Blog > Event Planner Interviews
Interview - Midwest Yoga Conference
Today we are speaking with Jane James, who is working with Jonny Kest to pull off the 13th annual
Midwest Yoga Conference this May.
TravelingOms.com: How did the Midwest Yoga Conference come about?
Jane James: When Jonny first started it 13 years ago, the main goal was to highlight teachers who were just trying to get out there. Teachers who had special talents but maybe weren’t marketing themselves nationally or who hadn’t yet made a name for themselves. Jonny wanted to create an event where they could expand their reach beyond their immediate community.
TO: Wow – 13 years! How has the conference evolved from when it first began?
JJ: Over the years, we have stayed pretty true to our foundation. We keep the conference more boutique and personal. We definitely do bring in some Rock Stars, but we also book a lot of teachers that people may have never heard of but are highly recommended in their own yoga communities.
TO: So recommendations are important?
JJ: Yes. Most of our newer presenters are here because people have suggested them to us. We rely heavily on recommendations from others. That tells us whom our audience wants to see. If we get emails or even just have personal conversations about how amazing so-and-so’s last workshop was, we take notice. The Midwest Yoga Conference is always the first to grab the best up-and-coming!
TO: What else do you look for?
JJ: We try to keep it fresh and include all kinds of teachers from around the globe. If we have multiple applicants for a certain type of yoga, and one is from a place we have never had a teacher from, say, North Dakota, we may give that person a chance so we can see what the yoga community in North Dakota is doing.
TO: Recommendations, location – does anything else help you to narrow down your applications?
JJ: One thing that stands out is persistence. If someone applies year after year we’ll tend to gravitate towards him or her since we know they are serious. Also when we get an application we will do a little bit of Internet research – see what else they’ve been up to. Historically, the ones out there putting in a lot of effort to promote themselves seem to make the more successful presenters.
Also, some of our choices are made by gut instinct. We’ll see a workshop idea that sounds interesting and hope that our audience thinks so as well. We like to keep the sessions unique so any eclectic idea will usually get a second glance from us.
TO: How does someone apply to be part of the Midwest Yoga Conference?
JJ: Currently they just email info@midwestyoga.com and we will let them know what we need from them. We accept applications year round, but our faculty of presenters is usually set in stone about 10 months before the conference. If you send in an application after that we may consider you for the next year.
TO: Any other advice for getting included in the Midwest Yoga Conference?
JJ: Attend the conference! Introduce yourself to us!! Volunteer! (to volunteer, email us at info@midwestyoga.com)
We are a smaller boutique conference so it's really lovely to be able to actually meet everyone in person or sit down and have lunch together.
Looking forward to meeting you soon :)
If you would like to have your event highlighted on our blog, please contact us at jslis@travelingoms.com
