[mks_dropcap style=”letter” size=”48″ bg_color=”#ffffff” txt_color=”#000000″]R[/mks_dropcap]emember last year’s VidCon? Gutted you weren’t there, right? Thankfully, this year the second edition of VidCon Europe is hosted in Amsterdam again! From March 22nd until March 24th, the Mövenpick hotel next to the Central Station in Amsterdam will be place to creators and businesses involved in the art of video-making. And you, as a student, can go there too!
Less fans and idols, more creators and businesses
A typical YouTube-related event involves screaming teens, endless lines of people waiting and performances by the hottest YouTube creators. But not for VidCon Europe. If you’ve ever seen a vlog about VidCon US, you know that the main aim when going there is meeting your favourite YouTubers. But for VidCon Europe, the organizers attempt to change its image.
It claims to not be a copy of the US version, but be organised differently. This year, opposed to in the US and last year’s VidCon Europe, there is no Community Track. There’s just the Creator and Industry track to get tickets for. This entails less of a ‘fans meet idols’-vibe. For that, you can go to Summer in the City, Veed, TubeCon, DYTG or PlayCon, as suggested by VidCon’s website.
What to expect
So, without a Community track, what can we expect from VidCon Europe 2018? The two remaining tracks, Creator and Industry, leave lots to discover. The first is meant for YouTube creators, the YouTubers, people who create (as the name suggests). The latter for anyone interested in the industry, which includes companies that want to stay on top of trends, businesses that are involved with YouTube and video-creation, and anyone interested in the wondrous world of videos and YouTube.
From the line-up, posted on their website, it seems there’s a big mix of Dutch and international people invited to speak at the event. The line-up of 2017 was mostly focused on creators and YouTubers, but this year mostly business people are on it. There’s CEO’s of (small) companies in the communication sector and, in general, people with knowledge on the subject matter, such as our very ‘own’ Jessica Piotrowski.
Although it’s not quite clear yet how the event is going to be structured, there’ll be a whole lot of information exchanging and sharing. Business insights and the ins and outs of the video-making industry will be exposed. Nothing a Communication Science students wouldn’t benefit from. Although we know a lot about the research and academic background, we know little about the practical implications in the ‘real world’.
How to get tickets
Interested in getting to know more about the video industry? VidCon offers the perfect opportunity. And this year, they make visiting the event even more attractive. Aside from the regular prices for creators and industry, there’s also student prices. Being a student has never been better! Tickets (for all three days) are either €129 for Creator or €399 for Industry. While it’s no cheap event, it is highly prestigious and hosts speakers to die for. Any Communication Science student would benefit from listening to the information and soaking the whole vibe up.
Cover: Kaboompics // Karolina / Final editing: Ramona Nouse
