The Oakland Agenda

What Happens at WAA 

The WAA Annual Conference isn't a typical industry event. There are no endless PowerPoints or surface-level networking receptions. This is a high-energy, hands-on booking conference where real business gets done but not at the expense of relationships. Learn more about how we’ll spend our time together including professional development sessions.

Program Schedule

TUES | SEPT 8
Noon – 8PM Registration

10AM Offsite Excursions
1:30PM WAA’s Up Orientation
3PM Circle Up! Breakout Sessions
5PM Opening Plenary
6:30PM Opening Reception
7:30PM Dine-arounds
9PM Independent Showcasing

WED | SEPT 9
8:30AM – 6:30PM Registration

9AM Coffee Talk Sessions
10:30AM Circle Up! Breakout Sessions
Noon Performing Arts Challenge
2PM Independent Showcases
‍ ‍ Private Consultations
4PM WAA Juried Showcases
5:30PM Reception
7PM Independent Showcasing

THURS| SEPT 10
8:30AM – 6:30PM Registration

9AM Coffee Talk Sessions
10:30AM Circle Up! Breakout Sessions
Noon Annual Luncheon
2PM Independent Showcases
4PM WAA Juried Showcases
5:30PM Reception
7PM Independent Showcasing
9PM WAA Juried Showcases
10:30PM Reception

FRI | SEPT 11
8:30AM – 1PM Registration

Noon Consortia Meetings
1:30PM WAA Annual Meeting
2:30PM Farwell Reception
3PM WAAs Next

Click here to see The Commons schedule

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

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. 

  • Jésus Muños Flamenco, WAA 2025; credit: Farah Sosa

    Arts & Entertainment Circle

    Mainstream, commercial, tribute, and holiday shows are real cultural expression and real art. They reflect who we are, keep our organizations vibrant, and help fund the artistic risks and community programs we’re proud to present. Join colleagues who’ve mastered the art of crowd-pleasing with purpose, from nostalgia acts that deliver quality to holiday shows that become beloved traditions. Discover what fills the room, delights audiences, and strengthens your mission without apology.

    Jésus Muños Flamenco, WAA 2025; credit: Farah Sosa

  • 123 Andrés; credit: Keith Kesler

    Youth & Family Circle

    Inspiring, meaningful, hilarious, awesome: our first experiences of live performance, whether in a school auditorium or in a public park, can lead to a lifetime of arts attendance, arts patronage and even a career in the arts! Discuss and 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.

    123 Andrés; credit: Keith Kesler

  • Pamyua, WAA 2019; credit: Corporate Close Ups

    Beyond the Circle

    Not sure how to market a Bharatanatyam/hip-hop dance company? Wondering if contemporary Indigenous performance will attract audiences in your market? Curious about classical musicians who collaborate with electronic artists? 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.

    Pamyua, WAA 2019; credit: Corporate Close Ups