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I think perhaps you could concentrate on nextrad.io. This is a lot cheaper (my ticket cost £99 in 2012) than the radio festival and is perhaps more relevant to people ‘at the coal face’ of radio. I have to say I have never been to the radio festival, but I enjoyed nextrad.io.

It is well worth trying to get along to some of the radio academy events. You can qualify for free associate membership if you are active member of a hospital, student or community radio station. Perhaps your course would mean you qualify? Send them an email and I’m sure they’ll let you know.

http://www.radioacademy.org/join/

A friend suggested getting in contact with a local station and asking them if I can piggy back onto their invites…

Stations don’t get ‘invites’ – they have to pay for any of their people to attend and not all stations/groups are represented. It’s been known for some groups not to have a presence at the Radio Festival and anybody who is there from them is usually paying out of their own pocked.

There are some cheaper options for Radio Festival attendance (including a ‘student rate’) and even if you have to join, as David Board said, the annual sub is £25 unless you qualify for free membership.

They needed volunteers this year at the radio festival. That’s one way of getting to meet people and network.

Given what you want to do as a career, the £25 a year RA membership fee is something you really need to consider.