August 24 and 25, 2025
Little America Hotel in Salt Lake City, Utah

This year, HostCon will be celebrating our 10th Anniversary Conference in Salt Lake City, Utah! Join us at the Little America Hotel for two days of professional development, networking, and growth!

At this year’s conference, in addition to our hosting workshops, we are pleased to welcome Ira Glass, host of This American Life, and Eric Marrapodi, Vice President for News Programming at NPR. Both will join us in-person for insightful and informative conversations designed to make you a better host! Additional special guests will also be announced in the coming weeks.

HostCon participants will also participate in workshops on the following topics:

Prioritizing during hosting shifts 

How early do we prep for our shifts, and what takes precedence? We’ll have a collaborative discussion about how you prepare and plan your show. Then we’ll have a chance to break out into smaller groups (based on station size) for those wanting airchecks.

Hosting breaking news

 In 2024, we were thrown into breaking situations (attempted Trump assassination, Biden dropping out of the presidential race) that required hosts to immediately update and provide context. How well prepared are we to handle the same kind of situation in our own shop? NPR’s Scott Detrow (who speaks from experience!) will provide some input.

The challenges of hosting solo

Whether it’s Morning Edition, All Things Considered, or another program, many of us hosts work alone these days. How easy is it to stick to that strategy when a big national story might change quickly, or we have a lot of our own material to prepare? Others in the same situation will discuss the decision- making process.

Where do we fit in our station’s ecosystem?

What kind of relationship do we have with our reporters, the news director, program director, and others in management? How comfortable do we feel discussing content, and editorial decisions? We’re planning a collaborative chat about your experience, with some ideas to bring back to your shops.

Additional details about the agenda are on our registration page.

Registration Information

Registration this year is $100, plus processing fees. All sessions are being held in person, and there will not be a virtual option in 2025. Registration and payment is via EventBrite. Click the button below to complete your registration.

Hotel Information

A block of rooms is reserved at the conference hotel, The Little America Hotel. There are two room rates available: Garden Rooms for $169.00 per night (plus fees and taxes) and Tower Rooms for $199.00 per night (plus fees and taxes). Inventory is limited — and pricing will go up starting August 1, 2025. Please make your reservations early to receive discounted rates. These reduced rates are being offered in collaboration with the Public Media Content Collective (PMCC) conference, and you will see their branding on the room reservation form.

HostCon Sponsors

Christina Shockley Consulting, LLC is proud to sponsor HostCon 2025.  As a host for more than two decades, Christina recognizes and applauds HostCon’s impact on all of you who are on the air, connecting with the listener, and bringing important information to your community.  For information on air checking, coaching, or on-ar fund drive consulting, please email ShockleyRadio@gmail.com.