2012 ANNUAL CONFERENCE

SEPTEMBER 4-8 , DENVER

Every roster, routing, production, season, and project has one… that breakthrough moment when you cross the threshold–when all the hard work pays off and process turns to performance. Western Arts Alliance helps you get there.

WAA brings together peers, performances, professional development, guest speakers, and exhibits to inform, inspire, and advance your work.

at the 2012 Western Arts Alliance Annual Conference.

COVER Denver skyline at sunset, photo courtesy of VISIT DENVER

LEFT Cass King of The Wet Spots; photo by Frank Roberts, Helianthus Photography, courtesy of Elsie Management

The best in live music, dance, theatre, and more. WAA takes your work to new heights. Check out more than 180 exhibitors and 80 performances during the conference.

PICTURED Joe Goode Performance Group, Humansville; photo by RJ Muna,

courtesy of David Lieberman Artists’ Representatives

Build connections, discover new approaches, and enhance your knowledge of touring, artist management, and presenting. Find out how keynote speaker Alan Pierson, Artistic Director of the Brooklyn Philharmonic, is reinventing the orchestra–and making magic in the process.

PICTURED Alan Pierson, photo by Michael Rubenstein, courtesy of Brooklyn Philharmonic

Tap the collective experience, gain insight, hone intuition, and seek the muse of performance, friends, and colleagues. WAA’s workshops, panels, roundtables, and peer networking sessions keep you up to date in a rapidly changing world.

PICTURED Hugh Masekela; photo by Elijah Star, courtesy of Opus 3 Artists

LEFT PAGE (clockwise from top left) Hyatt

Regency Denver at Colorado Convention Center

and the landmark Blue Bear, photo courtesy of

VISIT DENVER; Karen Jantsch, Long Center for the

Performing Arts, meets up with Nicole Olson and

David Starry from Scorpius Dance Theatre; Aeros,

photo by Trella Mendl Design Group Inc., Luca

Missioni, courtesy of Columbia Artists Management

Inc.; Matias Tarnopolsky, Cal Performances,

speaking with Jenny Bilfield and Ruth Mikusko,

Stanford Lively Arts; Finnders and Youngberg,

Quicksilver Productions; Cindy Ornstein and

Mandy Buscas from Mesa Arts Center chat with

an agent; Derrick McBride, Opus 3 Artists, meets

with Kelly Kuper, Parker Arts, Culture & Events;

Sybarite5 performing at the 2011 Juried Showcase;

Gates Concert Hall (inset), Newman Center for the

Performing Arts, site of the 2012 Juried Showcase.

RIGHT PAGE (clockwise from top center) Mary

M. Matthews, New Frontier Touring, Michael

Wolke, Yulunga Arts, and Paul McGill, Circus Oz

share a moment at WAA’s 40th Anniversary

Conference in Los Angeles, photo by Chyna Chuan;

Calo Flamenco performing in the 2009 Juried

Showcase; Beth Macmillan, Artown Festival, and

Margaret Lawrence, Hopkins Center, Dartmouth

College; Son de Madera performed at Performance

West 2010, photo courtesy of Eye for Talent; Ken

Waldman, Nomadic Productions, pitches Robin

Pomerance, Cal Performances, and Lindy Sisson,

The ACT Arts Centre and Theatre; Mike Garson

performing at the 2011 Juried Showcase; The 2012

Annual Luncheon features two amazing bands:

The Dunwells, photo by Ami Barwell, courtesy

of Playing In Traffic Records, and Denver’s own

Andy Hackbarth Band, photo courtesy of AH

Entertainment; David Fischer (inset), Broadway

Center for the Performing Arts and Past-President

of Western Arts Alliance.

Unless credited, all photography by The Photo

Group, San Francisco, CA.

High, Wide, & HandsomeDenver is a city of extraordinary space–gorgeous

parks, a downtown pedestrian mall, the second

largest performing arts center in the United States,

and a vibrant urban center. The Mile-High City

also boasts a cultural community with a breadth

that defies expectation. Nearly a third of Denver

is Latino or Hispanic, its burgeoning indie music

scene is making waves coast to coast, and the

Science and Cultural Facilities District annually

distributes more than $40 million dollars to

300 organizations. This ain’t no cowtown.

Denver’s vibe is tailor-made for WAA: casual, friendly,

and laidback–but ambitious. The gorgeous Hyatt

Regency Denver at Colorado Convention Center is

without a doubt the finest convention hotel that’s

ever housed the conference. Just outside the Hyatt,

there’s convenient shopping and dining for every

taste and budget. A short walk away is Larimer

Square with some of Denver’s best boutiques and

restaurants, and of course the hip-happening LoDo

(Lower Downtown).PICTURED (clockwise from left to right) Live Concert in Civic Center Park, photo by Steve Credelius,

courtesy of VISIT DENVER; Delegates registering at the 2011 Conference; Stephanie Bettman,

Bettman & Halpin Band; Thinking Outside the Box, a 2010 panel with (left to right) Chris Douridas,

KCRW Los Angeles, Liz Garo, Spaceland / The Echo and The Autry Center, Lynn Hasty, Green

Galactic PR, Damon Aaron, artist, and Megan Jacobs, The Roxy.

