Podcasting first emulated the “upfront” showcase of new programming in 2015, with the first annual IAB Podcast Upfront in New York. The upfront format, invite-only for media buyers from leading ad agencies to attend free of charge, was borrowed from TV networks.
A group of leading podcast publishers is executing a series of city-specific upfronts called Podfront (started as the Winter Podcast Upfront in Los Angeles in February), and the Detroit edition is happening today. The presenters at Podfront Detroit are:
- Cadence13
- ESPN
- iHeartRadio
- Midroll
- NPR
- PodcastOne
- Wondery
The event is sponsored by two podcast advertising firms, Authentic and PMM (Podcast Media Marketing).
Tom Webster, SVP at Edison Research, serves as keynote speaker to frame the event. A twenty-minute presentation from each network fills in the morning. After lunch advertisers and networks can conduct pre-scheduled meetings to discuss business.
Next stop in the Podfront tour is San Francisco in September.