Walking into a room full of internet users, one may expect to see people huddled in a corner glued to their phones. But at YouTube convention Playlist Live, the video creators enraptured their admirers by talking about the industry and discussing business with other YouTube stars.
Event-planning group AKT Enterprises hosted the inaugural D.C Playlist Live on Sept. 4 through 6, and the event drew viewers from around the country. Over 180 content creators engaged with the crowd, talking with visitors
“I had been a fan of many of the creators for a long time, so when the opportunity to see them talk about their work in person came along, I jumped at the chance to go,” Allison Kraus, a freshman in the School of Communication, said.
AKT Enterprises previously organized six other Playlist Live conventions in Orlando, Fla. and Secaucus, N.J., but this was their first year coordinating it in Washington, D.C.
As with some first-time events, there were problems with Playlist Live. Some attendees complained that Playlist Live did not release the schedule until the week of the event. Some of the panelists were also changed on the same week as the event.
Despite last-minute planning, several attendees said the panelists held interesting, insightful conversations related to the YouTube community.
During a panel entitled “What You Say Matters,” British film and video creator Thomas Ridgewell discussed questions that content creators may ask themselves during the video producing process.
“If someone were to take something away from this video, what would it be?” Ridgewell asked the audience.
For the attendees and panelists, Playlist Live offered a rare opportunity to meet and talk with other creators.
“I feel like working for Playlist [Live] truly gave me the opportunity to be myself with amazing content creators and influencers around me,” Andy Lalwani, a sophomore in the School of Communication, said.
Playlist Live offered guests a variety of ticket options for the convention. For more expensive tickets, there was the expectation that attendees would get an exclusive experience of special panels and industry mixers.
“There was not that much programming, and it seemed to be catered to fans more than anyone else,” creator Jenny Holmquist, known as MagicCatJenny on YouTube, told The Eagle. “Their business day was very underdeveloped as were many of the panels.”
Several visitors without exclusive tickets managed to attend business panels, which included popular YouTubers, such as Ricky Dillon, and were intended for those who paid higher admission prices.
Even with the hiccups in the planning for Playlist Live, there was palpable excitement throughout the entire convention. For the attendees, meeting their favorite creators seemed to cause overwhelming joy. For the creators, meeting their viewers did the same.
“I had been interested in the YouTube community for a long time and getting to see the creators interact with their audiences in a place outside of my computer screen was worth it,” Kraus said.
