I am both excited and concerned about this merging of events. I have found the podcasting and blogging communities to not always “get along” and they seem to be at a different place when it comes to making a business from such pursuits and so I wonder how these events will be combined without ruining both experiences.

I am hopeful that I can attend BlogWorld and New Media Expo, as it is now called, and would be very honoured to speak at the event once again, but with it becoming one event, will there be tougher competition with regards to choosing speakers?

The whole community is waiting to see how this new event comes together and what it will mean for speakers, businesses and attendees.

From the Press Release:
“The lines between blogs, podcasts and videos are blurring in that content creators are using all of these tools to communicate and share information online – the message is more important than the medium,” said Tim Bourquin, founder of New Media Expo. “Given that people are mixing podcasts, video and blogs to deliver their message, it became obvious that our two events should come together and provide a single all-encompassing conference where attendees can learn all of the latest and best content creation techniques in one place.”

“As more content is being created and shared online, the market for an event like this is growing at a rapid pace,” said Rick Calvert, founder and CEO of BlogWorld Expo. “Bringing together the world’s largest podcasting event and the world’s largest blogging event creates a unique learning, networking and business environment for everyone involved in new media. Our attendees include individual and corporate content creators, new media as well as tradional media companies, entrepreneurs and enterprise-level marketing professionals.”

BlogWorld & New Media Expo 2009 will feature conference tracks on everything from creating better audio content to using social networking tools to grow your brand, blog audience and nurture the relationship between content creators and their audiences, as well as companies and their customers. As in previous years, after-hours networking receptions, special events and parties will combine to make it the gathering of the year for the new media industry.

It really flipped a switch for me because when I went to Podcasters Across Borders, I was basically lynched for wanting to hear about monetization, as it was a bad word at that event.

People were focused on podcasting because they were passionate and they didn’t want anything to get in the way of that, but what they don’t realize is: monetization is just a step in building a business.

No matter how the economy is, people should want to turn their passions into their business. Some of the wealthiest people in the world were able to make that leap, and why shouldn’t podcasters? Also, the tips, tricks and ideas from last year might not be the same today, as things are always changing online.

To say talk of monetization isn’t welcome is odd, and shortsighted to me. Sure, there will always be purists out there, but I say, “build a business from your passions” and as long as monetization isn’t welcome in the conversation stream, maybe ask about “building a business” around your podcast next PodCamp.

I will be placing links to content I create on a variety of sites in this post over the next two days, as I publish things on Splashpress Media’s group of sites. You’ll see overviews of most of the sessions at the two day conference, and hopefully learn a few tips and tricks that the big companies are learning through their trials in monetizing the digital space.

Day One

First Thoughts at nextMEDIA
Lunch and Networking

The Introduction and First Session Overview
Second Session – Re-Engineering the Broadcast Business Panel
Third Session – Bryan Segal from ComScore
Fourth Session – How to Make Money in Online Video!
Fifth Session – Making Money from Pay-Per-Use Content Services
Seventh Session – How to Make Money and Do It Right
Eighth Session – Bringing Branded Entertainment Online

Day Two

Introduction and Session 1 – Immersive Branded Entertainment
Session 2 – Rock ‘n Roll in the Social Media Revolution
Session 3 – Where to Look Next: Trends for 2009

The introduction by an executive from CBC wasn’t interesting, and it was rather long winded, but it was nice to hear that CBC wants to find a way to do better in online video beyond just their YouTube channels.

They are concerned about copyrighted content and control over it.

Jordan Hoffner took the stage with a fairly strong presence and comes from the Google side of the YouTube/Google merger.

“You have to partner with the media companies.” – Jordan Hoffner

They provide fingerprints to YouTube and then if there is uploaded content that matches the video fingerprint, the content producer then gets to choose: leave it, get advertisements around it, or take it down?

With more and more content going up online, it creates a great revenue footprint for producers, and content owners. They were able to switch from being in a defensive mode, to being able to be proactive and give creators money while still keeping the videos available. Ninety percent of flagged videos are marked as “advertise on”, rather than being taken down or left alone.

They have added YouTube Insight which is like Google Analytics for YouTube that gives great data stats on the type of viewers that are using their videos.

