About two years ago I found myself at a networking event, stuck in a situation we’re all too familiar with, a conversation I had genuinely tried to give everything to, but every question I asked landed flat. I had well and truly run out of material.
Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted a bright green bag across the room. Looking for any exit cue I could find, I blurted out, “Love your bag!” (Truthfully, I didn’t love it that much).
The owner of the green bag clocked my desperation and became my exit strategy.
Within minutes, we worked out we both listened to the same podcast, which led us down a deep rabbit hole of pop culture headlines, our relationship dramas, and the joys of navigating your twenties. Needless to say we were inseparable for the rest of the night.
Since we listened to the same podcast, we already shared similar interests, perspectives and reference points, so we skipped the small talk entirely.
It may sound somewhat obvious, but that’s the power of podcasts. They act as social filters, connecting like-minded people who might otherwise never cross paths.
The owner of the bright green bag was Soph Greiner? That’s my now co-founder. That moment ended up shaping the thesis behind our company, Dome.
Dome co-founders: Soph Greiner and Bella Filacuridi
Podcasts have quietly become part of the fabric of our daily lives, they soundtrack our commutes, walks, grocery shops, but more than that, they shape how we understand the world and ourselves.
And yet something about the experience had always felt incomplete to us. We’re laughing at the same jokes, reflecting on the same advice, or feeling seen by the same story, yet chances are you’ll never meet the other people listening.
Communities around podcasts remain largely invisible. Dome challenges that; we bring together like-minded communities who exist behind one degree of digital separation. That gap is what inspired us to launch DomeFest, Australia’s first podcast fan festival. Set to take on March 29 at the Hordern Pavilion in Sydney, you can expect thousands of listeners gathering for a full day of live podcast shows with some of the country’s most influential voices.
The lineup includes Momentum from Missing Perspectives with Kat Sasso in conversation with 14x world champion diver Rhiannan Iffland and Sydney Swans Co-Captain Chloe Molloy, Psychology of Your 20s with Jemma Sbeg, the #1 psychology podcast in the world, It’s A Lot with Abbie Chatfield, Big Small Talk with Hannah Ferguson and Sarah-Jane Adams, and hosted by Milo Hartill.
The response from the industry has been overwhelming. As more podcasters reached out asking how they could be involved, we realised the appetite for these conversations went far beyond one stage. This week we announced a second stage that platforms an even broader range of voices, including Mundanara Bayles’ Black Magic Woman – part of BlackCast, the first podcast network owned and led by First Nations people, Mamamia’s You Beauty with Kelly McCarren and Amy Clark, Australia’s largest beauty podcast, and But Are You Happy? with clinical psychologist Dr Anastasia Hronis and empowerment coach Ashani Dante.
Between shows, the space comes to life with DJs, food trucks, bars, community activations and debrief zones, all centred around connecting like-minded people and forming new friendships around the shows they love.
But the idea behind DomeFest isn’t just about putting podcasts on a stage. It’s about recognising something that has been happening quietly for years: podcasts have become one of the most powerful storytelling spaces for women.
In an industry where women’s voices are still underrepresented in traditional media, podcasting has allowed a new generation of creators to build audiences on their own terms.
At its core, DomeFest is a women-founded, women-led cultural experience celebrating the conversations shaping young women today – around ambition, relationships, identity, feminism, careers, pop culture and everything in between.
The truth is, we need more places that bring women together, especially in today’s world. Spaces where stories are shared, and friendships form naturally around the things we care about. If you listen to the same podcast as someone, chances are you already have a lot to talk about, you might just spot someone with a green bag. DomeFest, Australia’s first podcast fan festival, takes place on March 29 at the Hordern Pavilion in Sydney. Missing Perspectives readers receive $10 off the first 20 tickets here.