Dubai Press Club (DPC), organiser of Dubai PodFest, the region’s leading event dedicated to podcasting, today unveiled the agenda of the second edition of the event, which is being held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairman of the Dubai Media Council,on 21 November.

Featuring prominent podcasters, audio content creators and leading organisations in the industry, the event will discuss the future of podcasting and new approaches for developing audio content into a compelling and financially sustainable product. Dubai PodFest 2022 will also examine fresh strategies to accelerate the growth of podcasting in the region and the role of media organisations in supporting the industry’s development in line with Dubai’s vision to be a leader in adopting new technologies and its efforts to consolidate its position as a city of the future and a focal point for digital media development.The event will further strengthen the city’s position as a key market for podcasting and the production of audio content in the Arab world.

Her Excellency Mona Al Marri, Vice Chairperson and Managing Director of the Dubai Media Council and President of DPC, said: “Since the launch of its first edition, the Dubai PodFest has attracted the participation of leading audio content creators in the region who have a huge following. This year, a number of talented podcasters and experts will join the event’s discussions to share their insights on the growth of this nascent media platform and discuss prospects for the sector’s development.

Dr. Maitha Buhumaid, Director of DPC, said that Dubai Press Club is always keen to foster dialogue between professionals on the latest trends shaping the future of media. Over the last two decades, DPC has been committed to launching initiatives that bring together experts from around the world to explore ways to enhance the region’s media. The Dubai PodFest is one of our most recent initiatives that seeks to shed light on the various opportunities that can be unlocked to further develop the podcasting industry, she noted.

Buhumaid welcomed the participants of the second edition of the event, including the global experts who will be joining Dubai PodFest 2022, such as Claudius Boller, Spotify’s Managing Director for the Middle East, North Africa, and South Asia,and Daniel Karlsson, Vice President, Market Development EMEA& Global Strategy at Triton Digital -a global technology and services leader in the digital audio, podcast and monetisation industry-who will be delivering the keynote speech.

Diverse Agenda

In his keynote speech, DanielKarlsson will provide an in-depth analysis of the podcast sector in the region and the various international initiatives taken to bolster the podcast market. He will also discuss the growth outlook for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) podcast market and the need for the region to have its own podcast rankings. Karlsson will also share Triton’s extensive experience, through its operations in over 80 countries, in providing innovative technology that enables podcasters to build their audience and maximise revenue.

The opening session of Dubai PodFest titled ‘The Future of Podcasting in the Region’ will explore the current state of the region’s podcasting industry and its future prospects. Renowned podcasters in the region will come together to discuss the differences between audio and visual content and how to create a profitable podcast.

A session titled ‘PodFest Chat’will address the top challenges currently facing audio content creators and the rising popularity of podcasts in the region. The session will also discuss how Arab podcasters can develop impactful content that engages audiences.

Another panel discussion titled ‘Voice and Video in the World of Podcasts’,is expected to generate insights on the advantages of merging audio with video, a technique used by many podcasters. The session will also touch on the various complementary elements that can make a podcast more compelling.

In another session titled ‘Podcast: Achieving Financial Sustainability’, speakers will share their perspectives on funding. The session will explore how podcasters can secure funding to ensure their podcasts are financially sustainable.

A session titled ‘Rapidly Changing World of Podcasts’ will discuss ways of growing a podcast audience. Speakers will share examples and advice on how to expand audience reach in the Arab world.

Dubai PodFest 2022 will also feature a panel discussion titled ‘Podcasting: A Growing Medium for News’, which will bring together experts from the media industry to share their insights about creating content for podcasts versus TV. The session will discuss why news organisations are opting to launch their own podcast to supplement news broadcasts.

20-minute sessions

The event will also feature 20-minute sessions led by audio content creators who have launched successful podcasts. Podcaster Rana Dawud will speakin a session titled ‘A Journey into the Region’s Music’about her podcast Dom Tak, which airs on Sowt, an independent Arabic podcasting network, while podcasters Bader Noor, Jamal Ramzy and Abdul Rahman Mohammed will speak about their experience of running a satirical podcast in a session titled ‘Art of Satire in the Podcasting Space’.

Workshops

The second edition of the event will also feature two training workshops for media professionals on how to build a brand for a podcast and reach a wider audience base. Rodolph Hilal, Chief Content Officer at Podeo, will lead a workshop titled ‘Creating a Podcast’ while  Ramsey Tesdell, CEO of Sowt Media,  will lead a workshop titled ‘How to Grow Your Podcast to one Million Downloads’.

Dubai PodFest 2022 will also address ways to support content creators in expanding the reach of audio content produced in the region. It will also explore opportunities for collaborating with international podcasting platforms and launching initiatives and programmes that support podcasters.