I think that the list of no shows for the 2006 Podcast Expo says as much about what’s going on as the list of companies that were in attendance. I feel like this is a must attend event for companies who claim to be in the business of podcasting. After all, this is the type of conference that allows you to put a face on the users of podcasting services. This is the type of conference that allows companies trying to make a living off podcasting to hear what people want and need.

Here are some of the more notable no shows:

• Apple - The mack daddy of podcasting kept an ultra low profile at the event. I know that there was at least one person there who works on the iTunes music store. You wouldn’t have known it unless you bumped into him though. They didn’t even except their award for Best Podcast Directory. They’re successful enough so they don’t have to take part. It would be nice if they did though.
• Odeo - I didn’t even hear the word ‘Odeo’ uttered once. Last year I heard the word all over the place. No booth and no meaningful representation for a company that launched to much fanfare in 2005. Perhaps they are working on a plan for the next year and didn’t have time to make it down the pike to Ontario.
• Pluggd - Another Odeo-like player who fronts cool technology and Ajax driven interfaces. Like Odeo, there’s no discernable business model. The 2006 Podcast Expo would be a good place to go fishing for one. They passed in favor of DEMO. And they did so right on the heels of announcing some promising technology for searching audio and video files. They’re obviously looking ahead to bigger rounds of funding.
• PodShow - PodShow’s various personalities were there, but the company wasn’t really represented. Podcasters were invited to the Un-Expo which meant a poolside hang with the cool kids and a chance to be told to remove your podcasts from Blubrry if you sign one of their contracts. Where is this company going and what can they really do to help podcaster’s spread their message? Those were the questions I would like to ask their leadership. Too bad they were busy performing juvenile stunts inside a Hummer limousine. With the new round of funding its pretty obvious that PodShow will soon go past podcasting and move into mainstream media.

Does skipping the biggest event of the year in Podcasting mean doom for these big players in the industry? Most likely not. Apple is very successful with podcasting because their directory serves to increase sales in the iTunes music store. PodShow has proven they can bring in cash via ad deals and partnerships such as BT Podshow.I hear their burn rate is $500K per month though and they may need the long tail users when they’ve whittled down their VC pile back to the six digit range.

Odeo seems to be regrouping by laying off (yes firing) some managers and eliminating the Audioblogger project. They’ve got a decent amount of cash and some time to figure out a sustainable strategy. Pluggd is the most vulnerable player in my opinion. They have the smallest amount of funding and their directory has a smaller user base than the other three players. That said, they also have the most promising technology with their new HearHere media search tool at the early demo stage. If anyone should have been at the Expo it should have been Pluggd. This was a chance to connect with users and explain why people should go with Pluggd over Odeo or Podshow. Alas, the opporunity was missed.

We hear that the 2007 Podcast Expo will be three days long, which leaves plenty of time for networking, demoing and wooing the long tail users in the podcast community. The smart players in the podcasting game will make sure they are represented next year.

[tags]Social Media, Podcasting, Podcast Expo, Apple, iTunes, Odeo, Pluggd, HearHere, PodShow[/tags]