Happy Thursday, PM Family,

You’ve almost made it: Tomorrow is Quitter’s Day and we believe you’ll make it to the other side. And on the other side, we’ve got so many exciting things going on that it will be so worth it.

This week we share one of those exciting things, it’s the next Keynote Speaker announcements for this March’s Evolutions, along with an announcement from our friends at The Webby Awards.

After that, we’ll share some more of the amazing speakers who will be leading sessions and panels at the event, PLUS we share news on an upcoming webinar that we’re hosting. Lastly, we’re sharing more on our upcoming meetups next month in California.

Don’t quit now, it’s time to have some fun.

This is your last chance to enter the 28th Annual Webby Awards! Submit your work by the Extended Entry Deadline, February 9th, 2024.

Enter The Webbys. Stand out on a global stage.

Since 1996, The Webby Awards has been recognized as the preeminent international honor for Internet excellence. Last year’s Webby Awards received nearly 14,000 entries from around the world.

By participating in The Webbys, you place your work on the same stage as boundary-pushing talent, like past Webby Winners including Stitcher, Audible, The Daily, WaitWhat, Pivot, California Love and Lemonada Media, to name a few.

The Webby Awards will also recognize the company with the most wins, nominations, and honored entries across categories as Podcast Company of the Year. Plus, we added several new categories this year, including new Podcasts honors for Comedy, History, Best Indie Podcast and Limited-Series & Specials categories including; Business and Interview/Talk Show.

Don't miss your chance, enter the 28th Annual Webby Awards by the Extended Entry Deadline on February 9th, 2024.

James Cridland returns to Evolutions

Over the past several years, one of the most popular sessions at Evolutions has been the annual Podcast Report Card presented by James Cridland of Podnews. It’s always an insightful look at the year that has gone by in podcasting, and a great way to set the table for the rest of Evolutions to follow.

Introducing more amazing Evo24 Speakers & Sessions!

We’re excited to share a new round of speakers taking part in panels, breakout sessions, and expert talks. Below you’ll find the title of some of the latest sessions, the track they’ll be a part of, and the new speakers that are being announced as a part of those sessions!

Industry Professional Track
This track is open only to Industry Professional badges and focuses on the business of podcasting.

• Balancing Brand Suitability in Podcast Advertising featuring Krystina Rubino of Right Side Up, Tamara Zubatiy of Barometer, & Trent Polley of Rocket Money

• Emerging Cross-Platform Opportunities - Major Advances in Podcast Monetization and IP Exploitation from Industry Innovators featuring Chris Denson & Kathy Doyle

• Helping Athletes Reach the Top of Their Game in the Digital Space featuring EJ Wright & Mack Sovereign of Wave Sports + Entertainment

• Innovation in Podcast Discovery featuring Kelly Alfieri of Hark Audio

• Nurturing Podcasting Aspirations and Realities for Content Creators featuring A.J. Feliciano of Rooster Teeth, & Stephen Perlstein of Viral Nation, & Steve Wilson of Q-Code Media

• Podcast Advertising: 2023 Review & 2024 Preview featuring Cameron Hendrix & John Goforth of Magellan AI

• The Power of Context: Brand Safety, Measurement, and Verification in Podcasting featuring Maria Breza of SiriusXM

• World of Kids & Family Audio & Video Podcasting featuring Anne Richards of FableVision, and Lynn Kestin- Sessler & Marc Cantone of Nickelodeon

Fundamentals Track
This track is open to all attendees and focuses on the basics of podcasting.

• 8 Ways to Build Your Self-Confidence in Podcasting featuring Sheena Yap Chan of The Tao of Self-Confidence

• Tools and business models to innovate around your growth strategy featuring Valentina Kaledina of Castbox

• You’ve Published your Podcast…Now What? How to Move Your Podcast Forward with Amplified Trajectory featuring Fallon Klug of That Sounds Fun Network

Podcaster Create Track
This track is open to all attendees with a Podcaster or Industry Professional badge and focuses on the creation side of a podcast.

• Bad Friends, Good Producers: An Unfiltered Discussion about the Rapidly Growing World of YouTube-first Podcast Creation featuring Andres Rosende, George Kimmel, & Nadav Itzkowitz of 7EQUIS

• How, when, and why to use Immersive sound for your podcast featuring Steve Lack of Steve Lack: Audio

• When Being Fiercely Independent Leaves You Feeling Alone featuring Keisha Salmon of Association of Independents in Radio

Podcaster Grow Track
This track is open to all attendees with a Podcaster or Industry Professional badge and focuses on the growth and marketing side of a podcast.

• Go Global: 5 Ways to Grow Your Audience With a Multi-Cultural Strategy featuring Lori Adams-Brown of A World of Difference

• Growing a Brand Beyond Podcasting featuring Doug Smith of NBC Sports, GOLF Channel

• How to use TikTok to grow your podcast featuring Shannon McNamara of FluentlyForward

• Podcast Pitching 101 featuring Lauren Passell of Tink Media

• Podcast Promotion- Navigating the Right Strategy for You and Your Goals featuring Randi P'Pool of P'Pool Media & Mark Pafume of Podbean

• The Rise of AI & The Ethics of Editing featuring Maya Chupkov of Proud Stutter

Podcaster Profit Track
This track is open to all attendees with a Podcaster or Industry Professional badge and focuses on the monetization side of a podcast.

• 3 Key Strategies That Helped Me Go Full Time featuring Gillian Tietz of Sober Powered Media

• Network and Acquisition Deals: Mock Negotiation featuring Lindsay Bowen of Lindsay Bowen - A Lawyer For Podcasts

• Real Podcast Monetization Strategies for the Future of Your Show or Network featuring Heather Osgood of True Native Media, Inc, Kieran McKeefery of Global, Mark Asquith of Global, Mike Dell of Blubrry, & Sam Sethi of Podnews & Podfans

We’ve got more to be announced each week… and keep an eye on our Speakers Page for the list that’s being updated daily!

Join us on Tuesday, January 23

Podcast Movement is partnering with the Webby Awards to virtually present this year's Webby Talk - The Race to Outpace. In this special edition of Webby Talks, the event delves into the swift pace of AI innovations, providing valuable insights on navigating this new era of the Internet, particularly within the context of audio and podcasts.

Following the presentation, there will be a fireside chat with Dan Franks, President of Podcast Movement, on how AI can empower and transform the landscape of podcasting. Discover the latest trends and strategies for harnessing the power of AI in the dynamic world of audio content creation.

RSVP HERE, and we’ll see you there!

Finally, a reminder of our THREE upcoming meetups in San Diego, West Hollywood, and Burbank (Los Angeles). Check them out below!

We can’t wait to share more about Evolutions next week.

Grateful,
Team Podcast Movement

• San Diego Podcasters Meetup (free RSVP)
  February 5 - San Diego, CA

• Burbank Podcasters Meetup (free RSVP)
  February 6 - Los Angeles, CA

• West Hollywood (free RSVP)
  February 7 - Los Angeles, CA

• Evolutions by Podcast Movement
  Los Angeles, CA
  March 26-29, 2024

• Podcast Movement 2024
  Washington, D.C.
  August 19-22, 2024