1500 broadcasters from around the world prove it.
Selling Radio Direct with Pat Bryson
St Patty’s Day saw the opening of Radiodays 2024 in Munich, Germany. I was honored to be one of the speakers in this year’s lineup.
Sunday began with several summits, the sales summit being one of them. That’s where I got to address a good group of broadcasters from over 100 countries. Although many stations in Europe are state owned, there are still independent commercial stations that are hungry to learn how to raise revenue in an increasingly complex business world. I hope they may have left my session with an idea or two to help them along their way.
A large part of the conference was devoted to the topic of AI. What do we do with it? How do we integrate it into our stations? Will it make our jobs easier or non-existent? Sound familiar? These same questions are being asked daily in the US, Canada and Australia. World-wide broadcasters are learning to adapt and adopt.
Podcasting was also a popular theme. More and more people are listening to podcasts. They can be an extension of our on-air products. We embrace them as another way to interact with our listeners.
A lot of attention was paid to the latest studies on how radio works. And it does work! In the past few years, the number of studies seems to have accelerated and all reach the same conclusion: radio is powerful. Radio is everywhere. Radio enjoys more listening time in cars. It remains a favorite source for news, information and companionship.
Radiodays provides 3 days of information about new products, new ideas. It also provides a chance to network with friends old and new from around the world. Over the years, I’ve developed great friendships with broadcasters from diverse countries. We get together once a year to renew our acquaintances, to make new friends, and to encourage one another in our craft.
Wherever I go in the world, I hear the same concerns from radio people. We can truly learn from one another. I have also found that radio people share a love for the business. We are some of the most creative, intelligent and devoted people in any industry. We work hard: we play hard. We continue to innovate, to embrace change and new technologies and integrate them into our business.
Is radio dead? No way! In fact, we lead the way in serving our listeners and our advertisers.
I hope to be joining Radiodays next year in Athens, Greece. Until then, I will continue to promote the industry I love. Maybe put this on your calendar? March 9-11, 2025. It will rock your world!
Happy Selling!