Angie Vaughan, station manager at CHY FM on her CBAA Conference experience

“That’s what community radio is about – connection, information and communication”

The last in-person CBAA Conference was held in 2019 in Melbourne. For Angie Vaughan, the new fresh faced station manager of Coffs Harbour Youth and Community Radio 104.1 CHY FM, the conference came at just the right time. Networking with the community radio family helped her benefit from the experiences of others and enabled her to rise to the challenges she faced rebuilding the station. Hear more from Angie: 

If you are a station manager or station administrator debating whether or not to attend the CBAA Conference in Cairns this October, my recommendation is that you go.

When I arrived at 104.1 CHY FM as Station Manager in mid-2019, I walked into a mess of broken furniture, missing contracts, poor IT and no original programming and I thought I’d have to rebuild from scratch.  Attending the 2019 CBAAA Conference in Melbourne, I met with other station managers who had been through similar experiences and was able to connect with them, hear their stories and how they overcame these adversities and built their stations to success. So rather than reinventing the wheel, I could stand on the shoulders of those success stories and knew that support and mentoring were just a phone call/email away. 

The conference itself was a well-designed and coordinated series of informative panel discussions, practical application workshops, and expert speakers. Everything was informative, inspired, and well-presented, and the food wasn’t bad either (I can never complain about Melbourne coffee). I walked away inspired, energised, with a head full of information, and felt part of an exceptional and privileged community. The connections and information gathered have enabled 104.1 CHY FM to rebuild and move forward and given me an overwhelming and much-appreciated business and personal support.

And while the online conference of 2020 was good (although the catering was crap – I really have to learn to cook), I’m so looking forward to getting back in the room with everyone, reconnecting, making new connections and friends and seeing this creative, stoic, entertaining, informative, diverse and supportive community together. So pack your bags, bring lots of business cards, pens, paper, a notepad/book/laptop (and don’t forget your power cables). Beg, borrow, steal (not really), get grant funding – attendance of this event will not only educate, inspire and energise you, but you’ll make some fantastic and valuable connections within the Australian Community Radio sector. And that’s what community radio is about – connection, information and communication. 

Early bird tickets for the 2022 CBAA Conference are available now until 1 Septmber 2022, purchase you tickets today and save over $100.