tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post287303224960249723..comments2023-11-03T06:02:02.128-07:00Comments on By Ken Levine: Conventional wisdomBy Ken Levinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17305293821975250420noreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-54706474548872839162015-03-13T13:03:50.689-07:002015-03-13T13:03:50.689-07:00DBenson: If you're not someone involved with t...DBenson: If you're not someone involved with the company, think of taking that T-shirt home. What are you going to do with it? You can't wear it. It doesn't have enough personal connection to display it (that's a lot of wall space). About the only thing you can do really is cut it up and make something out of it. The idea might work if you got a decent graphic artist to paint something on it or a bunch of famous people to sign it...<br /><br />wgWendy M. Grossmanhttp://www.pelicancrossing.netnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-35277827944651003052015-03-13T07:38:40.077-07:002015-03-13T07:38:40.077-07:00There was a conference here at Disney a few years ...There was a conference here at Disney a few years back and one of the speakers was the great Jean Shepard. What a thrill! Hearing him do a monologue, live! Maybe he'll offer his observations about The Vacation Kingdom!<br /><br />With the excitement of Ralphie finally being able to use his Little Orphan Annie decoder ring to its fullest, I took my seat. The great man entered to thunderous applause and began to recite.<br /><br />Recite -- not speak off the cuff. He read the section of the famous essay that inspired "A Christmas Story". It was the part about the Little Orphan Annie decoder ring and how all it turned out to tell him was to buy Ovaltine.<br /><br />Though it was wonderful to see Mr. Shepard in person, I felt like Ralphie. But I didn't put my eye out.<br /><br />Greg Ehrbarhttp://blogs.indiewire.com/animationscoop/author/greg-ehrbarnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-54899902708307073102015-03-13T05:23:53.501-07:002015-03-13T05:23:53.501-07:00You hit the nail on the head in your last paragrap...You hit the nail on the head in your last paragraph for (mostly) what EVER kind of convention one may be attending. Sure some of the subject headliners/conferences may prove to be worthwhile but it is the behind the scenes activity where you really learn something. Richard Ynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-81814425029497406482015-03-13T01:13:39.935-07:002015-03-13T01:13:39.935-07:00Eons ago, when I worked for a company that exhibit...Eons ago, when I worked for a company that exhibited at early high tech events, I proposed a display of The World's Largest Free T-Shirt. It would be an actual shirt, six feet tall, with our company logo and a suitably outsized hanger to display it.<br /><br />This would be presented as the Holy Grail of swag and given away in a raffle.<br /><br />I thought, and still think, it was a brilliant gag that any seasoned convention goer would appreciate. But coworkers just looked at me funny and knowledgeable persons I've pitched it to since had the same reaction.DBensonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-50847780023958354972015-03-12T15:10:32.521-07:002015-03-12T15:10:32.521-07:00And I have to go to Every. Single. One. of those r...And I have to go to Every. Single. One. of those radio conferences. Practically every one. Someone has to cover them, and it's... me. NAB, NAB Radio, Talkers, Talk Show Boot Camp, the Conclave, shows whose names I forget even when I'm there. Some are better than others -- some of it is actually quite interesting, some not so much -- but the main thing is to meet up with people, not the actual content of the shows.<br /><br />It is as Ken says -- and the problem is that they're gatherings of people who, mostly, want to preserve a status quo that's being battered by forces they don't understand, namely digital competition. Doesn't mean radio can't survive, but it has to adapt, and they don't really understand why they have to change.<br /><br />The running joke has been that the talk radio conventions have been doing the same "Is FM Talk Coming?" panels for 25 years, although that's morphed into "Is Non-Political Talk Coming?," as if those things haven't existed since the '80s. The panels themselves are, therefore, mostly useless. (I'm sometimes on the panels, which makes those especially worthless.) The value is, as Ken notes, in the schmoozing, getting face time with people you don't otherwise see. And I spend most of the time in the back row near a power outlet, tweeting sarcastic comments just to stay awake and relatively sane.