Update: ADC25 is scheduled for November 10-12 in Bristol and online. Get your tickets here: audio.dev
I have attended my fair share of conferences covering music tech, pro audio, game development, AI, music publishing, game audio, audio engineering and more. One of the strongest reasons I keep coming back to the Audio Developer Conference (ADC) is because of its people-first culture.
The openness to share ideas, troubleshoot common industry problems, fun activities throughout the event, amazing talks, and educational workshops are just some of the traits that make it worth it. But the one element that's a highlight for me is the lack of designation. Yep, you read it right.
ADC is one of those rare events where your name tag never mentions what position you hold, and that's a game changer because it levels the field to start a conversation with anyone and puts away the burden of restricting oneself to their 'scope' of expertise.
In my opinion, best ideas come into existence when the focus is on the topic of the discussion rather than on the designation or affiliation of the person speaking the words.
Now, let me list down a few tips for making the best use of your time at ADC. These are based on my experiences attending various conferences and enjoying the maximum ROI (most of these are equally relevant if you're attending ADC online on the Gather Town virtual venue):
🙂 Be genuine: Yes, I'll start here. The conference is all about YOUR interest first. You're probably attending to gain knowledge, look for opportunities, get advice, or gauge new avenues. Either way, you can only find it useful and engaging if you are genuinely interested in the domain. This subconsciously also shows up in your conversations. If you're new to the industry, or to the topic, be confident in being a student rather than trying to fake your way into it. Listening is sometimes the best thing to do.
After more than a decade of working as an audio director in the creative industry, I felt the proudest being a student again at ADC21! More on this in my article: How ADC helps in your journey
✈️ Plan your travel & accommodation on time: Booking flights early saves you cost, which you can then spend on better accommodation. The airline industry is a mess, I know. Not a fan of dynamic-pricing! Anyway, being early also gives you ample time to plan your itinerary & focus on connecting with people in advance (see point 4).
🗓️ Plan your schedule, during AND after the event: Every good conference releases their schedule well in advance. Check your email for the schedule link for ADC or explore audio.dev for the same.
Most of the first time attendees focus only on the schedule during the event. I'd highly recommend also planning your time before and after, for each day, and use them for meetings, after-event activities and participating in open conversations. The idea for ADCx India, for example, was developed in one such meetup in London. 🍻
📌 ProTip: Even the online version of ADC is filled with meetups and conversations in between talks. The virtual venue stays open throughout the 3 days so you can continue your discussions even after the agenda for the day has concluded.
📢 Let people on social media know about your presence (if you're okay with it): I tend to use "➡️ ADC" or "🔜 ADC" in my profile names so that anytime I comment or post something, my connections get to know that I'm attending the event. This has helped me meet people who I'd have otherwise not found within the 3 days at the event (there are usually 400+ attendees!). I'd also sometimes specifically post about my attendance, in the form of "I'll be at ADC this year. DM or comment if you're attending too". Believe it or not, this has often helped other awesome people who I wanted to meet, to get over their dilemma and show up at the event – a win win!
🚀 I'd suggest using the hashtag #audiodevcon when posting anything related to ADC. You're welcome to tag ADC's official pages when doing so.
📚 Look at what seems most interesting; ignore the FOMO: There are multiple tracks at ADC, meaning there are multiple talks & workshops active at the same time. So you'll need to choose one of those to attend. But worry not, most of these are recorded so you aren't missing out. As an attendee, you’ll continue to have access to all the recordings for a limited time, and these are eventually also published on ADC's YouTube channel (subject to speaker's approvals). Just know that the schedule specifically mentions if any of the talks is in-person only and not being recorded. In any case, reach out to info@audio.dev if you have any questions.
🙋 Got questions about a talk? There's always time: The talks are usually accompanied by a short Q&A session but it might not be enough to accommodate all the queries. So remember, most speakers would hang out after their talk & in the evenings so you will surely get the time to meet them personally. Make use of this opportunity. In case you think you need more time, feel free to ask them for a meeting after the event. This, of course, is dependent on their availability but you'll never know if you never ask. ADC also has aDiscord server 👾 with talk-specific-channels where attendees help each other out even once the event has concluded. Read the ADC onboarding email for the invite links.
🤝 Prepare an “about myself” beforehand: I remember attending my first ADC and quickly realising that I have to introduce myself again and again and again, anytime I meet someone new 😀 So on Day 2, I had a quick & clear one-liner ready. I further iterated it during the course of the event and this helped me not only present myself well but also gave interesting ice breaking points for others. You don’t have to mug up a sentence or boast – that's a hard no. Just keep some keywords that you feel represent you best. Don't worry about getting it right the first time, or ever. This isn't a task!
⭐️ This exercise even got me into an introspecting phase the week after the event and gave me clarity into what I'd like to do next in my life. 🧘♂️ Got a dilemma? Try defining it in one line and see it unfold its layers.
