For almost all of 2020 Covid-19 was the bane of travel and public gatherings everywhere, and voiceover conferences were no exception. Event after event was canceled, and voice talent were left in their usual booth-based habitats in solitude. As much as many of us would love to get together, a respiratory virus in our industry is no joke, and that’s leaving out the many other possible complications due to individual health issues. Several conferences did offer some content virtually, but nothing was up to the usual snuff for our mutual strong gathering desires.
Unfortunately, the sudden nature of restrictions in 2020 caught many event producers off guard. As the year progressed, uncertainty about the safety of mass gatherings kept things difficult to schedule for future months. It’s easy to imagine that gatherings costing tens of thousands of dollars may be difficult to both schedule and to cancel.
So you may be wondering, what does 2021 hold for our beloved conferences?
Virtual Voiceover Conferences
Virtual is the name of the game for most of them. Several have put off dates very far, I would imagine hoping for germ free environments that far away, but many have decided to play it safe and keep offerings online and worry free for all attendees. 2021 marks a new political administration for America, and also what is likely a very different response to the virus, but given the challenges of the last year, it seems logical to play it safe at least one more year until things are in the clear. Even the vaccine doesn’t offer an instant cure, as it needs 2 doses to be effective, and does not last for more than a few months worth of protection. Whatever your decisions about attending events and being in public, stay safe and keep those pipes healthy!
Thankfully, for any folx whose incomes have dropped a bit it looks like many of the conference fees are much smaller due to online only events. It seems likely that this would also be a great year for those whose budgets are normally hindered by air fare, hotel, and conference fees to get a chance to mingle and learn. Below is information on every major conference I could find. Not all of them have updated their event schedules for the new year, but I’ve tried to include as much information as I could about them anyway.
2021 Events
***Will be updated as information becomes available.
VO Atlanta– This mammoth conference had to cancel its conference in 2020 due to the oncoming coronavirus. They caused some significant waves in the industry by not refunding ticket prices to former attendees. The conference has already made a decision that it’s April 19th-25th event will be entirely virtual. There is a great deal of content available in past years, although they have not announced their current schedule yet.
MaVO– The Mid Atlantic Voiceover conference is another that has already made it’s move online for 2021, setting their dates far out in the year in November. Their event will be the 12-14th of that month on Zoom. The organization also has regular virtual events if you’re looking for some industry company.
VoxyLadies Summit– This ladies only brainchild of Lisa Biggs has decided to buck the trend and schedule their next conference for 2022. They’re aiming for January 20-22nd. This conference is a bit smaller than the others, and based in Charlotte, NC. Although they have not announced their conference schedule at this point, they are offering both a full registration fee, and a smaller fee for those who want to hold their spot for the conference.
AVOX– This newcomer is one of the few trying for a live in-person event. They’re aiming for July 2nd, 2021 in LA. Their inaugural event was intended to be in 2020, but was cancelled for the obvious reasons. The website says their goal is to celebrate the 100 best actors in video games, anime, and animation. Their guest list shows many high-end-talent names, so if those are your desired genre to work in, this looks like a great place to be.
That’s Voiceover– This glittery conference has not announced 2021 plans as yet, but their signature awards ceremony was held virtually last year, so I would imagine they’re likely to put their conference there as well. Joan Baker and Rudy Gaskins always put together a full and interesting event for attendees.
One Voice Conference– This conference’s main in-person events are UK based, but they have had events in the USA before. They’ve not announced their plans for 2021 as of this writing, but given their previous virtual events in the USA, I would imagine it’s likely they’ll go that way again if they have events in our country. (And probably in their own.)
APAC 2021– The audiobook central conference has announced it’s online offerings for May 6-7th, May 10-12, and one last element on May 14th. Their days are very full with lots of offerings, so if audiobooks is your thing, this looks like a good spot to be in front of your computer. Although you will lose out on the ability to rub shoulders with publishers and producers, there are quite a few excellent workshops available, as well as the always popular speed dating event.
eVOcation– This newer conference is focused on the business aspects of voiceover work. They held their 2020 event online, so it seems likely they would do the same for 2021. Their event last year was held in September, and they have not currently announced their plans. The conference has taken an unusual tack in it’s business related focus, as most conferences focus on the acting and technical side of the industry. If you’re feeling lacking in that arena, this could be a great place to end up.
No matter what your plans for 2021 are, most people seem to be keeping gatherings virtual for the moment.
While that’s disappointing for our in-person-loving folks, don’t forget that you’re able to create an event of your own at any time. Weekly or monthly meetups whether with a few friends or many could not only cheer you up, but make a difference to your colleagues as well. The uncertainty in the air has kept everyone a little restless and stir crazy. If you’re having a tough time, you’re not alone. There are many online groups with other talent, and it’s not too hard to find a group of compatible people to virtually visit with or discuss business endeavors. Let’s all hope for the days we can see one another in person again very soon!