VO Atlanta is right around the corner (March 23rd – 26th) so I thought I’d share the Pros and Cons of VO Atlanta (at least my version)! Hopefully this will help you decide if it’s for you.

Mike and myself will be there. I’m doing an X-Session that will help you create your PERSONAL BRAND KIT. It will be very interactive and you’ll never have to stress about writing a bio, filling out online casting profiles or writing a submission email to agents. Mike and I will also be doing a fun breakout session together on How to Create a Sustainable VO Career (through the ups & downs). PLUS, there’s an entire KIDS VO tract of the conference and Julie Shaer and Casey Holloway will be leading sessions!

Listen to the Full Podcast!

You’re probably thinking – well this pros & cons list will be biased – based on the fact we’re involved. While there is great value from the conference, it’s not for everyone and may not be the right time.

I wanted to give you a very honest look at the pros & cons of attending VO Atlanta, so you can decide for yourself.

PROS

It is GREAT value for your money
…the GREATEST value being for beginners. You learn SO much for the breakout sessions! To find enough different workshops/classes to equal what you’ll learn in one weekend will amount to much more money than the VO Atlanta registration. Once you are more advanced, the X Sessions will allow you to really dig in deep for areas you want to improve on.

You get to meet tons of VO talent and maintain current relationships. 

Learn about a variety of VO genres.
It’s a perfect place to get exposed to the different opportunities within the voiceover industry. Instead of having to pay $200 for each genre specific workshop, you can experience a ton of different ones in a weekend to figure out which you’d like to pursue.

Expand your resources and find the experts you connect most with.
There will be coaches you connect with and those you don’t. This is a great opportunity to meet potential coaches to see who is the best fit for you.

It will pump you up!
In an industry where feedback is limited and isolation is standard, it can feel tough to maintain motivation. Being surrounded by the voiceover community is a great way to charge up that motivation.

Creates community.
Conferences are shared experiences. They create memories with a group of people. One of my favorite memories from a conference was one Lisa Biggs put on in Charlotte. A group of us stumbled upon this outdoor concert in downtown Charlotte and danced for hours together. We still talk about that.

It’s local…if you’re in Atlanta.
That means you don’t have to pay for a plane ticket or hotel.

CONS

It costs some money.
As you’ve probably already discovered, a voiceover career is an investment with training, home studio equipment and business tools. It doesn’t stop either. You have to continue to invest in continued education, equipment updates, business expenses and more. You may not have the budget for that. One thing that’s great about VO Atlanta is there are usually volunteer opportunities that allow you to attend for no charge.

It’s a BIG conference.
It’s one of the largest, if not THE largest VO conferences. That can feel really overwhelming…especially if you’re an introvert. You may want to start with a smaller conference before jumping into something so big.

Content Overload.
Like I mentioned in the pros – there’s SO many great sessions and learning opportunities that it can become overload. Instead of leaving you feeling excited, it could easily make you feel overwhelmed. I always suggest taking all the notes, soaking up what you can, then the next week, set aside time to look over everything and come up with a realistic game plan.

Advanced VO Talent may struggle to find value.
Many talent that have been doing VO for years have voiced their frustration that they “already know all this.” To justify spending that much on a conference where you feel like you won’t get much value out of is tough.

I can totally understand the last “con.” I’ve been there and thought “I already know this.” But I also want to strive toward “Expert” while remaining a “Child.” I don’t want to lose curiosity or get to a place where I feel like I have it all figured out.

Hope this helps clarify things for you. If you do plan to come to VO Atlanta, PLEASE PLEASE say hi if you see Mike or myself.

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Atlanta Voiceover Studio