✉️ Make it easy for people to connect with you: I have a custom QR code image that I keep on my phone's home screen. This takes people to a dedicated hidden page on this website, exclusively meant for their eyes only. Meet me at the event and I'll share more details on this. That's the key 🔑 😉
📌 ProTip: Note that everyone meets 100s of attendees during the event, so it's not fair to expect them to remember you, despite all the good memorable moments you shared. I, for example, am really bad with remembering names. So, my suggestion would be to have a notes app and write down name, email & a word or two about the conversation (whenever you find time). When sending them a message later, add that context from the conversation as a reminder. A selfie can help too.
☎️ Ask for contact details: When doing so, be mindful of asking the person how and when they’d prefer to be reached out to. This way you avoid spamming them and your email / message hopefully won’t go missing in their unread inboxes. Also, not everyone is comfortable in sharing their information, so respect their point of view. Privacy holds a lot of importance at ADC.
🏢 Meet the sponsors: Sponsors find as much value in conferences as any attendee would. They’re always on the lookout for talent. Talk to them about the requirements they have and the types of skills that they might be looking for in the future. ADC usually has a spot for sponsor booths where brands present their latest products, share about job openings, and giveaway goodies 🎁 Don't miss this!
📌 ProTip: Remember that companies are businesses – they often need more helping hands than what they mention on their job portals. Letting them know about your areas of interest can open up new doors that you, and even them, never imagined.
🌎 Explore the virtual venue on Gather Town: If you're attending the event online, Gather Town is the application that you'll use. Even if you're attending in-person, you will have access to the virtual venue. The design of the virtual venue is usually inspired by the city in which the main event is hosted, and has options to send messages to other attendees, schedule a call, join through video and more.
If you have never tried the app before, I'd suggest spending 5 minutes of your time to watch this superb walkthrough by Jim Roper who leads everything-tech at ADC (the showcase starts at 2min 47sec into the video):
🎉After-event ideas: Great ideas can kick in during a conversation at a restaurant or while laughing together at a joke. There’s more to life than just work. Finding a common favorite music artist with another attendee can break boundaries! I can write many more examples here but you get the point. In short, don't miss out after-event activities at ADC. Usually, Day 1 is concluded with everyone going to a nearby bar, Day 2 has the ADC Quiz, and Day 3 has Open Mic night – this can change in the future but whatever gets decided for that year, trust me, it's so worth the time.
🙌 Meet the Volunteers: ADC volunteers usually include masters & PhD students, industry professionals, experts and anyone who is willing to directly contribute to the event. They are the first set of people you'd meet if attending in-person (and at some point if attending in the virtual venue). While they're available to help attendees, I would suggest getting to know them beyond that. You'll be amazed by their talents and maybe even find a suitable candidate to collaborate with. I've made some of the best friends at ADC and many of them were volunteers. Some of them even have their own startups now, and a successful one at that!
🎤 Perform at the ADC Open Mic: 5 minutes can be enough for someone to relate with your idea (and even invest in it). Use the Open Mic slot at ADC (usually on Day 3) to present whatever you've been upto – there's really no criteria here. Jokes, researches, products, rants, everything goes. I performed The Audiophile Standup in 2022 and it's been a running series since. Open Mics are hosted both in-person as well as online in the virtual venue at Gather Town. These are not recorded 😉
🍲 Eat well and stay hydrated: ADC has one of the finest food options. As a foodie myself, often attending in a jet-lagged state, this has made me stay energetic through the event. It’s easy to forget to eat and drink specially as the talks go by one after the other and the enthusiasm takes over you. Since you’ll walk (and hopefully talk) a lot during the event, staying hydrated will help a lot. You'll find counters everywhere. Ask a Volunteer if you need help.
🧑🏫 Meet your mentors: ADC has an annual ADC Mentorship Program that connects people from the industry with mentees who are looking for guidance. This a global initiative and has been a huge success since its first batch. Since these connections are all remote, the conference becomes a good moment to finally meet the mentors in person. Look for the Mentorship Meetup in the schedule, and find more details about the program at: audio.dev/mentorship🎓 If you missed it this time, sign up to the ADC Newsletter to get notified about when the ADC Mentorship Program opens next: audio.dev/newsletter
👥 Diversity: ADC is a not-for-profit event and aims to support as many people as possible to have equal participation. The ADC Diversity Grants is a step in that direction. Selected candidates get free in-person tickets, and potentially some support for accommodation too. Check out audio.dev/diversity to know more.
Bonus: Unsure about the event still? Attend ADCx Gather to get a free experience of the online event. Sign up to the ADC Newsletter to stay informed about when it's happening next.
⭐️ Alright then, I hope these points help you in some way. I'll conclude by mentioning that I'm a fan of many audio products and I've been able to meet the creators of all of them at ADC. 😊 And I look forward to meeting you soon!
I have attended my fair share of conferences covering music tech, pro audio, game development, AI, music publishing, game audio, audio engineering and more. One of the strongest reasons I keep coming back to the Audio Developer Conference (ADC) is because of its people-first culture.
📌 ProTip: Remember that companies are businesses – they often need more helping hands than what they mention on their job portals. Letting them know about your areas of interest can open up new doors that you, and even them, never imagined.
