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Tuesday, April 28
 

9:00am PDT

Bootcamp Workshop
We explore how  to start, grow and promote your new festival.
A FestForums staple, we discuss the challenges of and hurdles to getting your festival off the ground as well as tips about getting into the film or music business and making a career doing what you love. Whether you’re relatively new to the festival industry or a seasoned professional, you will learn from our team of experts what it really takes to succeed. We encourage everyone to engage in this workshop!
Speakers
avatar for Joanna D. Jackson

Joanna D. Jackson

Booking Coordinator, Madison House Presents
Joanna Jackson’s career in the music industry started on the dance floor. After attending hundreds of concerts and festivals any day of the week throughout high school and college, and working with local bands to help promote their shows, Joanna saw her passion for music quickly... Read More →
avatar for Renee Meriste

Renee Meriste

Company 28, Los Angeles, CA
Renee Meriste boasts extensive leadership experience in the entertainment industry which includes, conferences, tours, events, publishing (print and online), management, agency, record label, music publishing, music distribution, television and film. He has held executive level positions... Read More →
avatar for Leonard Buschel

Leonard Buschel

Reel Recovery
Leonard Buschel is a Philadelphia native, and a very happy Los Angeles transplant. He is California Certified Substance Abuse Counselor with years of experience working with people struggling with addiction. He attended Naropa University in Boulder, CO. Mr. Buschel is the founder... Read More →

Tuesday April 28, 2020 9:00am - 9:50am PDT
The Regency Center

10:00am PDT

State of the Industry: Checking the Festival Pulse
Films, music, food, and art are the backbone of our culture. Festivals are cultural change agents for their “tribes”. When executed thoughtfully, they create memories, reinforce beliefs, open minds and hearts in the communities they serve and hopefully effectuate change. Each new year brings new trends in the festival industry. Our experts tackle why festivals matter now more than ever, how to stay relevant in an ever changing landscape and what the future might have in store for all of us.
Speakers
avatar for Lisa Schwartz

Lisa Schwartz

Festival and Programming Director, Philadelphia Folk Festival
Lisa is the Festival and Programming Director for the renowned Philadelphia Folk Festival.  The 59th annual event slated for August 13-16, 2020 will feature approximately 80 acts on eight stages and will welcome upwards of 35,000 patrons.  With a love for nonprofit service and mentorship... Read More →
avatar for Randall Kline

Randall Kline

founder and Executive Artistic Director, SFJAZZ
Randall Kline, founder and Executive Artistic Director, started SFJAZZ (then called Jazz in the City) in 1983 and served as both Executive Director and Artistic Director until 2008. Over those 25 years Kline led SFJAZZ's growth from a small seasonal community festival to: the establishment... Read More →

Tuesday April 28, 2020 10:00am - 10:50am PDT
The Regency Center

11:00am PDT

Give Me A Minute!
The who’s who and what’s what of our Exhibitors. Get a sampling of some of the ingenious products and services that our partners provide. Be warned- uncontrollable laughing may result when Stu MC’s this show and tell!
Tuesday April 28, 2020 11:00am - 11:50am PDT
The Regency Center

12:00pm PDT

Trends in Ticketing and Event Technology
All festivals require ticketing, but not all ticketing platforms are created equally. From the ticket purchase to the settlement, let’s learn exactly what these platforms can provide. How do the latest trends in data collection and analytics serve the festival economy in maximizing profitability, logistics and more? A FestForums staple, we survey the experts to see what’s new give you the leading edge at your festival.
Tuesday April 28, 2020 12:00pm - 12:50pm PDT
The Regency Center

1:00pm PDT

LUNCH
We will have a list of recommended sites for you!
Tuesday April 28, 2020 1:00pm - 1:45pm PDT

2:00pm PDT

Networking Exercise Led by Stu
We like to play games! For real. Sharpen your memory, humor and be prepared to meet a lot of colleagues in one fell swoop.
Tuesday April 28, 2020 2:00pm - 2:25pm PDT
The Regency Center

2:30pm PDT

How Festivals Can Lesson The Carbon Footprint: Presented by PDC
Festivals are notorious for being bad for the environment with travel  and trash, especially plastics,  leading the culprits. How can you reduce your own festival carbon footprint this year?
Tuesday April 28, 2020 2:30pm - 2:55pm PDT
The Regency Center

3:00pm PDT

Networking and Exhibit Hall Break
Meet the exhibitors that provide your solutions and chat with the other festival folk there! 
Tuesday April 28, 2020 3:00pm - 3:30pm PDT
The Regency Center

3:30pm PDT

Empowering the crowd, and increasing festival and event safety

The growth of the festival scene has increased extensively over the past 10 years.
With this growth how can the industry ensure the safety of the attendees at events?
Promoters have been working hard at introducing and increasing harm reduction policies and protocols, but is it just on the promoter to make the events safe?
The panel will be discussing how we can provide the tools to help foster an environment that empowers the crowd; by looking at new procedures and technologies that can enhance crowd connectivity.

