How to Choose the Best Voice Over Conference (for You)

Photo courtesy of Wix.

Last time, I wrote about conference FOMO, why you don’t have to attend every voice over conference, and what you can do instead of breaking the bank and going to all of them. This time around, I’m going to help you choose the right conference(s) to attend.

Full disclosure: This was going to be in the first article on conferences. If you read that one, you already know it’s long enough as it is. I decided to split it in two. You’re welcome.

Photo courtesy of Wix.

Things to Consider Before Committing to a Conference

Ignore your FOMO impulses. You do not need to attend every conference you see. 

Despite all the reasons to not go to every conference or event, they are well worth the experience. They are also not necessary for you to grow your business. That said, they help, and you should still try to go to a few here and there. 

To help you narrow down which voice over conferences and events to attend, put together a list of all the voice over conferences and events you’d like to attend in a perfect world. Look at the speakers, topics, and themes.

When selecting which events to check out, consider the following factors:

• What stage you’re at in your voice over career (beginner, intermediate, working pro)

• Your budget

• Your schedule

• Whether or not this conference or event aligns with your voice over goals (e.g., Is this geared toward a voice over genre you work in or are interested in working in?)

• Other life circumstances that could prevent you from attending (e.g., work, living, health and/or family situations)

As you reflect on these items, ask yourself the following questions:

• Is this conference appropriate for my skill level?

• Is this within my budget?

• How many days would I need to block out to attend?

• How much travel is involved?

• What is the surrounding area like and where would I stay?

• Is there anything else I would like to do before and/or after the conference or event?

• What are the topics covered?

• Are there any recurring themes (if so, what are they)?

• Are any topics or themes that will be covered in one or more other events/conferences?

• Who are the speakers? Are they speaking at other conferences (if so, are you able to find out if they’re talking about the same topics)?

• What do I plan to learn at this event and what do I plan to do with that information?

• Am I interested in every topic/theme or is it a select few?

• Is this information relevant to my voice over career goals?

After examining your conference/event lineup list and crossing off some items, keep doing it until you have a short list you’re comfortable with (3-5 conferences max). Then sort the conferences and events by “must-go,” “nice to have,” and “try for next year.” That will help you pick the best voice over conferences and events for you.

Photo courtesy of Wix.

Smart Conference Strategies for When You Finally Go

If you can go to a conference, go. Conferences are great for networking, absorbing loads of information, keeping up with industry trends, and experiencing new sights. 

To avoid any confusion, the point of my previous article was not to say “don’t go to conferences,” but that you don’t have to go to EVERY conference. That said, for the conference(s) you choose to attend, try putting together a personal itinerary. It’ll help you map out your day and enhance your trip. 

How to plan your conference itinerary:

• Prioritize key panels and speakers: Some conferences are multi-track, meaning several panels are occurring at the same time in multiple rooms. You can’t go to all of them, so you’re going to have to decide which conference topics mean the most to you (if your conference only has one track, skip to the next bullet).  

  
  

  Look at the speaker and topic list. What looks the most interesting? Circle what speaks to you and maybe put some asterisks around some “nice to haves.” Try putting a number next to each topic and rank them to help you decide what conference topics you’d love to see, like to see, or would be indifferent about.

  
  

  Also, find out if any related events are happening during the conference. Decide how much you’d love to attend those or if you can afford to miss some of these things.

• Set clear conference goals: What do you hope to do at this conference? Who would you like to meet from the speaker list? What topics do you hope to learn about?

  
  

  Jot these things down so that you know what you want, who you want to talk to, and what info you’re trying to obtain to help you grow your voice over business. Examples can range from “I want to meet three casting directors" to "I want to learn about audiobooks."

  
  

• Look for scholarships, early bird discounts, and virtual options: You can save money and attend conferences by seeing if the organizer has any of these options available.

  
  

  While scholarships and early bird discounts are tied to deadlines and on a first-come, first-served basis, virtual options are sometimes included with your ticket. These are great for replaying panels you enjoyed or watching those panels you missed during a multi-track conference.

Photo courtesy of Wix.

Enjoy the Ride

Picking conferences is hard, but these effective strategies will help you decide what makes sense for your time, skill level, schedule, and budget. When you finalize your conference list and select the event you want to attend, you’ll have an itinerary and several actionable goals to help you grow your business. Once that’s booked up, it’s off to the races.

Learn a ton, meet cool people, and have a great time!