The CommonsWAA’s combination meeting, event,

and exhibit space encourages discovery,

conversation, and connection. For 2012,

the Annual Conference features over 180

exhibits, breakouts, & many independent

showcases–all under one roof!

The 2012 program includes two

pre-conference workshops on

Wednesday, September 5.

Doing the Deal is an intermediate-level

primer on deal structures, strategies,

and terms.

Using Social/Mobile Media to Promote

your Artist/Band serves up the social

media essentials for anyone involved

in promoting an artist.

an innovative and focused performing arts market

Professional DevelopmentWe’ve got dozens of expert speakers,

workshops, panels, and roundtables

led by the best and brightest in the

field. This year’s topics include taxation

of foreign artists, innovating the field,

social media, and managing the complex

relationship between artist and agent.

Performance & Discovery Whether you are an artist, exhibitor, or presenter, discovery

is the engine that propels the conference. Juried Showcases,

Performance West, Independent Showcases, sponsored

performances, artist keynotes, and speed leads–WAA’s new

pitch sessions–all reflect the breadth and depth of touring

performance in the West.

authentic, handcrafted, heartfelt & beautiful

Performance West Performance West, WAA’s festival within the

conference, features two exciting evening-length

public shows on Friday, September 7, curated

in partnership with Swallow Hill Music, Denver

Botanic Gardens, and Arts & Venues Denver.

PICTURED (Clockwise from above) Aspen Santa Fe Ballet, one of seven companies and artists in

the 2012 Juried Showcase, photo by Sharen Bradford, courtesy of Columbia Artists Management

Inc.; Pat Metheny, photo courtesy of Ted Kurland Associates; Carry On, photo by Amanda Tipton,

courtesy of Ballet Nouveau Colorado.

Carry On LEFT PRESENTED BY ARTS & VENUES DENVER

Carry On, the collaborative project of Ballet Nouveau

Colorado and Denver folk rockers Paper Bird, was one

of Colorado’s unequivocal hits of 2011. The “Americana”

ballet choreographed by Garrett Ammon, Artistic

Director of BNC and a founding member of Trey McIntyre

Project, features Paper Bird performing live. Carry On

evokes a grange hall dance–authentic, handcrafted,

heartfelt, and beautiful.

Pat Metheny Unity Band LEFT PRESENTED BY DENVER BOTANIC GARDENS

& SWALLOW HILL MUSIC

Pat Metheny’s versatility is nearly without

peer on any instrument. This concert

shows Pat with a brand-new band: sax

great Chris Potter, renowned drummer

Antonio Sanchez, and the phenomenal

young bassist Ben Williams. New band,

new ideas–it’s the genius of Pat Metheny.

authentic, handcrafted, heartfelt & beautiful

Connections & NetworkingIf discovery is the engine that drives the conference,

then surely networking is the fuel. Trusted relationships

are essential to the success of every artist, agent, and

presenter. And with a variety of hospitality events, dine-

arounds, showcases, plenary sessions and roundtable

conversations, every conference event becomes a chance

to expand and revitalize your network.

New Colleagues, Mentoring & NextGenStarting out can be overwhelming (hell, so is sustaining

a career in these times), that’s why WAA goes the

extra mile to help you connect and succeed. Our New

Colleague Program welcomes first-time attendees.

Conference Mentoring pairs performing arts professionals

to build purposeful relationships. NextGen introduces

you to future leaders of the field.

PICTURED (left to right) A rendezvous in Long Beach with Mary M. Matthews, New Frontier

Touring, Cathy Weiss, Del E. Webb Center for the Performing Arts, Betse Grassby, Strings

Music Festival and Gregory Little, New Frontier Touring; Michelle Witt, UW World Series, and

Cindi Hubbard, independent consultant, engage with Bertha Cea Echenique, U.S. Embassy

in Mexico City, at WAA’s Annual Luncheon.

relax, revive, reconnect and enjoy

Hospitality WAA offers four hospitality events free with

a full registration and two ticketed events

you won’t want to miss! From the Opening

Reception to the Annual Luncheon and

Closing Event–an authentic Rocky Mountain

WAAB’Que–WAA’s generous hospitality

events are scheduled to give you time to

relax, enjoy yourself with colleagues and

clients, reconnect with old friends, and make

new ones.

relax, revive, reconnect and enjoy

Want to Exhibit or Register? Full details plus registration information at westarts.org

The Conference 4112012 Western Arts Alliance Annual Conference, September 4-8

Early Registration (now through July 13) $425 members/$525 non-members

Conference Hotel: Hyatt Regency Denver at Colorado Convention Center

rate $155+ tax, (303) 436-1234

& AMPH ITHEATRE

Creating Futures in Music & Culture

Please join us in thanking our sponsors

PICTURED Red Rocks Amphitheater, part of Arts & Venues Denver; photo by Steve

Credelius, courtesy of VISIT DENVER

explore. discover. connect.2012 ANNuAl CoNFERENCE

SEPTEMBER 4-8, DENVER

GO! register @

715 SW MORRISON STREET SUITE 600 PORTLAND OR 97205

T 503-274-4729 F 503-274-4768 DE

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