Tuesday April 28, 2020 3:30pm - 3:55pm PDT
The Regency Center

4:00pm PDT

Sponsorship and Marketing
Festivals are in the business of creating valuable experiences. To do so they must be expert marketers. Email marketing, ticketing partners, social media, advertising, media partnerships and leveraging sponsors and influencers are just a few strategies that festivals must optimize. Let’s discuss the experiences, and how we can use them to the benefit of festivals, sponsors and consumers. The sponsorship ball keeps moving and the goal posts move with it. Competition is fierce and standards are high. How do festival sponsorship directors engage brands, ink deals, and activate and provide ROI in this landscape?
Speakers
avatar for Mark Harrison

Mark Harrison

Owner, T1
Mark loves entrepreneurism. He practices it, reads about it, writes about it and has developed MBA-level courses about it, which he has taught at both the Ohio University and Laurentian University. He has made it his mission to help build a future where entrepreneurs feel empowered... Read More →
avatar for Audrey Faine

Audrey Faine

Director of Marketing, Stern Grove Festival
Audrey Faine is the Director of Marketing for Stern Grove Festival Association, an 83-year-old non-profit organization in San Francisco that presents an annual summer concert series that is free to the public. Her background in marketing, public relations, social media and promotions... Read More →
avatar for Beau Blanchard

Beau Blanchard

California Film Institute | Mill Valley Film Festival, Corporate Development Manager
Beau started at the nonprofit California Film Institute in 2009 as the Development Coordinator for the 32nd Mill Valley Film Festival and has since risen to his current position of Corporate Development Manager, now responsible for over $4M annually in cash and trade sponsorships. A... Read More →

Tuesday April 28, 2020 4:00pm - 4:40pm PDT
The Regency Center

4:45pm PDT

Let's All Get Together: Jesse Colin Young speaks!
Tuesday April 28, 2020 4:45pm - 5:20pm PDT
The Regency Center

5:20pm PDT

A Special Treat
Tuesday April 28, 2020 5:20pm - 5:30pm PDT
The Regency Center

5:30pm PDT

COCKTAIL PARTY ONSITE
Grad a drink and discuss what you learned, what you know and how you'll collaborate with your peers and new friends!
Tuesday April 28, 2020 5:30pm - 6:30pm PDT
The Regency Center
 
Wednesday, April 29
 

8:30am PDT

Day 2 - April 29, 2020: Coffee & Check in
Wednesday April 29, 2020 8:30am - 9:00am PDT
The Regency Center

9:00am PDT

The Power of Music in Film and Film in Music
Wednesday April 29, 2020 9:00am - 9:50am PDT
The Regency Center

10:00am PDT

Festival Logistics
From hiring to hammering, top industry professionals discuss the logistics of every facet of starting and running a festival-- from permitting, budgeting, and organizing, to staffing and event production. Don’t miss this chance to learn who’s who, how-to, and the experts’ advice about the do’s and don’ts behind the scenes.
Wednesday April 29, 2020 10:00am - 10:50am PDT
The Regency Center

11:00am PDT

A View From The Board
Let’s face it, sometimes the relationship between Festivals and their boards can be a struggle and no one wins. So, is there a secret sauce to make this partnership work? We will take an inside look with a frank discussion about the challenges, points of friction and ultimately strategic pathways to strengthen a festival’s arc for success.
Speakers
avatar for Peter Gordon

Peter Gordon

Vice-Chairman of the Board, Monterey Jazz Festival
Gordon range of work includes developing media properties, master audio recordings, advocacy, professional development and community engagement. For over thirty years he has served as an officer for boards in multiple non-profits.Gordon has developed, produced and syndicated pop culture... Read More →

Wednesday April 29, 2020 11:00am - 11:50am PDT
The Regency Center

12:00pm PDT

Trends In Ticketing and Event Technology
With festivals doubling down on analytics and use of technology, industry leaders spill the beans on what’s new, and what can move a festival’s needle.
Wednesday April 29, 2020 12:00pm - 12:50pm PDT
The Regency Center

1:00pm PDT

LUNCH
Wednesday April 29, 2020 1:00pm - 2:00pm PDT
The Regency Center

2:00pm PDT

20-20 Putting the Can in Cannabis! Cannabis Integration in your Festival
The industry is young (although the history of cannabis and festivals is not) and so we have assembled our team of experts to give insights into the best practices to incorporate cannabis into your event or festival in 2020. Permitting, sponsorship, accepting funds, and where cannabis use and/or sampling can occur are all front and center when making the decision to bring legal cannabis into your festival. Our panel provides insights into the best practices to incorporate cannabis into your next event or festival.
Wednesday April 29, 2020 2:00pm - 2:25pm PDT
The Regency Center

2:30pm PDT

20-20 Growing Your Event - By Acquisition or Changes Within
Large and small, all festivals crave growth. There are many ways to get there and our festival leaders will tell us how they did/do it.Our reach exceeds our grasp in all areas of life. Such is the case with festivals. How do we break the mold in an ever-crowded space to scale up our attendance and grow? Our film, music and food festivals have successfully done this and they will share the secrets of success with you.
Wednesday April 29, 2020 2:30pm - 2:55pm PDT
The Regency Center

3:00pm PDT

Networking and Exhibit Hall Break
Meet the exhibitors that provide your solutions and chat with the other festival folk there!
Wednesday April 29, 2020 3:00pm - 3:30pm PDT
The Regency Center

3:30pm PDT

20-20 Festivals and the Climate Crisis: FestForums 2020
Wednesday April 29, 2020 3:30pm - 3:55pm PDT
The Regency Center

4:00pm PDT

TBD
Wednesday April 29, 2020 4:00pm - 4:40pm PDT
The Regency Center

4:45pm PDT

KEYNOTE TBD
Wednesday April 29, 2020 4:45pm - 5:20pm PDT
The Regency Center
 
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Tuesday, April 28
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The Regency Center