Family Affair

The issue isn't whether the merger of the unfortunately-generically-named Radio Show into the almost-as-unfortunately-generically-named NAB Show into one heaving mass of Market Managers and engineers in Las Vegas next April is a good or bad thing, or whether it's indicative of a trend away from conventions. The pandemic turned everything upside down, and we really don't know if this is the end or the beginning of anything permanent. We may see all events go virtual, or we may be back in crowded conference rooms listening to panelists drone on about whatever (gotta check the schedule to see which panel] this is supposed to be; they tend to run together after a while). There are plenty of people who can't wait to get back to the Before Times and big gatherings, some who aren't ready, and some who are swearing off the entire idea of being in a room with a lot of other people, period. Ask again in a year and some of them might have changed their minds. Predicting what this means on a larger scale is a fool's errand.

As a fool who attends approximately a zillion conventions in a typical year, and who's been sidelined from that for the duration of the pandemic, I'm of two minds about resuming the convention grind. The first part is that it IS a grind -- at least, for the handful of us who spend a lot of time reporting on those panels and not schmoozing in the hallways or hospitality suites, conventions, as my Twitter posts from those things indicate, can be endurance tests, the polar opposite of "fun." I would not really miss that if it disappears. But the other part is the opportunity to see people face-to-face, to renew relationships and make new ones, to make connections that a Zoom meeting or virtual panel chat room can't really accomplish. I'd miss that.

If that sounds like in-person conventions are an excuse to just hang out with other people in your industry, in a way, it is. But that itself is valuable to your career. You're told time and again that networking is key to your career development. LinkedIn is fine for what it is, but meeting people in person and getting to know them as people rather than as an online resume with a head shot up top is something that you lose when there's no organized gathering for it, just as seeing a concert live is a different animal from a live stream. Both have their value, but they're just different. The camaraderie developed over years of seeing people in person at conventions is irreplaceable. And the conventions focused on talent and programmers are especially valuable just for the relationships created and strengthened there, not to mention the stories generated from them.

That's not, by the way, to contradict my usual crankiness about conventions, which fuels my Twitter posts that some of you enjoy and others curse. Those panels ARE boring and repetitive. The content is often indicative of the parts of the media industry that prevent some parts of it, including radio, from truly evolving and growing, and reflects the myopic and stagnant thinking of some of the leaders of the business and the we're-digital-now smoke-and-mirrors double-speak of others. If conventions are to be judged by the enlightenment offered by the panels and presentations, there's an argument that we don't really need to make that trip to Vegas.

But in some ways, we do, once it's truly safe to do so. And we need the virtual versions, too, which serve to democratize the process -- if your employer is loath to subsidize your trip to a convention, having the online option doesn't hurt, and what you miss by not being at the LobbyCon, you gain in being able to more easily see and hear more of the actual panel content, often at your leisure. ("I can't hear you!" is never an issue, and considering the persistent audio problems at every in-person convention, that's a huge benefit.)

I don't know how this is going to play out. I do know that it would be a shame if there isn't a chance for people in the radio business to gather and see each other and network and get to know their colleagues. There are a lot of industries in which you never get to know anyone in it outside your office or your company. Radio's been different; it sometimes feels like we all know each other, even if we don't. Conventions and conferences are one way those bonds are created. It might seem dissonant to hear someone who's known for complaining about being at conventions to say this, but I hope that when it's truly, inarguably safe to do so, we can get back to seeing each other in person. If radio's calling card has always been engagement with our audience, engagement with each other is something we don't want to lose.

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As I said, I don't know if I'll be showing up for some of the in-person events scheduled for early 2022, but I do know that, eventually, we'll be back to that, and when we are, I'll be back to the usual sarcastic tweets from the back of the room. It's inevitable. I can't get away that easily.

Perry Michael Simon
Senior Vice President/Editor-in-Chief and News-Talk-Sports-Podcasting Editor
AllAccess.com
psimon@allaccess.com
Twitter @pmsimon