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W. Kamau Bell
Keynote Speaker

We’re thrilled to announce W. Kamau Bell as the keynote speaker for the 59th WAA Annual Conference. Bell is a comedian, author, filmmaker from Oakland. His CNN docu-series United Shades of America won five Emmy awards, and he was awarded a Peabody for his docu-series We Need To Talk About Cosby. He is most proud of his Emmy award-winning documentary short 1000% Me: Growing Up Mixed. Kamau is on the board of Donors Choose and Live Free, and is the ACLU's racial justice ambassador. In 2023 he and his wife Melissa Hudson Bell co-founded Who Knows Best, an Oakland-based production company.

Circle Up! with W. Kamau Bell during the Grand Opening at 5pm on Tuesday, September 8th. The Grand Opening is sponsored by SOZO.

When you join a Circle, you join a conference community made up of diverse colleagues with a shared passion. Each circle follows the same rhythm: See a showcase, talk about it at a professional development workshop, then book it during a networking session.

You can jump between circles or dive deep into one. Either way, you’ll leave with artists booked, strategies tested, and problems solved. 

CIRCLES!
See it.
Talk about it.
Book it.

  • Arts & Entertainment Circle

    Arts & Entertainment Circle

    Join colleagues who’ve mastered the art of crowd-pleasing with purpose, from nostalgia acts that deliver quality experiences to holiday shows that become beloved traditions. Discover what fills the room, delights audiences, and strengthens your mission without apology.

    Sessions
    Big agency booking demystified
    How venues team up to get better routes and prices

    Showcases
    Emily Day and Cosmo Alleycats
    Mads Tolling & The Mads Men
    TAP INTO SOUL with Solomon Jaye
    Tom Rigney and Flambeaus

    Project Pitches
    Conrad Tao + Julia Wolfe + Third Coast Percussion
    Joselyn & Don
    The Mariachi Experience

  • Youth & Family Circle

    Discover the range of works touring for multigenerational audiences, from familiar favorites to unknown adventures. Learn how to market to parents vs. educators, how performance can activate your venue’s open spaces, and how to integrate youth and family programming without siloing it.

    Sessions
    Critical issues and approaches in youth and family performance
    Risk and impact in performing arts for young and multigenerational audiences

    Showcases
    Axis Theatre
    Cirque Us
    IMGE Dance
    Rennie Harris Puremovement American Street Dance Theatre

    Project Pitches
    Alex Taite
    Justice in Motion
    Uncle Jumbo

  • Beyond the Circle

    Beyond the Circle

    Circle up with colleagues who have successfully mastered genre fluidity and programmed crossover and fusion work. Learn which genre-blending artists tour reliably, how to market work that defies categories, and how to attract audiences beyond your usual subscribers.

    Sessions
    Creative pathways for hard-to-program work
    Local community partnerships: cultural districts, third spaces, and city programs

    Showcases
    Orchestra Gold
    Olas Perdidads
    Marty Isendberg’s The Way I Feel
    Del Sol Quartet

    Project Pitches
    Wakka Wakka
    Kitka
    e. Franklin

Program Schedule

Choose Your Own Adventure

The Commons is the hub of the conference and this year we're giving it more room to breathe. We've expanded the hours that The Commons will be open, so that you have more opportunities to schedule the meetings that matter, without scrambling around a narrow window of time or fighting for a couch in the lobby. Also, there is no distinction between "Open" and "Accessible" hours like at other conferences, so exhibitors don't have to be mandatorily stationed at their booths during specific times but can choose what works best for them. 

Some programming will run concurrently and that's intentional. The Commons is located next to the showcases and down the hall from the breakout rooms, making it easy for you to jump between meetings, showcases and sessions. This gives agents, artists, and presenters alike the flexibility to connect, discover, and do business at your own pace.

Member Registration
Nonmember Registration