In May 2024, I attended the week-long Euro VO [voiceover] Retreat in Barcelona, Spain, put on biannually by Anna Collins Events & J. Michael Collins’ team at JMC Demos. I registered a year in advance, after missing it for several years.

The setup

The event is held in May and October, in various rotating European cities. Registration includes local transportation, meals by a private chef, and in-depth sessions (90 minutes or more) from voiceover coaches, talent managers and casting directors by invitation. It also includes two VO demos produced by JMC Demos.

With fewer than 30 attendees, I was excited to network with other VO professionals in a deeper way, and learn insider knowledge on the industry, where trends are ever-changing. So this blog is not divulging all the “tea,” but rather, some VO pro highlights and insights based on my experience as a first-timer. (Spoiler: I loved it and I’m returning next year for the retreat in Holland!)

The sessions

Here’s a breakdown of the sessions for this retreat:

• Brigid Reale: All Things Non-Broadcast*

• Jessica Bulavsky: TV and In-Show Narration, Promo

• Andia Winslow: Sports Promo, TV and In-Show Narration, Physicality in Voiceover

• JMC: Political Commercials, Cutting Edge Commercial Trends

• Kay Bess: Brand Imaging TV Commercials*

• Mami Okada: Gaming, Anime*++

• Bill Farmer (surprise guest): Animation

• Sara Jane Sherman: Animation*++

• All presenters: Leveling Up*

*The sessions I attended are starred above, and I’ve added some notes and quotes from most of them in separate blogs (7 total). These notes are not exhaustive—they’re just meant to whet your appetite (you’ve gotta go to Europe and experience the event for yourself)!

++ While I attended the latter portion of these 2.5-hour sessions, animation, gaming and anime are not my VO focus, so I don’t have notes on them. I wanted to stretch myself a little and read the kind of scripts I normally pass on. (And I talked to Sara and Mami so much that I figured I should at least try! Check out my anime read.)

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