What's the most effective way for event professionals to keep up with trends and learn new information: blogs or podcasts?
The best answer, as with many questions like this, is most likely "it depends." In the case of blogs vs. podcasts, which one is better varies by the type of information you're absorbing and your surroundings or situation while absorbing it.
Blogs are ideal for presenting and learning complex information, especially in visual formats (such as infographics, charts, and graphs). They are effective when you're at your desk, at a coffee shop, or in any location where it's convenient to read.
Podcasts, on the other hand, provide more flexibility, and can be listened to while driving (when reading is dangerous, ill-advised, and generally illegal); running or working out; riding on a plane, bus, or train; or in other situations where reading is either impossible or impractical.
Recent research suggests podcasts are becoming more popular than blogs, for a number of reasons, such as that podcasts:
- create a connection between the content producer and content consumer on a more personal level;
- save time;
- permit multitasking;
- work well for long-form content; and
- are compatible with smart speakers.
For event professionals, both formats are likely to remain popular well into the future, given the unique strengths of each platform. But podcasts will probably increase in popularity because of their ease of use while on the go (and event professionals seldom sit still).
Previous posts here have highlighted 20 of the best event industry blogs to follow as well as 11 more of the best events blogs. But for those situations where reading isn't a viable option, here are the four best event industry podcasts to listen to.
Host James Dickson interviews a broad spectrum of leading figures in the events industry on topics like RFID and contactless payments, event live streaming, how to measure success, managing multi-lingual events, the impact of GDPR, and more. Don't miss his discussion about trends in enterprise event management with G2Planet founder and CEO Mark Granovsky.
Each week, Will Curran and Brandt Krueger talk to guests (usually at least two; sometimes three or four or...) about subjects ranging from event security to hiring event staff to chatbots, furniture, choosing venues, and more.
David Adler, CEO of BizBash, and (the brilliant but impossible to reach) editor in chief Beth Kormanik discuss event technology, agencies, strategy, planning, speakers, and more with event experts from around the globe.
Hosts Dana Freker Doody and Todd Carruth talk to event industry leaders about topics like event strategy, branding, exhibit design, influencer marketing, speaking, activations, and much more.
Producing an events-focused podcast on a regular basis is hard work. Several podcasts that have made it onto other similar lists as this—including the Event Tech Podcast, Techsytalk Unscripted, Turn of Events, and The Savvy Event Planner—have gone dormant or "on hiatus" since 2016.
With the increasing popularity of podcasting, one or more of those may be revived and new event industry podcasts may be launched. But for now, the four above are the best podcast playlist additions for busy event professionals.
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