The theme for this year’s Radio Academy Festival is “Sound Connections,” according to the event’s organizers. The theme builds on last year’s focus on the power of audio to connect with listeners and each other. The organizers say that podcasters, broadcasters and leading sound creatives from around the United Kingdom and further afield will converge on the Royal College of Physicians in London’s Regent’s Park on Sept. 12 for a day of inspiring and instructive talks, debates, reflections and opportunities to meet and spark their own Sound Connections.
The event, which the Radio Academy’s new Managing Director, Aradhna Tayal, will open, will run across three stages. The organizers have announced the first speakers:
- Broadcast futurist Daniel Anstandig, whose data-driven audience engagement and sales intelligence technology is used by thousands of audio platforms and digital publishers worldwide, will look ahead to how AI is used to propel a closer connection with audiences and delve into the real threats to on-air authenticity.
- Author, podcaster, DJ and former Chief Economist at Spotify, Will Page, will explain how to connect content creators with revenue streams and make money from podcasts.
- NHS Psychologist and host of the Radio 4 show Life Changing, Dr. Sian Williams will explore the impact of difficult and disruptive situations and stories that cause us to disconnect, and share practical tools to keep ourselves and our teams together.
- Winner of Best Music Entertainment Show, BBC 6 Music’s Craig Charles, and winners of Best Local Show, Pulse 1 Breakfast’s Mylo and Rosie, will lift the lid on creating an award-winning team. Best New Podcast winner Tommy Dixon, creator of Colouring In Britain, will reflect on his own journey from BBC Sounds Audio Lab to ARIAs Gold.
The organizers will announce other speakers closer to the date.
Other sessions
The ARIAs Winners Stage returns for the second year, where the most highly acclaimed sound creators and teams will share the secrets of their success, fresh off the trail of the U.K.’s celebrated U.K. Audio and Radio Industry Awards.
Other sessions will celebrate 50 years of commercial radio and its booming connection with growing audiences, analyze where hyper-localized and marginalized communities across the U.K. connect through audio and uncover what lessons Gen-Alpha will pick up from Gen-Z and beyond.
Radio Academy Festival Chair Dixi Stewart says, “The Radio Academy Festival is the place to connect with old colleagues and make new friends. This year’s line-up will spark new connections, provoke creative thought, and define the future of the audio business. Wherever you work in our wonderful industry, it’s an unmissable day of entertainment and information for anyone passionate about the possibilities of audio and sound connections.”
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