern.
I want the first moments of the day to be proper hellos with the other three organisers - Paul Nicholls, Adrian Pegg and Alex Bellinger - but with the audio-visual setup in the main room still unfinished, I will have to put that to one side. Paul offers his hand for a shake, more than once.

0929: Adrian is a ‘proper’ TV producer guy. that means he knows what he’s doing, so his voice uttering “OK, let’s do it” just as I am re-assembling my opening material notes - and rewriting a line or two - is not entirely welcome. “Just two seconds!” comes the slightly ‘oh shit here we go’ response… my way of placing just a little of my personal control on the situation before giving up the day to fluctuating schedules. I’m not nervous - that is a relatively recently discovered aspect of my personality which almost terrifies me.

0934: An intro has just played consisting of an assembly of many UK podcast idents and intros. Around the room I see smiling and enthusiastic faces as they spot their own and favourite podcasts in the mix.
I think Adrian just announced me.
Grab the mic.
Get out there.
Walk right in front of, and be blinded by, the projector.
Can’t see a thing for about ten seconds.

0936: I realise that 120 people in a room in central London not really knowing quite what to expect at just after 9.30 on a Saturday morning is a little tougher a crowd than your average inebriated standup club audience. So, on the fly, I kill most of the gaggy material and talk about UK podcasting, Britcaster and the excitement that everyone is there, at the event; it’s actually happening. I do spot a few faces I recognise and there are enough warm and friendly smiles to settle me down to doing whatever I have to do for the next few minutes. There are some laughs - I am satisfied.
Adrian stands in the middle of the room spinning his finger in my general direction. Either he’s doing a very feeble helicopter impersonation, or he wants me to wind up. I think I’ll wind up.
There are lots of cameras pointing at me.
Flashes.
Can’t see a thing for about ten seconds.

0941: Chris Kimber, BBC, is starting his presentation, so I’m off the hook for a little while. I have some blanks to fill in my links between the third and fourth speakers, so off to the back of the room to scribble some ideas which still attempting to listen to what the Chris is saying - everything will seem that much more professional if I can segue from a live comment about the previous speaker into the introduction of the next. Paul shakes my hand.

1015: Chris has run on slightly - trash most of the segue and just ad-lib into the next speaker, Nevile Hobson.

1016: Still gaps to fill in the second session’s segues. Sit at the back, concentrate, and get them filled.

1055: Neville has run on significantly. Hover at the side of the stage and try to jump in between questions. Argh! The audience are too keen and quick. Catch Neville’s eye, shuffle a little closer. I feel like a dick standing there hovering… and then it dawns on me that his overrun just about fills the gaps I have in the second session’s segues. You beauty!

1100: Morning coffee. Meet people. Not enough time to meet everyone. Conversations far too short. Handshakes far to frequent. All too soon it is time for the second session. Yell at people to get back to their seats. Ouch, that hurt my throat. Quickly suck on a Vocalzone. Paul shakes my hand.

1115: Introduce the Roger Smalls special message to general amusement and applause. Nice one Roger.

1120 - 1245: Chris Ritke, Mark Hunter and Milverton Wallace. All went sweet as a nut and Neville Hobson running late meant I had little to do other than… shake Paul’s hand… again…

1247: Food in one hand, some in mouth, trying to find Rob and John from Top of the Pods. They are big, apparently, so that excludes about 50% of the attendees. Find them, talk to them, instil fear in them at the thought of helping me out with a special spot later in the day. I love the smell of public speaking fear.

1400: Munchies over. No point in hanging around, the Vobes team are all set up next to me and the audience are waiting. Introduce and get the hell off.

1429: Vobes is about to finish smack on time - this presents a problem: the room feels in an up mood after the Vobes session. Reading the atmosphere, I am worried that it will not flow well if the audience has to spend five minutes adjusting back to me, then re-adjusting their focus once more for the next speaker, thus giving the next speaker a much harder time. Adrian agrees, we should move ahead despite this shifting the schedule forward a little - we can compensate later if necessary with a slightly extended afternoon coffee break. It is satisfying working with someone who understands the nuances of reading the room and audience mood, and distinctly satisfying that I read it correctly! Trash the Vobes bald-guy gags and introduce James Cridland from Virgin Radio.

1435: Paul shakes my hand.

1450: We are running way ahead, so I decide to move the Top of the Pods tribute skit forward to before afternoon tea. Top of the Pods guys go slightly pale at the prospect of imminent public humiliation.

1510: We should be moving towards the next break, but the question and answer session with James has got the room buzzing. Some food and most importantly some wine in their tums, and the audience is very much more up for a discussion. James handles what is a slight independent podcaster backlash against the established broadcasters very well and for many I am sure this is the highlight of the day. I am just about to give the mic to the last question when Adrian taps my shoulder and points to another hand raised in the corner, “He’s a journalist” says Adrian, so he definitely gets a question then!

1545: Back on schedule after tea and James’ run on, and I drag the Top of the Pods chaps up for a special “Top Ten Signs you are a Podcaster”, which goes down well (I will blog it here later). Paul Nicholls pops up to the lectern next and does his bit on legal issues… it’s the only time of the day I’m not shaking his enthusiastically outstretched hand.

1640: Easing towards the end now so time to take it easy. But there’s excitement when Jen’s entry to the Be competition wins us a years free 24Mbit broadband! Result! … and gives me something to comment on before introducing Chris Skinner and Simulacrum live!

1710: Outside getting ready to re-emerge as Catherine Zeta Jones (including home-made faux-coal monkey necklace ) for the second part of Simulacrum. Dr Mugabe is not a huge hit with the audience - a little too controversial perhaps - so time to get things more surreal and more upbeat.

1730: Drag up Alex and Paul (shake his hand) to say a word or two about the day, then send everyone home pretty happy it seems.

Sunday 18th September 1432: Just coming out of post-conference stupor and about to begin working on web updates, picture uploads and monitoring of responses… and the broadband dies. Arse.

Pictures of the day at flickr: podcastconuk podcastcon

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