The advertising opportunities for YouTube videos include video overlays, a “video within a video”, as well as display advertisements around videos. A new opportunity has grown as well in the click to buy market. Where you can sell DVD’s, songs, and other products as that industry and need grows.

YouTube is also creating new co-branded initiatives going forward. Like the People Magazine, Be a Red Carpet Reporter Contest where they can grow their brand more than just taking in revenue.

The latest thing YouTube is doing is the full length content. Higher quality player, 16×9 aspect ratio, and secure streaming. They have added in mid-rolls and pre-rolls to the longer format videos. They hope this is a big section of their business going forward.

Can multiple types of content, both random short videos, and full length television shows and movies, survive and co-exist in a profitable way on any single site? YouTube isn’t sure of that yet, but is trying to create a market in where it can.

Great question at the end about YouTube creating content for their site, and the answer was a simple: no. YouTube will not commission content as they would rather focus on search algorithms or promote intellectual property, rather than trying to create successful content themselves. It would also put them in an issue regarding the neutrality of the results on YouTube. They would rather just be a distribution platform.

Speaking is a great way to build up confidence, network with people, and prove expertise. Following these tips will help make it as stress and incident free as possible and remember, if they don’t like what you are saying, they can always leave, so focus on doing the best you can, and don’t worry about the audience.

Practice

The first thing you can do to make sure your presentation goes over well is to practice. I usually practice by myself a few times and then do the whole presentation in front of someone. It doesn’t hurt to record it or do it in front of a mirror, as you’ll then be able to catch facial expressions or body language that you might want to correct before doing it in front of an audience.

Organize

Most presentations that people don’t like usually suffer from an issue with flow. Making sure to organize your thoughts and transitions from slide to slide will allow you to go through the whole presentation in a nice, organized, and efficient way. Your audience will notice this and your presentation will seem better because of it.

Bring Notes

You should always have some prompts on hand to make sure you know what it coming next, as well as what key points you want to hit on. Don’t read off the slides, especially if they aren’t directly in front of you.

Have Stories, Tips, and Tricks

Going with the previous point, making sure to have some prompts for stories, tips or tricks you want to hand out is very helpful, and it also helps bring an understanding between you and the audience. This part is usually where people either win or lose a crowd, so be prepared. Trying to eloquently explain something off the cuff can be very difficult, and increase your stress thus increasing the tension in the room.

Panels are Easier!

If it is going to be your first time speaking, try getting in on a panel. Panels allow you to offload some of the burden of presentation on others, and depending on how many people are involved, your total responsibility for a session can be fairly minimal. It is also easier for some to answer questions on things they know, than present on a topic.

It also allows you to pass on questions that you don’t know the answer to.

Have Back-up Plans

Your computer might break, your notes might catch on fire, or you might just forget that key sample product. Make sure you have back-up plans for everything in your presentation. So many people assume that certain things and are shocked when they arrive, only to find out that there is no internet connection, they can’t use their computer, and that their supplies never showed up.

Be ready for anything and everything.

Brand Your Material

If you are going to be giving product away, handing out sheets of paper, or using a slideshow presentation, make sure to put your brand on all of it. At the end of your session, without having to pitch or sell yourself or your company, everyone in the room should be able to remember who you are, or what company you work for. This is of great benefit to the audience as it allows them to connect with you as long as they remember that key piece of information.

Conclusion

Speaking at events can seem daunting, but once you are on stage, and that adrenaline rush hits you, there are few greater highs. Enjoy the ride, plan as much as possible, and don’t forget to smile.

There is a simple rule to try to keep the number of words to around twenty-five per slide. Only around five bullet points, and one or two images. It makes it easy for people to read, understand, absorb and truly act on.

If you aren’t following the above rule, you are starting your presentation off on the wrong foot. Keeping it simple is always the best route, and with all of us suffering from various levels of information overload, please be kind and reduce the number of words, pictures and other distracting elements on your slides.

I have forgotten one or more of these at nearly every conference I have attended, and it always leads to a missed opportunity, so creating a checklist of these points is always a good idea before packing up and heading out.

