Jay Tyler of Wheatstone with Emilie Gauthier of SAVE Diffusion The Salon de la Radio, which opened its doors on Sunday Feb. 9 at the Centre de conférences et de réceptions Etoile Saint-Honoré in Paris, is drawing in a full house from the Francophone radio world and beyond.
With some 50 paper sessions and workshops — covering programming, technical issues, imaging, research, marketing and digital development — as well as a dedicated floor space for companies to showcase their products and services, the annual three-day event is conveying an upbeat mood and proving to be a dynamic backdrop for all things radio.
TECHNICAL CREATIVITY
Sessions on tap for this year’s edition include discussions on terrestrial digital radio and its evolution in France, a look at the importance of social media for radio stations, how to finance a webradio, and the best digital solutions for local broadcasters.
During Sunday’s keynote speech entitled, “Coaching Secrets and Program Direction,” Bruno Dubois, consultant at stations such as RFM, Nostalgie, Virgin Radio and Fun Radio, examined how to best manage a station’s on-air strategy, how to ensure staff is fully involved in each project, and what type of management to employ to get the results you want.
The show floor of Salon de la Radio According to the organizers, the 2014 Salon de la Radio is playing host to about 50 exhibitors and 3000 visitors from France, Belgium, Canada and French-speaking African countries.
A main Francophone gathering, the event traditionally draws in participants from Francophone regions around the world. This year was no different with an even stronger international presence, particularly from North Africa and Canada. According to Sébastien Negre, editor in chief and program manager for Atlantic Radio based in Casablanca, Morocco, he comes to the show for the conferences and networking opportunities but also for the technical aspect, to see what’s new.
Salon de la Radio, which cleverly combines the technical and creative aspects of radio under one roof, is also hosting the 2014 Union Radiophonique et Télévisuelle Internationale (URTI) general assembly as well as the “Prix ON’R Qualifio” annual radio awards.
Award winners, which were announced Sunday evening, include the MultiCam HD studio from MultiCam Systems in the “Prix du produit de l’année 2014” (product of the year) category. Radionomy for Broadcaster was awarded the “Prix de service de l’année,” (service of the year). Lionel Guiffant, managing director of RCS Europe received the “Prix Maurice Chapot,” which honors those who have contributed extensively to the radio industry.
Among exhibitors on hand are Netia, Wheatstone, SAVE Diffusion, Tieline, Orban, Audiopole, Eurocom and Radionomy.
Salon de la Radio runs until 6 p.m. Tuesday Feb. 12.
