2023 Conference Schedule
Join us for three days full of sessions spanning from professional development webinars centering around Covid reopening protocols, contracts and booking, accessibility and technology, and team building to artist information exchange panels in a variety of genres. Learn about the process of crafting equity statements, join break-out discussion groups on department-specific topics, and end your day relaxing with colleagues!
Schedule subject to change.
Schedule subject to change.
Wednesday, May 31
8:30 am Registration / Information Open LOBBY
Complimentary breakfast offered to hotel guests.
9:00 - 10:00 am New Colleagues Session Grand Ballroom
New to the conference? Been a few years? Join us!
MELANIE WEIR | President, California Presenters | Associate Director of
Education & Community Engagement, Luther Burbank Center for the Arts
ALLY HAYNES-HAMBLEN | CP Vice President & Treasurer | Executive Director, Eisemann Center for Performing Arts
10:00 - 11:00 am Professional Development Breakout Sessions
A. Keeping your Board Healthy and Fit: Board Engagement and Development Grand Ballroom
Getting the right people on the bus; The role of the governance committee; Board self-assessments;
Term limits: pros and cons
MICHAEL SIMKINS, ED.D. | Executive Director/CEO, Spokes Resources for Nonprofits
B. Technically Speaking: Schoolhouse Conference Room
Contracts and Tech Riders for Non-Tech People
Decipher contracts and tech riders as a programmer, without annoying your production staff.
ED EDSTRADA | Board Member, California Presenters | Vice President, Operations, McCallum Theatre
11:00 - 12:00 am Roundtable Discussions
Discussions centering on a specific and timely topic.
A. Equity Initiatives Grand Ballroom
Facilitator: MARIE-REINE VELEZ | Board Member, California Presenters |
Assistant Director, USC Visions and Voices
B. Collaborating with Orchestras and/or Pops Programming Schoolhouse Conference Room
Facilitator: ELENA GRACE SMITH | CP leadership Mentee | Assistant Dir. La Jolla Music Society
12:00 - 1:00 pm Luncheon - RIO CITY CAFE, 1110 Front St, Sacramento, CA 95814
1:15 - 1:30 pm Welcome & Opening Remarks Grand Ballroom
MELANIE WEIR | President, California Presenters | Associate Director of
Education & Community Engagement, Luther Burbank Center for the Arts
1:30 - 2:15 pm Keynote Address with Brandon Gryde Grand Ballroom Direct from the National Endowment for the Arts leadership, a unique opportunity to share
your thoughts on upcoming funding guidelines and current programs for performing arts.
BRANDON GRYDE | Presenting & Multidisciplinary Works and Artist Communities Director
and Acting Senior Director for Multidisciplinary Arts and Equity, NEA
Followed by a moderated Q&A with
ALLY HAYNES-HAMBLEN | Vice President & Treasurer, California Presenters |
Executive Director, Eisemann Center for Performing Arts
2:15 - 3:15 pm Artist Information Exchange Panel & Discussion - DANCE Grand Ballroom
Moderator: ILAAN EGELAND MAZZINI | Director of Programs & Activations, BroadStage
Panelists: REBECCA CARSON| Managing Director, Lisa Smith Wengler Center for the Arts, Pepperdine University
MICHAEL SAKAMOTO | Performing Arts Curator, Asian & American Arts & Culture Program Director, UMass Fine Arts Center
3:15 - 3:30 pm Break LOBBY
3:30 - 4:30pm Artist Information Exchange Panel & Discussion - CLASSICAL MUSIC Grand Ballroom
Moderator: CHAD HILLIGUS | CEO, Gallo Center
Panelist: LAURA SCHMIEDER | Director, iPalpiti Artists International
4:30 - 5:30 pm Affinity Group Forums
Casual gatherings meant to foster connections among attendees with similar interests.
A. Arts Education & Youth Program Staff Grand Ballroom
Facilitator: RUTH ROSENBERG | Director of Arts Education and Artist Engagement,
Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts
B. Marketing & Patron Services Professionals Schoolhouse Conference Room
Facilitator: BRIAN PEEBLES KAMEOKA | Director of Marketing, Carpenter Performing Arts Center
4:30 - 5:30 pm Leadership Program Orientation Stagecoach Conference Room
For select mentor and mentee participants. By invitation only.
