Concurrent Breakout Sessions
Friday January 24, 2025 at 11:15am1 hour
Hear from your Levitt network peers during these concurrent breakout sessions, on topics such as volunteer management, youth engagement, creative placemaking, and more! We’re thrilled to spotlight grantees from across Levitt locations who will share inspiring ways to broaden reach and deepen impact in your community. Learn more about each session in the descriptions below.
As we continue to plan our time together, we appreciate if you would share which concurrent breakout session you’re interested in attending by taking this quick survey. Please note, your selection is not binding. Our team is using this information for planning purposes and to get a sense of each session’s space requirements.
Creative Placemaking in Action
Location/Room: TBA
Moderated by Vanessa Silberman, Executive Vice President
Looking to deepen the impact of your Levitt music series by further connecting people to place and community? Learn how three Levitt grantees are leveraging the principles and practices of creative placemaking to layer the free concert experience with dynamic activations and opportunities to connect—from engaging community members in curating the series to injecting creativity into the physical space to spotlighting local businesses, nonprofits, and vendors. Attendees will leave with actionable ideas for engaging with audiences in memorable and fun ways to build pride of place, foster belonging, and inspire additional investment.
Sadie Ash
Kristin Hubbard Dostal
Eric Linares
Vanessa Silberman
Volunteer Management: Building Stronger Communities Through Engagement
Location/Room: TBA
Moderated by Kimberly James, Senior Programs Manager
From small towns to larger cities, the Levitt network relies on dedicated volunteers to create vibrant outdoor music experiences. Panelists from three Levitt communities will share their journeys, challenges, and successes, offering a roadmap for engaging, organizing, and retaining volunteers. Gain insights into showing appreciation, communicating effectively, and empowering volunteers through training and sense of ownership. Whether you’re starting or enhancing a volunteer program, this session will offer valuable insights to strengthen your efforts, deepen volunteer connections, and amplify your impact.
Amanda McDaniel
Spike McGuire
Laura Mullen
Becki Zaglifa
Kimberly James
Levitt Concerts as Platforms for Advancing Causes
Location/Room: TBA
Moderated by Amber Withers, Ph.D., Program Officer
Explore the power of Levitt concerts in driving social change by using music as a catalyst for community engagement and advocacy. This panel will discuss how series partnerships have successfully brought attention to important social causes, from food insecurity to cultural awareness to destigmatizing mental health. Through shared experiences, panelists will highlight how partnerships with local organizations can amplify the impact of live music in creating meaningful conversations and actions around a range of social initiatives. Join us to discover how music and activism intersect to drive positive change at the grassroots level.
Ali Blair
Rose Ann Hofland
Shayna Super
Amber Withers, Ph.D
Amplify Youth Engagement Beyond the Stage
Location/Room: TBA
Moderated by Victoria Bridenstine, Vice President of Programs
Want to inspire the next generation? During this session, hear how four Levitt communities leveraged their music series to engage with youth, from skill-developing internships to pre-concert programming to hands-on activities throughout the concert series. In this interactive session, you’ll have the opportunity to collectively brainstorm ideas with your Levitt peers to inspire youth participation, fostering their professional development, civic engagement, and community pride.
Jennifer Bayes
Michael Bulloch
Connie Terry
Andrew Thomas
Victoria Bridenstine
Conversation with an Agent & Talent Buyer: The Art of Making an Offer & Effective Negotiation Strategies within the Economic Realities of Touring Artists
Location/Room: TBA
Join Anne Sturm, Levitt Network Artist Booking & Routing Consultant, and Virginia Prater, founder of Prater Day Agency and representing artists across all genres, for a conversation on negotiating talent fees and deal terms when booking your concert series. Discover strategies for approaching agencies, building agent relationships, and designing win-win performance agreements that align with your budget while valuing artists. With ample time to ask questions of these seasoned pros, you’ll walk away with the knowledge and confidence to make the offer and book the show.
