If you’re an author, actor, filmmaker, podcaster, or radio/tv host, you need to know about the National Religious Broadcasters Convention. It’s held each spring and attracts thousands of Christian communicators from around the world. It’s going on this week in Nashville, Tennessee, and while it may be too late to attend this year’s event (or maybe not), you need to make plans to go next year.
I went to my first NRB convention in 2013. From the moment I stepped foot off the Opryland escalator, I knew I’d found my people and my world. I’ve been going ever since and always promoting it to everyone I know. It is without a doubt the best way to connect with others in the industry.
This year’s experience was a little different for me as I was blessed to be a speaker at the Spark Media Christian Podcasting Conference held as an affiliate event of NRB. What a blessing to connect in person with fellow podcasters, many of whom I’d met online but not in person before. It was a great day of inspiring teaching. Kudos to Misty Philip for all her hard work in pulling it together.
This morning my day started with an informal gathering of film folks hosted by my dear friend Jenn Gotzon. Jenn is not only a beautiful and talented actress, but also a filmmaker. She’s currently promoting her movie Farmer and the Belle as well as a new video Bible study that goes along with it. At the gathering I was also able to touch base with Suzanne Niles from Broadstreet Publishing. Suzanne and I met in the elevator at NRB years ago and look forward to running into each other each year.
Next on the agenda was the Expo Hall. I love stopping at booths and just asking the exhibitors to tell me about their business or ministry. I learn so much and meet so many interesting folks. I learned about Back to the Bible and their programs to help you learn to study the Bible. I met the guys from Headliner, the company that makes those cool audiograms to promote podcast episodes. I talked with Faith Radio, a radio network in Alabama. I found out about His Air, an industry publication about Christian radio. And I met authors and filmmakers and ran into familiar faces from NRB years past and new friends from Spark.
One of the great benefits of NRB is the workshops and panel discussions. I attended the Podcasting to Radio session, a great discussion on the differences between podcasting and radio, and how the two work together. The panel was moderated by Michael Shelley, Vice President & General Manager, NewLife Radio.
Panelists were Gordon Marcy, President, Glorystone Podcasts, Misty Phillip, Founder of Spark Media, Host of the By His Grace Podcast, and Rob Kirkpatrick, Executive Producer, Focus on the Family.
I shared lunch with my friend Wanda McKnight Brock and new friend Monica Schmelter. Wanda is a podcaster. Monica is General Manager WHTN, CTN at Christian Television Network.
My day concluded at the Moody Radio open house where I was blessed to meet in person Dan Craig, Manager of Programming.
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