CHAD HILLIGUS | Board Member, California Presenters | CEO, Gallo Center for the Arts
ALLY HAYNES-HAMBLEN | Vice President & Treasurer, California Presenters |
Executive Director, Eisemann Center for Performing Arts
6:00 - 8:30 pm Reception - Embassy Suites Hotel Tower Bridge Room A & Patio
Thursday, June 1, 2023
8:30 am Guided Meditation Stagecoach Conference Room
8:30 am Registration / Information Open LOBBY
Complimentary breakfast offered to hotel guests.
9:00 - 10:00 am Affinity Group Forums
Casual gatherings meant to foster connections among attendees with similar interests.
A. Development Professionals Grand Ballroom
Facilitator: CHAD HIILIGUS | CP Board Member | CEO, Gallo Center for the Arts
B. Outdoor/Festival Programmers Schoolhouse Conference Room
Panelists: AMBER JO MANUEL | CP Board Member| Executive Director, The Center for the Arts
and California WorldFest
BRUCE LABADIE | Artistic and Festival Director, San Jose Jazz
10:00 - 11:00 am Roundtable Discussions
Discussions centering on a specific and timely topic.
A. Operating Models for Community Organizations: Non- Profit vs. Government Grand Ballroom
Facilitators: CAROLYN MERINO MULLIN | Executive Director, Oxnard Performing Arts Center
RANDALL VOGEL, CFE | Assistant Director, Theaters & Operations, Mesa Arts Center
B. Programming/Marketing Intersection and Your Audience Schoolhouse Conference Room
Facilitator: ALLY HAYNES-HAMBLEN | Vice President & Treasurer, California Presenters |
Executive Director, Eisemann Center for Performing Arts
11:00 am - 12:00 pm Professional Development Breakout Sessions
A. Going Digital: Trends in Performing Arts Management Schoolhouse Conference Room
Learn more about your colleagues’ contracting and scheduling practice—within
CP and nationally—and embracing digital.
Hosted by OPENDATE
B. There Oughta Be a Law: Unfair Ticketing Practices Grand Ballroom
Understanding upcoming legislation and your role in advocating against unfair ticketing practices.
Facilitated by CALIFORNIANS FOR THE ARTS:
JEAN JOHNSTONE | CAA Contracts Policy Analyst + Lecturer, Arts & Cultural Policy,
Goldman School of Public Policy, UC Berkeley
PRISCILLA QUIROZ | Lobbyist with Shaw Yoder Antwih Schmlzer & Lange (CAA's Lobbying Firm)
KARA Q. SITH, CFTA | CAA Programs Manager
12:00 - 12:45 pm Annual Business Meeting Grand Ballroom
1:00 - 2:00 pm Luncheon - Embassy Suites Hotel TERRACE 1
2:30 - 3:30 pm Artist Information Exchange Panel & Discussion - JAZZ / BLUES Grand Ballroom
Moderator & Panelist: ERIC BLOOM | Director of Artistic Planning, BroadStage
Panelist: LILLY SCHWARTZ | Director of Programming, SFJAZZ
3:30 - 3:45 pm Break LOBBY
3:45 - 4:45pm Artist Information Exchange Panel & Discussion - COMMERCIAL ARTISTS Grand Ballroom
Moderator: ED ESTRADA | Vice President of Operations, The McCallum Theatre
Panelists: CHRISSY HALL | Director of Concerts, Ryman Auditorium
JONATHAN SERRET | City of Thousand Oaks Cultural Affairs Director, Bank of America PAC
4:45 - 5:45 pm Artist Information Exchange Panel & Discussion - COMEDY / CABARET Grand Ballroom
Moderator: TIINA MITTLER | Director, Haugh Performing Arts Center, Citrus College
Panelists: ANITA WIGLESWORTH | Vice President of Programs & Marketing, Luther Burbank Center for the Arts
MEGAN KLINE CROCKETT | Executive Director, The Carpenter Center
6:00 - 8:00 pm Reception - The Mondavi Center for the Arts
Buses will leave from the front of the Hotel at 6:00 pm & 6:15 pm
Buses will return from Mondavi Center at 7:30 pm & 8:05 pm
Friday, June 2, 2023
8:30 am Registration / Information Open LOBBY
Complimentary breakfast offered to hotel guests.
