April 26, 2024 – Croatia 2024: Where to go, what to do? A new live show from TCN CEO Paul Bradbury launches on a boat on the Adriatic on Sunday at 17:00.
Being a Boomer in the modern media age is a scary thing. For years, things were done more or less the same way, and it was comfortable. When I started this project in October 2011, things were pretty similiar to the way I still did things a couple of years ago. Words, words, words, and a news portal that was the leader in its niche, relying on its users to read, read, read.
Things change.
For too rapidly for this Boomer.
Transitioning from my comfort zone of words and hiding off-screen with my keyboard, the necessary transition to video has been one of the most uncomfortable things of my ‘career’ so far. But you can’t argue with the numbers – when a quick TikTok can get you 400,000 views, and a superbly crafted article only 4,000, it is clear that the time has come to adapt or die.
When a chap called Igor Vuk and I decided to do a YouTube channel together, I was a little unsure how I would feel or what the reaction would be. I went round to his place to brainstorm, and after a couple of beers, he suggested we record something. As the beers flowed, we recorded 17 videos in a couple of hours. The next day, the first one was live – amassing 52,000 views and in the media in 4 countries in the first 24 hours. My 5 Favourite Words in Croatian can be viewed above.
Just as I was getting comfortable with the YouTube format, along came another Igor who asked if I would be interested in doing a TikTok channel. No, I replied in horror. I can’t dance for one, and what would the kids think? Over a beer or two, he explained that most businesses were looking to TikTok as a major platform, and as niche sites on social media are becoming more trusted than mainstream media, the opportunity was huge. To make it easier for me, Igor II told me I didn’t have to do anything, he would just adapt the videos from YouTube.
I was a little skeptical but gave him my blessing…
An incredible 400,000 views in 24 hours. What the hell was I doing blogging all these years?
It has been a journey of highs and lows, and I am still getting used to being randomly accosted on the street by strangers asking for selfies with ‘the TikTok guy.’ But one thing is for sure – video is here to stay, and my beloved written word as a source of news and features is in its twilight years. I wish it were not so, but to je to.
Tourism promotion by video is the market leader, and so time to step out of my video comfort zone for the third time to see how making tourist information as accessible as possible works – by going live on the Internet.
Croatia 2024, Where to Go, What to Do? is a concept that has been swirling around in my head for a year. A live show from a different location each (roughly) week, with a cool expert guest to take viewers deeper into the destination, before doing a live Q&A session. Expected length of the show will be an hour, but if there is lots of interest and questions, we can go on longer.
Given my technical deficiencies, I was looking for a cool guest whose coolness extended to being a master of the tech, so that I could learn lessons while having the guarantee that I would not have to worry about the technical side. I will be nervous enough going live on the Internet for the first time. Few people fit the bill more than Nick Hathaway from 45 Degrees Sailing. Having seen him deliver the tech at conferences with tiny budgets, and having watched his awesome sailing videos on the 45 Degrees Sailing YouTube channel, I know he is the perfect guest to start this show.
Sailing in Croatia will be the topic of the first episode of Croatia 2024: Where to Go, What to Do? and Nick will be taking me out somewhere on the Adriatic before sitting down with me and a few cold ones to give you an overview of sailing in Croatia – what you need to know, top destinations, a detailed video guide of his favourite route, where to eat (without revealing his top secret places), what assistance there is for those sailing.
It will be hugely informal and hopefully a lot of fun, and we will do our best to get through all questions we are asked. If nothing else, tune in for the awesome 45 Degrees videos, which will make you fall in love with Croatia again and again.
This first episode will be live-streamed on Facebook and YouTube only, and we plan to add TikTok as I get more confident with the tech. You can watch on the following channels:
Paul Bradbury Croatia Expert YouTube channel
Unusually for me, this is a commercial project, so if you are a destination interested in having a show and special guest on Croatia 2024: Where to Go, What to Do? contact me on [email protected] Subject Croatia 2024 (DESTINATION).
See you on the High Seas on Sunday at 17:00 CET.
