Podcast Movement’s NYC debut kicked off last week on Manhattan’s far west side, beyond the luxury car dealerships and just shy of the river. 

Home base for the conference was Terminal 5, a multi-story industrial concert hall favored by rock and hip-hop artists, EDM acts, and DJs. In theory, this was a daring choice. A trade conference typically held in hotel ballrooms or carpeted conference centers was taking over a venue once played by the Arctic Monkeys and Kendrick Lamar. A real “welcome to New York” move. Exciting! 

But as bewildered podcast executives shuffled through the security line’s metal detectors and bag checks, a vague sense of tonal dissonance crept in. One flustered attendee couldn’t believe she wasn’t allowed to bring in an open can of seltzer — a common rule for a concert, but a tad draconian for a work conference. 

Once inside, the logistical challenges of cramming nearly 90 sessions into one echoey space over two days became thuddingly apparent. Speaking areas were packed together with little buffer in between. Even the mainstage was split by a temporary wall, allowing simultaneous presentations by two different speakers. To avoid sound bleed, the entire program was miked and programmed to color-coded headphone channels, letting attendees tune into their speaker of choice.