9:00 - 10:00 am Professional Development Breakout Sessions
A. Investments, Endowments, Reserves, Oh My! Grand Ballroom
You mean I have to book shows, sell them, manage staff, and understand money?! Help!
Never get lost in your finance committee again.
DAREN BLONSKY, CFP, CDAA, AIF | President & CEO Sonoma Wealth Advisors
|
B. Accessibility is About More Than Wheelchair Ramps Schoolhouse Conference Room
Examine presumptions about accessibility and how to evolve with your community.
BETTY SIEGEL | Director, Office of Accessibility and VSA | The Kennedy Center
10:00 - 11:00 am Artist Information Exchange Panel & Discussion - SPEAKERS Grand Ballroom
Moderator: SHARLENE O'KEEFE | Executive Director, Poway Onstage
Panelists: MARIE-REINE VELEZ | Assistant Director, USC Visions & Voices
GINNY HAYWARD | Director of Programming/Board Liaison, Irvine Barclay Theatre
11:00 - 11:15 am Break LOBBY
11:15 - 12:15 pm Artist Information Exchange Panel & Discussion - GLOBAL ROOTS Grand Ballroom
Moderator: ANNA CROSS | City of Tracy Cultural Arts Manager, Grand Theatre Center for the Arts
Panelists: NEAL COPPERMAN | Executive Director, AMP Concerts
FARRELL HIRSCH | CEO, Muckenthaler Cultural Arts Center "The Muck"
12:15 pm Close of Conference / Drawing Grand Ballroom
Must be present to win!
8:30 am Registration / Information Open LOBBY
Complimentary breakfast offered to hotel guests.
9:00 - 10:00 am New Colleagues Session Grand Ballroom
New to the conference? Been a few years? Join us!
MELANIE WEIR | President, California Presenters | Associate Director of
Education & Community Engagement, Luther Burbank Center for the Arts
ALLY HAYNES-HAMBLEN | CP Vice President & Treasurer | Executive Director, Eisemann Center for Performing Arts
10:00 - 11:00 am Professional Development Breakout Sessions
A. Keeping your Board Healthy and Fit: Board Engagement and Development Grand Ballroom
Getting the right people on the bus; The role of the governance committee; Board self-assessments;
Term limits: pros and cons
MICHAEL SIMKINS, ED.D. | Executive Director/CEO, Spokes Resources for Nonprofits
B. Technically Speaking: Schoolhouse Conference Room
Contracts and Tech Riders for Non-Tech People
Decipher contracts and tech riders as a programmer, without annoying your production staff.
ED EDSTRADA | Board Member, California Presenters | Vice President, Operations, McCallum Theatre
11:00 - 12:00 am Roundtable Discussions
Discussions centering on a specific and timely topic.
A. Equity Initiatives Grand Ballroom
Facilitator: MARIE-REINE VELEZ | Board Member, California Presenters |
Assistant Director, USC Visions and Voices
B. Collaborating with Orchestras and/or Pops Programming Schoolhouse Conference Room
Facilitator: ELENA GRACE SMITH | CP leadership Mentee | Assistant Dir. La Jolla Music Society
12:00 - 1:00 pm Luncheon - RIO CITY CAFE, 1110 Front St, Sacramento, CA 95814
1:15 - 1:30 pm Welcome & Opening Remarks Grand Ballroom
MELANIE WEIR | President, California Presenters | Associate Director of
Education & Community Engagement, Luther Burbank Center for the Arts
1:30 - 2:15 pm Keynote Address with Brandon Gryde Grand Ballroom Direct from the National Endowment for the Arts leadership, a unique opportunity to share
your thoughts on upcoming funding guidelines and current programs for performing arts.