<br /><br />And talk radio conventions bear no resemblance to the old R&R or Poe conventions. You want parties, blow, and hookers? You're on your own. At least, as far as I know. I try not to hang around after hours.Perry Michael Simonhttp://www.allaccess.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-61057864936380216072015-03-12T12:57:30.567-07:002015-03-12T12:57:30.567-07:00As usual, something very thoughtful and interestin...As usual, something very thoughtful and interesting from Wendy Grossman. The panel she refers to at the last science journalism conference she attended could not have dealt with a more important subject. I am so frequently astonished at reading about some important scientific discovery or event in a small article buried on page 5 of a newspaper, months after it occurred. Often it is of such importance that it seems to me it should be a front page headline. <br /><br />If a conference can spread the kind of information she describes to peers, I would say they have significant value in spite of the booze, boffing, and debauchery.Diane D.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-41687874712799302572015-03-12T10:19:40.308-07:002015-03-12T10:19:40.308-07:00Amy Alkon: Speaking as a journalist, I vastly pref...Amy Alkon: Speaking as a journalist, I vastly prefer to go to conferences in the fields I write about rather than conferences for journalists about journalism. That said, however, there are few professions in which you have nothing to learn from your peers, and neither blogging nor science blogging is one of those few. Science in particular is a demanding subject to cover, partly because the subject matter is difficult and partly because it can be very challenging to convey why something is or is not a story worthy of coverage. One of the panels at the last science journalism conference I attended was how to turn obscure scientific research into a story people want to read by a couple of authors, a publisher, and an agent who had shaped successful books out of what seemed very unpromising material. I thought that was quite valuable.<br /><br />"Just write" is rarely good advice, even in fiction. If bloggers want to be taken seriously - and many do - they need to do more than just spray words around. <br /><br />wgWendy M. Grossmanhttp://www.pelicancrossing.netnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-67930543772551896592015-03-12T09:33:33.988-07:002015-03-12T09:33:33.988-07:00The Country Radio Seminar and the Christian Media ...The Country Radio Seminar and the Christian Media Convention still seem to be doing quite well. I would suspect not as many hookers at the Christian show...but I could be wrong. JoeyHhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12710864245535772665noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-50979159886411678162015-03-12T07:30:19.394-07:002015-03-12T07:30:19.394-07:00You could have posted a picture with naked execs c...You could have posted a picture with naked execs cavorting and someone snorting coke off Linda Ronstadt's behind. I don't want bottled water and sensible shoes, I need fantasy!Oat Willienoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-63034170323692878492015-03-12T06:56:15.091-07:002015-03-12T06:56:15.091-07:00I have never been to one, but your description was...I have never been to one, but your description was exactly what I would picture a broadcasting convention to be. Mike Barerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14447874605833321732noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-73205816223809483072015-03-12T06:30:56.978-07:002015-03-12T06:30:56.978-07:00That pic's great.
G. Gordon Liddy, Firehouse...That pic's great. <br /><br />G. Gordon Liddy, Firehouse Subs, and complimentary water.Dan Ballhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06865180000909831517noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-78475449474342240562015-03-12T06:11:39.517-07:002015-03-12T06:11:39.517-07:00It doesn't matter what the subject of the conv...It doesn't matter what the subject of the convention is, they all seem to have the same kinds of attendees who indulge in the same kind of activities. Whether it be radio or film or academia or writers conferences. Everybody wants to get drunk, make a deal, and/or get laid. <br /><br />"Cedar Rapids" pretty much got it right.Richard Rothrockhttp://www.richardrothrock.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-36394619900543129752015-03-12T06:03:49.083-07:002015-03-12T06:03:49.083-07:00Hi, Ken...for me, the most ridiculous conferences ...Hi, Ken...for me, the most ridiculous conferences are blogger or science blogger conferences. Want to blog? Just write. Amy Alkonhttp://www.advicegoddess.comnoreply@blogger.com