In person and inspired in Kingston, Ontario

This year, the hallway conversations – participants bursting out of events, eager to keep discussions going – were especially significant at the National Campus and Community Radio Association (NCRA) conference held in Kingston, Ontario, in June.

“You could see the networking happening after sessions. Participants were so energized by the opportunity to connect again with their peers and generate new ideas in person,” says Barry Rooke, Executive Director of the NCRA, a network of about 120 non-profit radio stations in Canada.

Hosted in-person after two years online, the annual NCRA conference brought together radio representatives from across the country for several days of workshops, caucus meetings, and live performances, as well as an awards gala and concert at the Isabel Bader Centre for the Performing Arts.

“The conference is a great way for fellow peers to get together, learn from each other, and share their experiences and stories for the benefit of all,” says Dinah Jansen, Executive Director of CFRC Radio at Queen’s University, which hosted the conference and is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year.

“We wanted to host this year because it was a wonderful opportunity to showcase the work our station has done to bridge communication between our campus and Kingston-area communities for the last century. It was also a chance to support and highlight the incredible musical talent in this city and get them out front and centre.”

The June 1-4 conference was designed as a hybrid event, with participants able to attend in-person or online (overall about 120 attended). Because many community broadcasters have varied travel budgets, this structure allowed for a more inclusive event, with some participants joining online from far-flung corners of the country. The flexibility also allowed organizers to pivot if needed, as was the case for a scheduled outdoor event that shifted online after a thunderstorm rolled in. In addition, organizers were conscious of participants’ preferences for close contact, and everyone wore colour-coded badges that indicated their comfort levels (red, orange, and green).

“There were a lot of hugs and high-fives,” says Jansen. “Everyone was in high spirits and very happy to be in-person, to be having conversations together, and able to head downtown to enjoy Kingston’s waterfront and local restaurants.”

At the conference’s welcome event, held by the water at Murney Tower and Macdonald Park, Tourism Kingston provided information on local and downtown attractions, and how to navigate and use public transit in the small city. Kingston Trolley Tours also set up outside the Isabel Bader Centre after the gala so participants could take a mini-tour of the beautiful waterfront and downtown areas.

“A lot of people really enjoyed the opportunity to go out and explore in the evenings,” Rooke says, noting that the annual conference changes locations each year, on an east, west, and central rotation. “The way that Kingston is set up – with the downtown so close to Queen’s campus – there is flexibility to do that. It is a very welcoming and accessible city, and from the feedback I’ve received, Kingston is definitely one of the top spots we’ve been in for the conference.”

Participants stayed in residence at Queen’s and enjoyed breakfasts in a campus dining hall. Conference events were held in several university buildings, including the Biosciences Complex and Humphrey Hall. The Grad Club on campus served as the unofficial “home away from the conference,” says Jansen.

At these conferences, Rooke explains, the events are important and well-attended, but just as important are the spontaneous opportunities for collaboration and connection – those hallways meetings and post-event gatherings at restaurants and bars.

This year, for example, after speaking at the gala event, renowned radio personality and Queen’s/CFRC alumna Shelagh Rogers gathered with conference participants and shared stories and memories over drinks. “They had the chance to share time with this amazing person. These events are about building those personal connections,” he says.

The NCRA conference also coincided with the Spring Reverb exhibition, held by KPP Concerts, featuring local Kingston artists (including Julia Finnegan, Emilie Steele & the Deal, and Funeral Lakes) and out-of-town headliners, as well as workshops and panel discussions.

The synchrony of the two events made for a dynamic setup, say Rooke and Jansen, with conference-goers able to attend the Spring Reverb concerts and discussions, many of them focused on the broadcasting industry in Canada. Community members could also attend select NCRA events.

“Kingstonians really, really love their music scene, and this was such a great opportunity for local musicians to get out of the local bubble and be seen and heard by diverse audiences,” says Jansen, adding that the city is often referred to as the musical capital of Canada, for its exceptional range of talent and support for musicians.

“This conference brought everyone back together in person, to live and laugh and learn from one another – what a triumph for CFRC, the NCRA, and local artists.”