BRANDON GRYDE | Presenting & Multidisciplinary Works and Artist Communities Director
and Acting Senior Director for Multidisciplinary Arts and Equity, NEA
Followed by a moderated Q&A with
ALLY HAYNES-HAMBLEN | Vice President & Treasurer, California Presenters |
Executive Director, Eisemann Center for Performing Arts
2:15 - 3:15 pm Artist Information Exchange Panel & Discussion - DANCE Grand Ballroom
Moderator: ILAAN EGELAND MAZZINI | Director of Programs & Activations, BroadStage
Panelists: REBECCA CARSON| Managing Director, Lisa Smith Wengler Center for the Arts, Pepperdine University
MICHAEL SAKAMOTO | Performing Arts Curator, Asian & American Arts & Culture Program Director, UMass Fine Arts Center
3:15 - 3:30 pm Break LOBBY
3:30 - 4:30pm Artist Information Exchange Panel & Discussion - CLASSICAL MUSIC Grand Ballroom
Moderator: CHAD HILLIGUS | CEO, Gallo Center
Panelist: LAURA SCHMIEDER | Director, iPalpiti Artists International
4:30 - 5:30 pm Affinity Group Forums
Casual gatherings meant to foster connections among attendees with similar interests.
A. Arts Education & Youth Program Staff Grand Ballroom
Facilitator: RUTH ROSENBERG | Director of Arts Education and Artist Engagement,
Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts
B. Marketing & Patron Services Professionals Schoolhouse Conference Room
Facilitator: BRIAN PEEBLES KAMEOKA | Director of Marketing, Carpenter Performing Arts Center
4:30 - 5:30 pm Leadership Program Orientation Stagecoach Conference Room
For select mentor and mentee participants. By invitation only.
CHAD HILLIGUS | Board Member, California Presenters | CEO, Gallo Center for the Arts
ALLY HAYNES-HAMBLEN | Vice President & Treasurer, California Presenters |
Executive Director, Eisemann Center for Performing Arts
6:00 - 8:30 pm Reception - Embassy Suites Hotel Tower Bridge Room A & Patio
Thursday, June 1, 2023
8:30 am Guided Meditation Stagecoach Conference Room
8:30 am Registration / Information Open LOBBY
Complimentary breakfast offered to hotel guests.
9:00 - 10:00 am Affinity Group Forums
Casual gatherings meant to foster connections among attendees with similar interests.
A. Development Professionals Grand Ballroom
Facilitator: CHAD HIILIGUS | CP Board Member | CEO, Gallo Center for the Arts
B. Outdoor/Festival Programmers Schoolhouse Conference Room
Panelists: AMBER JO MANUEL | CP Board Member| Executive Director, The Center for the Arts
and California WorldFest
BRUCE LABADIE | Artistic and Festival Director, San Jose Jazz
10:00 - 11:00 am Roundtable Discussions
Discussions centering on a specific and timely topic.
A. Operating Models for Community Organizations: Non- Profit vs. Government Grand Ballroom
Facilitators: CAROLYN MERINO MULLIN | Executive Director, Oxnard Performing Arts Center
RANDALL VOGEL, CFE | Assistant Director, Theaters & Operations, Mesa Arts Center
B. Programming/Marketing Intersection and Your Audience Schoolhouse Conference Room
Facilitator: ALLY HAYNES-HAMBLEN | Vice President & Treasurer, California Presenters |
Executive Director, Eisemann Center for Performing Arts
11:00 am - 12:00 pm Professional Development Breakout Sessions
A. Going Digital: Trends in Performing Arts Management Schoolhouse Conference Room
Learn more about your colleagues’ contracting and scheduling practice—within
CP and nationally—and embracing digital.
Hosted by OPENDATE
B. There Oughta Be a Law: Unfair Ticketing Practices Grand Ballroom
Understanding upcoming legislation and your role in advocating against unfair ticketing practices.