Business Cards

Even if you only be promoting yourself and not the company you work for, having business cards with some key details can mean the difference between being contacted, and being forgotten about. You can pick them up relatively cheaply from a variety of online and offline businesses, and so there is almost no excuse to be without them.

In that same vein, make sure you have enough business cards for the event you are attending. The most I have ever given out is twenty-five per day at a three day event. Had I not brought over one hundred cards with me, I might have had to hoard my business cards, and be selective to whom I gave them out to.

This recently happened to me at Blog World Expo, where I thought I had packed many cards, but ended up with only twelve once I arrived in Las Vegas. It was frustrating, to say the least.

Get to Know the Key Players

Look at the speakers and attendees list, and decide who you would love to meet. Make a list, and do some basic research on them. Who are they? What do they look like, and what do you have in common with them?

While this type of information will put you on an uneven playing field when it comes to introducing yourself to them, it will make you seem much more interested, and more able to quickly build a relationship with them that goes much deeper than the random handshake in the hall.

Keep People in the Loop on Where You are Going to Be

One of the worst things for many people was trying to find ways to reconnect later on during the event. We all went off our separate ways without creating solid schedule on when to meet back up, and without trading cell phone numbers, or agreeing to another way to contact each other, we didn’t end up meeting up and enjoying more time with each other after the daily conference events were over.

While I don’t suggest being obsessive about such things, trading cell phone numbers can be a great way to organize a meeting later on.

Find Out About Events Happening Before/After the Conference

Many of the after parties are set in motion long before the conference starts, and making sure to find out about them can mean the difference between getting in, and waiting in line, as some after party venues fill up fast, and if you aren’t one of the early people to find out about it, you’ll find yourself waiting outside or having to head back to the hotel early.

Don’t Cling to the Familiar

Hanging around with someone you already know can be fun and more comfortable, but it can limit your ability to meet new people. Those that might want to talk to you are less likely to do so if they see you are already engaged in a conversation with someone else, and if that conversation runs through the whole conference, they might never make their move and interject. This means a loss in networking opportunities, and reduces the value of the conference in many ways.

Strike out on your own and meet new people, or split up, and each bring back someone new to the conversation. Optimize your ability to network with other people, as that is most likely why you are there.

Keep a Drink on Hand

I don’t mean alcohol, but having a drink on hand can help you keep talking when your throat gets dry or keep you from suffering the symptoms of dehydration. The excitement of conferences can sometimes be a distraction from the other things we need to do, and especially if the event is being held somewhere hot, you will want to keep hydrated.

Schedule Which Sessions You Want to See

Having a good idea of which sessions you might want to see at a conference can help you pre-plan your time, and also make certain that you get to see the things that you want while at any event.

While this might change once you arrive at the conference, it is a good benchmark of how useful the speakers topics will be for you. I avoided a conference because I couldn’t find more than two sessions that interested me in the two day event.

On the flip side, I sometimes have conflicts due to wanting to see more than one panel at any one time, and that can make it both difficult, and interesting to plan your time.

Leave Free Time for Networking

In addition to scheduling where you want to be and what you want to see, I recommend leaving some vacant time to spend networking with people. While sometimes it can’t be forced, making sure to dedicate some time to meeting people is never a bad thing.

You might want to schedule meetings with people, or just hang out in the hallways as many of the conferences I have attended included a great number of people having amazing conversations in the halls.

Conclusion

Conferences can be a great time, and it can be easy to forget your reasons for attending, but with a little preparation, you can make your time at the event much more worthwhile. Forget to plan, and you might miss out on a variety of great opportunities, both for your business and yourself.

I also wanted to make those slides available here, with or without my own personal notes so that you not only could look over what I had written for everyone to see, but what notes I had for myself during the presentation, as well as some links or products that I forgot to mention while the spotlights were shining.

How to Run a Blog Like a Pro
PDF – no notes
PDF – with notes
Zipped JPG Image Pack – with notes

Below is the video shot by my cousin Mark Wood, who also attended the event. He didn’t have a direct sound pick up, and this was shot on the Canon PowerShot S3 IS, but I think it still turned out amazing, so a big kudos to him for taking the time to record it for me.