Friday Sessions
FRIDAY's sessions at CONCLAVE 44 at the DELTA HOTEL MINNEAPOLIS NORTHEAST wrapped up this year's conference with panels on sales and promotions as well as a speed mentoring and aircheck session.
Sales Plus Talent
The opening panel looked at the issue of sales working with talent to generate revenue, with moderator JEFF WRIGHT of MIDWEST COMMUNICATIONS joined by RESEARCH DIRECTOR's CHARLIE SISLEN, COX MEDIA GROUP/MIAMI's JILL STRADA, COX Top 40 WFLC (HITS 97.3)/MIAMI host KIMMY B, and MIDWEST COMMUNICATIONS/FARGO VP/Market Manager DAN CASH, with the panelists relating stories of cooperation and disaster, dealing with multiple platforms and stations to sell, and more.
Making Events Count
A promotions panel moderated by APTIVADA CMO RANDI P'POOL with CPR PROMOTIONS "Manager of Good Times" and ALL ACCESS columnist PAIGE NIENABER, BONNEVILLE AC KOSI/DENVER's JIM LAWSON, and BONNEVILLE County KYGO/DENVER PD BRIAN MICHEL examined how to make live events and remotes successful.
MICHEL took exception to the DICKEY BROTHERS' comments about how stations serve investors, drawing applause by saying, "Last time I checked, we have licenses to serve the community." He added that "we have to reimagine radio" from the traditional remote with a tent and table; talent, he said, needs to be at the event, engaging listeners. NIENABER said that his question is "What do we have to do to attract a crowd in front of our booth?," adding that social media today "is what call-ins used to be."
The panel also discussed how to use social media before and after an event (MICHEL advised to get photos posted as soon as the event is over), what doesn't work (sitting down, LAWSON said; MICHEL decried staffers who choose the time of the remote to eat), and increasing online engagement ("nudity," NIENABER joked before suggesting that stations offer photo opportunities at remotes so fans can post pictures on social media).
Back In The Day
The annual "war stories" panel, moderated by ALL ACCESS' own JOEL DENVER, had a couple of late cancellations, but ENTERCOM/NEW YORK's JIM RYAN, URBAN ONE's COLBY COLB TYNER, and TENSHARE MEDIA's JAY STEVENS picked up the slack with stories from their illustrious careers, including RYAN's reminiscing about working with DENVER at the ill-fated WMJX (96X)/MIAMI, getting his start in LANSING and working for JERRY LEE at WBEB/PHILADELPHIA before heading to NEW YORK; TYNER relating his youth listening to WUSL (POWER 99)/PHILADELPHIA and hearing his favorite DJ, FRED BUGGS, disappear and then show up on the air at WRKS (98.7 KISS FM)/NEW YORK, where he called in and got an invitation to visit the station; and STEVENS recounting his travels as PD (including competing with RYAN in LANSING and working with TYNER at RADIO ONE before becoming a consultant).
The stories included STEVENS' encounters with his ROCHESTER boyhood radio hero and his work with WASHINGTON legend DONNIE SIMPSON (after prying him away from a competitor), TYNER's interview with MARIAH CAREY that got derailed by a question from his then-co-host WENDY WILLIAMS, and RYAN's experience on WHOOPI GOLDBERG's short-lived "WAKE UP WITH WHOOPI" morning show.
The sessions were scheduled to conclude with a "Speed Mentoring and Aircheck Session" with VALERIE GELLER, MIDWEST COMMUNICATIONS' JEFF MCCARTHY, VCREATIVE's JINNY LADERER, and ENTERCOM/BALTIMORE's TOM COOK.
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