This past weekend, UCSB held its fourth annual Women in Media Conference at the McCune Conference Room in HSSB. The two-day event, held by the Women in Media Committee every spring, focuses on “empowering and educating students interested in women’s roles and issues within the entertainment industry.” This year, the conference had many special guests at its panels, including professionals from ABC, Sundance Film Festival, Hulu, BuzzFeed, and many more.
Image via Women in Media Committee
The conference mainly consisted of different panels, such as the Producers Panel and the New & Digital Media Panel, with different women in the industry answering questions and talking about their experiences working in the entertainment world. Some panels, particularly the First Few Years, Marketing & PR, and Leading Ladies Panel, consisted solely of UCSB alumni who offered their stories of how their time at UCSB as helped them get to where they are today.
A major theme that came up throughout the different panels was the idea of fearlessness. Whether it’s not being afraid to voice your ideas at a writers’ table or having the courage to ask a professional in the industry to mentor you, many agreed that fearlessness is an important characteristic to have as a young women trying to find her place in the media industry.
Many also brought up the importance of hard work but in an unexpected way. Though they may not seem like much, little things like writing personalized thank you notes, making friends with people in the industry, asking to sit in on meetings, and even just remembering what your boss does and does not eat can get you a long way. It’s in these moments that employers can see that you care about your work, yet at the same time, it’s things like these that many people forget to do.
Image via Sally Paik // Leading Ladies Panel
Overall, I felt like listening to all these successful women speak at the Women in Media Conference was really empowering. I think what really stood out to me especially was all the support you could feel in the room with the panelists not only offering their advice to the conference attendees but also showing support for their fellow panelists as well. For anyone interested in a career in media, I highly recommend attending this event next year as an opportunity to learn from and get connected with people in the industry.
Special thanks to the Women in Media Committee for hosting the event. You can find them on Facebook or Instagram to stay connected and get more information on future events.