Facilitated by CALIFORNIANS FOR THE ARTS:
JEAN JOHNSTONE | CAA Contracts Policy Analyst + Lecturer, Arts & Cultural Policy,
Goldman School of Public Policy, UC Berkeley
PRISCILLA QUIROZ | Lobbyist with Shaw Yoder Antwih Schmlzer & Lange (CAA's Lobbying Firm)
KARA Q. SITH, CFTA | CAA Programs Manager
12:00 - 12:45 pm Annual Business Meeting Grand Ballroom
1:00 - 2:00 pm Luncheon - Embassy Suites Hotel TERRACE 1
2:30 - 3:30 pm Artist Information Exchange Panel & Discussion - JAZZ / BLUES Grand Ballroom
Moderator & Panelist: ERIC BLOOM | Director of Artistic Planning, BroadStage
Panelist: LILLY SCHWARTZ | Director of Programming, SFJAZZ
3:30 - 3:45 pm Break LOBBY
3:45 - 4:45pm Artist Information Exchange Panel & Discussion - COMMERCIAL ARTISTS Grand Ballroom
Moderator: ED ESTRADA | Vice President of Operations, The McCallum Theatre
Panelists: CHRISSY HALL | Director of Concerts, Ryman Auditorium
JONATHAN SERRET | City of Thousand Oaks Cultural Affairs Director, Bank of America PAC
4:45 - 5:45 pm Artist Information Exchange Panel & Discussion - COMEDY / CABARET Grand Ballroom
Moderator: TIINA MITTLER | Director, Haugh Performing Arts Center, Citrus College
Panelists: ANITA WIGLESWORTH | Vice President of Programs & Marketing, Luther Burbank Center for the Arts
MEGAN KLINE CROCKETT | Executive Director, The Carpenter Center
6:00 - 8:00 pm Reception - The Mondavi Center for the Arts
Buses will leave from the front of the Hotel at 6:00 pm & 6:15 pm
Buses will return from Mondavi Center at 7:30 pm & 8:05 pm
Friday, June 2, 2023
8:30 am Registration / Information Open LOBBY
Complimentary breakfast offered to hotel guests.
9:00 - 10:00 am Professional Development Breakout Sessions
A. Investments, Endowments, Reserves, Oh My! Grand Ballroom
You mean I have to book shows, sell them, manage staff, and understand money?! Help!
Never get lost in your finance committee again.
DAREN BLONSKY, CFP, CDAA, AIF | President & CEO Sonoma Wealth Advisors
|
B. Accessibility is About More Than Wheelchair Ramps Schoolhouse Conference Room
Examine presumptions about accessibility and how to evolve with your community.
BETTY SIEGEL | Director, Office of Accessibility and VSA | The Kennedy Center
10:00 - 11:00 am Artist Information Exchange Panel & Discussion - SPEAKERS Grand Ballroom
Moderator: SHARLENE O'KEEFE | Executive Director, Poway Onstage
Panelists: MARIE-REINE VELEZ | Assistant Director, USC Visions & Voices
GINNY HAYWARD | Director of Programming/Board Liaison, Irvine Barclay Theatre
11:00 - 11:15 am Break LOBBY
11:15 - 12:15 pm Artist Information Exchange Panel & Discussion - GLOBAL ROOTS Grand Ballroom
Moderator: ANNA CROSS | City of Tracy Cultural Arts Manager, Grand Theatre Center for the Arts
Panelists: NEAL COPPERMAN | Executive Director, AMP Concerts
FARRELL HIRSCH | CEO, Muckenthaler Cultural Arts Center "The Muck"
12:15 pm Close of Conference / Drawing Grand Ballroom
Must be present to win!
Thank you to our generous 2023 Conference sponsors!
Banner photo credits: Photo 1: Tien Hsieh, classical pianist; Patricia Segoviano de Pier and Dave Pier, Harris Center for the Arts at Folsom Lake College; Phil Esparza, CSU Monterey Bay World Theater, Seaside; Randy Vogel, Mesa Arts Center, Mesa, AZ Photo 2: Amber Jo Manuel, Center for the Arts, Grass Valley speaking to California Presenters members at The Strand Theater-American Conservatory Theater, San Francisco Photo 3: Simone Eccleston, John F. Kennedy Center for the Arts, Washington D.C.; Meena Malik, New England Foundation for the Arts, Boston, MA