The Internet Advertising Bureau’s annual UK Podcast Upfronts event is making a return for its fifth year in October 2023, giving advertisers and industry bodies an opportunity to preview upcoming content from some of the sector’s biggest names.
The event will feature sessions and presentations from some of the IAB UK’s sponsors, including Audioboom, Fresh Air Production, Global, Octave, Sony Music, and Wondery. In the past, these sessions have included guest appearances from podcast creators like Katherine Ryan, Jessie Ware, Fearne Cotton, Jon Sopel and Jamie Carragher.
Tickets are free of charge and available to book now through Eventbrite. This year’s event will once again be held at The Steel Yard in London on 19 October, from 2PM to 5PM. This year, IAB UK is making more efforts towards sustainability at the event by opting for a vegetarian menu, limiting printing of one-use items, re-using event lanyards, and working with suppliers that align with their sustainability goals.
"Podcast Upfronts was the original IAB channel Upfront back in 2019 and since then has gone from strength to strength as listening, ad investment and the breadth of content has rocketed," said Catherine Cribbin, head of partnerships for IAB UK. "We're pleased to see some familiar Upfront faces returning, as well as welcoming Wondery and Octave to the party. For brands and agencies looking to superpower their podcast planning and hear about the latest slates from some of the biggest players in audio, Podcast Upfronts is where it's at."
Highlights from last year’s Podcast Upfronts included a launch announcement from Crooked Media for Pod Save The UK, the recently-launched adaptation of its hit political podcast Pod Save America hosted by comedian Nish Kumar. Formula 1’s lead podcast editor Chris Browning-Brant was also interviewed during a session with Audioboom on how podcasts like F1: Beyond The Grid with journalist Tom Clarkson and F1 Nation helped grow the brand.
The annual IAB UK Podcast Upfronts is just one of the Upfronts events that the bureau holds over the course of four weeks. Other events include the annual Digital Upfronts, Gaming Upfronts, and the inaugural launch of Connected TV and Retail Media Upfronts.
