The rise of social media and mobile devices is set to dominate this year’s Radio Asia conference.

The annual regional industry seminar is set to take place in Hanoi, Vietnam from 29-31 July.

One of the scheduled workshops will focus on social media and mobile reporting, which allows journalists to get stories out to a global rather than national or local audience.

Another session will look at the move to mobile devices for all communication including radio. Speakers think that mobile can be a massive opportunity for radio broadcasters rather than a threat.

Other sessions include how storytelling through radio can take on new dimensions through the use of mobile devices and citizen journalists to help break important news stories.

Radio Asia will bring together leading radio practitioners, industry specialists, policy makers and academics.

The conference is organised by the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union (ABU).

Speaking ahead of the event, Mr Nguyen Dang Tien, President of the Voice of Vietnam (VOV) said, ‘Social networking is currently dominating while the growth of mobile social media has also been phenomenal. No doubt, at RadioAsia we will discuss on how to keep pace with current trends of social networking platforms to create better content to keep radio sustainable and influential.’

Asia Radio Today will preview other seminars in the days leading up to the conference.

You can register on line at: http://event.abu.org.my/radioasia2013/event_reg/