Workshops

There will be several workshop/sessions each day on the bus. Roadies will be divided into groups to discuss topics in media, technology, and other related industries. Each group will have half an hour to discuss each topic, and will then have 15 minutes to present their findings to the rest of the bus, as well as answer any questions. All findings will also be posted to the RoadCamp blog.

Day 1 – March 9

Open Session TBD: Boston > NYC
This workshop/session timeslot is open to roadie pitches. While topics must be focused on technology, interested roadies are encouraged to pitch topics unrelated to media. Suggested topics include energy, the environment, and alchemy, but all pitches with a technology focus will be considered.

The Future of Broadcasting: NYC > DC
This workshop will focus on how the broadcasting business model will evolve over the next 5-10 years. Broadcasters will be defined as media entities that license third-party content and/or produce orginal content. While online media have expanded the opportunities to “broadcast,” they have also posed some serious challenges to conventional broadcasters such as local radio and television. Groups will discuss how the broadcaster’s business model will change, and will try to answer the following questions:

• Will broadcasters continue to produce their own content, or rely more on third-party content producers to keep their costs down and remain competitive?
• How will broadcasters monetize? Will they rely on an ad-supported model, or will some continue to pursue a paid-content model, as we currently see with cable television?

Casual Encounters of the Web Kind: NYV > DC
Social media is changing the way we manage and maintain our personal relationships. From friends and family to romantic interests, we know have much broader but shallower personal networks. This session will encourage groups to engage in armchair psychology and armchair sociology, and speculate on how personal relationships are likely to evolve through media, as well as what generational divides are likely to arise as a result of these new social networks.

DC Pit Stop TweetUp
Location TBA

Day 2 – March 10

The Fate of Journalism: DC > Louisville
Despite their immense archive of original content, newspapers and other journalism outlets continue to struggle with how to (1) monetize their content, and (2) compete in a market that’s increasingly over-saturated by new media content producers. During this session, some of the questions that groups will try to address will include:

• How can newspapers adjust their revenue model to remain competitive?
• Is the open information flow of the internet strangely at odds with the mandate of a free and independent press as a business model?
• What outlets have a better chance of survival, local, national, or international?

Open Session TBD: DC > Louisville
This workshop/session timeslot is open to roadies pitches. While topics must be focused on technology, interested roadies are encouraged to pitch topics unrelated to media. Suggested topics include energy, the environment, and alchemy, but all pitches with a technology focus will be considered.

The Next Chapter for Book Publishing: Louisville > Nashville
Online media has not affected the book publishing industry as immediately or severely as it has other media industries. This may change as technologies such as the Kindle create more of a demand for ebook formats, and authors gain more independence from publishing houses. Some of the questions that groups will address will include:

• Will the ebook be an additional format, or is it likely to displace the conventional book as other online media did to newspapers and the recording industry?
• How does the author’s plight differ from that of other media creators, such as journalist, bloggers, and musicians?
• Would author’s gain or lose from a weakened mainstream publishing industry?

Nashville Pit Stop TweetUp
Location TBA

Day 3 – March 11

Has the Fat Lady Sung for the Recording Industry: Nashville > Memphis
The challenges facing the recording industry are well-known. While piracy has cut into sales, digital media have eroded the barriers grip on distributions channels. In fact, many mainstream artists have resorted to distributing their own music, and even giving it away. During this workshop, groups will discuss the possible future outcomes for this industry, exploring themes such as:

• How can labels remain profitable?
• Do recording artists still need the major labels? For production? Or just distribution?
• Will labels continue to matter for distribution?
• Are there any likely outcomes that will be unfair to recording artists?

Open Session TBD: Memphis > Austin
This workshop/session timeslot is open to roadie pitches. While topics must be focused on technology, interested roadies are encouraged to pitch topics unrelated to media. Suggested topics include energy, the environment, and alchemy, but all pitches with a technology focus will be considered.