Save the date for PMDMC25 in Philadelphia, July 7-10.

Pre-Conference Cohort Day

Build a problem-solving network that you can call on all year long.
PMDMC Cohorts

Pre-Conference Cohort Day

Build a problem-solving network that you can call on all year long.
PMDMC Cohorts

Monday, August 12, 2024 | 2:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. | Free, no RSVP required

Get a head-start on industry challenges with the Pre-Conference Cohorts, small roundtable discussions facilitated by your fellow public media professionals.

  • Tackle pressing issues: Pick the topic that most suits your needs when you arrive in San Diego on August 12.
  • Build connections that last: Network with fellow station attendees facing similar challenges, then continue these supportive relationships beyond the conference.
  • Get actionable insights: Share best practices, learn from each other’s experiences, and develop concrete strategies to implement back home.

Pre-Conference Cohorts are free for station attendees and do not require pre-registration.

Pre-Conference Cohort Schedule:

2:00 – 3:15 p.m. – Pre-Conference Cohorts Block 1
3:15 – 3:45 p.m. – Break with all cohorts attendees with light refreshments
3:45 – 5:00 p.m. – Pre-Conference Cohorts Block 2

Please note that the pre-conference cohorts are only available to radio, joint licensee, and TV station attendees. 

Cohort topics:

Bring your questions and your success stories for a discussion about digital tools in corporate support. Brainstorm how to utilize digital tools to generate revenue in conjunction with your corporate support underwriting and sponsorship sales and events. Be ready to learn and share some new ideas.

Join us for a conversation with members of the Public Media for All coalition on the role rest can play in community service. We’ll also workshop your plans for rest, resisting grind culture, and embracing your humanity.

Let’s create space together and learn how to build and maintain an employee resource group (ERG) at your station by participating in one at this year’s PMDMC. ERGs are voluntary, employee-led diversity and inclusion initiatives formally supported by an organization. This discussion will outline how ERGs serve as a haven of belonging, offering a space for under-represented employees to find one another, stave off a sense of isolation, and experience a reprieve from the daily aggressions they’ve endured within the workplace.

During this interactive cohort, exchange effective strategies and best practices for retaining members and increasing revenue in uncertain times. The cohort will cover techniques to build trust and loyalty among donors, emphasizing transparency and consistent communication. You will leave with actionable insights to enhance donor engagement and financial stability.

In this radio trafficking cohort, discuss shared challenges, best practices, tools, and tricks. We’ll even examine how AI is sneaking into our world. Join us to connect, learn, and share with your trafficking peers, and go home with real-life ideas to improve your station.

University licensees, share your successes, discuss solutions, and meet new colleagues in this constructive cohort centered on our unique challenges. Join our friendly, interactive dialogue and take a few new ideas back to your station. This session is all about collaboration and brainstorming.

Marketing professionals are invited to discuss visual branding to engage your audience. We’ll discuss examples of campaigns that have and have not worked, and what we have learned by taking chances. We’ll also discuss utilizing diverse local artists, creating a visually exciting brand, and working with limited resources.

If you are a young professional, which we define as under 35 years old, or have been working in public media for under five years (young at heart!), join us to talk about our shared challenges, offer each other support and advice, and establish connections with our peers in the industry.