Morning Show Boot Camp 37 kicks off Thursday in Austin. As part of our Countdown to Morning Show Boot Camp series, we spoke with event founder Don Anthony yesterday, who described it as “created by talent for talent.”
Today, we’re exploring the perspectives of some attendees to understand what they’re expecting and hoping to gain from this year’s gathering.
First-Time Attendee Ready to Connect and Learn
Mark “Hawkeye” Louis, co-host of Hawkeye in the Morning on New Country 96.3 in Dallas/Fort Worth, will be attending in person for the first time.
“I attended virtually during the pandemic. During their stop in Dallas in 2023, I signed up but got COVID,” said Hawkeye. “I am excited to finally get to go in person and am looking forward to sharing programming ideas. We don’t often get a chance to listen to other shows, and I’m excited to see how others execute.”
A Creative Reset for Content Leaders
For Throwback Brands CEO Tony Lorino, the event serves as a valuable reset.
“Morning Show Boot Camp is a great ‘reset’ for me on the content creator side each year. I always bring a list of questions about how people are doing what they’re doing, and what they’re finding success with, so I can get some feedback on some of the concepts I’m trying to implement with our shows,” said Lorino. “This is one of the great conferences where the ‘we all learn from each other’ mantra is in full effect — so I encourage people to take that route.”
Uniting All Corners of the Radio Industry
Rob Mack, Operations Manager at Bryan Broadcasting, appreciates that the event brings together radio professionals across experience levels and market sizes.
“I love conferences like this as it brings together folks of all talent levels and market sizes. You’ve got people with 30 years of major market morning experience, sharing the air with people looking for their first shot on a morning show somewhere,” Mack explained. “While the name of the event is ‘Morning Show Boot Camp,’ there’s absolutely value in this for anyone in the radio industry. Whether you do mornings, middays, afternoons, programming, etc.”
Scholarship Opportunity Opens Doors
This year, Lorino is also celebrating a new addition to the event.
“I’m also excited to welcome our Throwback Scholarship winner, Tonya Haze from NRG Media in Central Wisconsin, to this year’s event. Chris Cruise of Throwback 2K championed the idea of giving an all-expense-paid trip to the Morning Show Boot Camp conference to someone who hadn’t attended it before, and we received an overwhelming response. To see Tonya have that opportunity to learn and grow — and see other first-timers attend, learn, and grow — is something I’m excited about.”
Overcoming Fear and Embracing Camaraderie
Like most radio gatherings, camaraderie is a major draw. Lorino encourages attendees to make the most of it by engaging with others.
“The most important thing is to throw ‘fear’ out the window when it comes to approaching people,” says Lorino. “Most of the people in our business, and especially those at Morning Show Boot Camp, want to interact and engage with others, and share their knowledge to help you succeed. If there’s someone whose content you’ve seen online, or whose name you’ve heard of, walk up and say ‘HI!’”
Anthony echoed that sentiment.
“We always tell people the biggest event at our camp is around the bars at night. Not because of drinking, but because of the conversations,” he said. “They usually chase our groups out of the bars, because they’ll spend hours just talking shop.”
Tips for Getting the Most from the Experience
Mack also offered practical advice for those attending.
“A few things…take notes! You will forget things. You want to retain as many things as possible that you learn so you can implement them on your radio station when you get back,” he said.
“Also, introduce yourself. If you see someone not talking to anyone, invite them into a conversation, or strike up a conversation with them. Talk to people who are in the positions you aspire to be in. Talk to the newbies who are attending their first conference. This is a wonderful networking opportunity for all levels of our industry.”
And lastly, Rob has a tip with a smile.
“My co-workers will laugh reading this…bring a water bottle. Lots of talking, you’ll be thirsty quickly. I’m known to ALWAYS have a water bottle next to me, 24/7…so of course I’d say that.”
Find out more about Morning Show Boot Camp 37 here.
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Jeff Lynn serves as Editor of Barrett Media’s Music Radio coverage. Prior to joining Barrett Media, Jeff spent time programming in Milwaukee, Omaha, Cleveland, Des Moines, and Madison for multiple radio groups, including iHeartMedia, Townsquare Media, NRG Media, and Entercom (now Audacy). He also worked as a Country Format Editor for All Access until the outlet shut down in August 2023.
To get in touch with Jeff by email, reach him at Jeff@BarrettMedia.com.
