FestForums Santa Barbara: Full Schedule

10:30am PST

Opening Reception & Registration

Welcome cocktails & snacks

Saturday November 19, 2016 10:30am - 12:00pm PST
The Fess Parker

11:15am PST

Networking – Breaking the Ice (Part 1)

Meeting new prospects and making new friends is the number one reason people attend conferences. That’s why we’re starting the conference by giving you a chance to meet and greet your fellow attendees.

Speakers

Laurie Kirby

Co-President, FestForums

Stuart MacNaught

Co-President, FestForums

Lisa Starr

Poet

Lisa Starr has been a bartender, camp counselor, waitress, copywriter, paralegal, basketball coach, Sunday School teacher and college instructor. She is the founder of the Block Island Poetry Project, she is a two-time recipient of the Rhode Island Fellowship in Poetry, and was Rhode... Read More →

Saturday November 19, 2016 11:15am - 12:00pm PST
Santa Barbara Room

Networking, Music, Film, Food & Beverage

12:00pm PST

Festival Convergence: The New Paradigm

What happens when the arts converge… a lot! Tribeca, a film festival, also showcases music. Bonnaroo and Outside Lands, music festivals, also focus on culinary experiences. How do festivals maintain their identities as they incorporate new experiences?

Moderators

Steve Knopper

Contributing Editor, Rolling Stone

Steve Knopper is author of last year's "MJ: The Genius of Michael Jackson" and 2009's "Appetite for Self-Destruction: The Spectacular Crash of the Record Industry in the Digital Age." He covers the music business, including concerts and festivals, as a Rolling Stone contributing... Read More →

Speakers

Sharon Badal

VP of Filmmaker Relations and Shorts Programming, Tribeca

SHARON BADAL is vice president of filmmaker relations and shorts programming for Tribeca. She has been with the festival since its inception in 2001 and has produced special projects for Tribeca since 1999. Her first job was at age 14 as an usher in her father’s suburban movie... Read More →

David Alan Bernahl,II

CEO, CLM, Pebble Beach & Los Angeles Food & Wine Festivals

David Alan Bernahl II is CEO & Co-‐Founder of Coastal Luxury Management (CLM), an idea kitchen with a current focus in the hospitality and lifestyle sectors. CLM was first widely recognized for producing Pebble Beach Food & Wine, a four-‐day, annual event hosted at Pebble... Read More →

Noah Cowan

Executive Director, San Francisco Film Society

Noah Cowan has been Executive Director of the San Francisco Film Society (SFFS) since March 2014. He joined SFFS after five years at the helm of TIFF Bell Lightbox, the landmark cinema museum space in Toronto where he served as the facility’s founding Artistic Director. There he... Read More →

Alex Machurov

Sr. Director, New Business Dev & Brand Partnerships, Superfly

Alex is Senior Director of New Business & Partnerships at Superfly, where he splits his duties equally between the company’s festivals – such as the world famous Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival and the Outside Lands Music & Arts Festival in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park... Read More →

Mike Shea

Chief Logistics Officer & Partner, SXSW

Saturday November 19, 2016 12:00pm - 12:50pm PST
Santa Barbara Room

Panel, Film, Food & Beverage, Music

12:00pm PST

Festival Bootcamp

Whether you’re relatively new to the festival industry or a seasoned professional, learn from our team of experts what it really takes to succeed.

Moderators

Parag Bhandari

Founder and CEO, UG Strategies

Speakers

“Disco Donnie” Estopinal

Founder & CEO, Disco Donnie Presents/SFX

James "Disco Donnie" Estopinal, Jr. is DDP's founder and CEO. Considered one of the godfathers of US electronic dance music, Disco Donnie has grown over the past 20 years to become one of the leading dance music promoters in the world. From his early days in the 1990s New Orleans... Read More →

Nancy Kennedy

Director of Strategic Partnerships, Seattle International Film Festival

Nancy joined the Seattle International Film Festival (SIFF) in 1988 as Director of Marketing, Corporate Development and Communications. Nancy created and implemented the sponsorship, membership, fundraising and corporate development revenue programs for the organization as it became... Read More →

Kevin Lyman

Owner-CEO, 4fini, Vans Warped Tour

Kevin Lyman is the founder and operator of 4Fini, Inc., a live event production company and brand strategy firm. His most notable live production is the Vans Warped Tour, which attracts about 750,000 people annually and is the longest-running North American festival concert tou... Read More →

Rebecca Robinson

Executive Director, Zinfandel Advocates & Producers

Saturday November 19, 2016 12:00pm - 1:50pm PST
Santa Ynez Room

Panel, Film, Food & Beverage, Music

1:00pm PST

Technology in Action

Apps, WiFi, streaming, drones, VR are all becoming must haves in today's festival climate. We will examine the latest technologies that may benefit you, your sponsors and your audience. What is the unifying technology that is the backbone of all of this?

Moderators

Karen Allen

President, Karen Allen Consulting

I consult digital entertainment companies on strategy and business development. I help them figure out what to do with what they built, then find them clients, strategic partners, and other key relationships to make them successful. I am a keen observer of trends – user, tech, content... Read More →

Speakers

Ken Deans

Owner, KD Production Services

Bringing years experience from the entertainment world, Kens award winning talent has helped ABC Television Networks, AT&T, Alaska Airlines, FastChannel Network, Infiniti, Jones Radio Network, Level 3 networks, Lion Brand Yarn, Mazda, Neilson, Netflix, Nissan, The Penske Corp., Radio... Read More →

Whitney Headen

Senior Multi-Cultural Client Solutions Manager, Time Inc. / Essence.com

Known for her tremendous work ethic and commitment to results, simply put, Whitney Headen gets things done. Marrying skillful execution with an undeniable marketing prowess, she's risen swiftly through the ranks and is quickly earning a reputation as one to watch in the marketing... Read More →

William Litvack

CEO & Founder, SquadUP

Willie Litvack: CEO & Founder of SquadUP. Willie has spent the last three years building the industry’s first ever mobile-first platform for ticketing, event management and audience engagement.

Tom Russell

Co-Founder, Governors Ball

I grew up in New York City, went to college at Tulane University in New Orleans, and since my adolescent days as a punk rock kid hanging out on St. Marks Place, I knew I wanted to put on shows. While in college I teamed up with Superfly Productions and somehow parlayed an internship... Read More →

Harry Witz

GM, Senior Director Systems Development, Clair Global

Started db Sound in 1979, designing, building and deploying touring class sound systems, growing into a major worldwide sound company for the likes of KISS Aerosmith, Prince, Rolling Stones, AC DC to name a few. In 2007, Clair Audio Enterprises acquired db Sound which contributed... Read More →

Saturday November 19, 2016 1:00pm - 1:50pm PST
Santa Barbara Room

Panel, Film, Food & Beverage, Music

1:50pm PST

Break

Saturday November 19, 2016 1:50pm - 2:30pm PST
The Fess Parker

Break/Entertainment

2:00pm PST

Princess

Saturday November 19, 2016 2:00pm - 2:20pm PST
Cinetransformer

2:30pm PST

Content Marketing: Why Festivals Have a Leg Up

Festivals are in the business of creating valuable experiences and the goal for brands is to use these experiences to connect with their customers. With so much digital content being created, brands are able to connect more intimately than ever, even when consumers are far away from the festival. Let’s explore the brands, the experiences, and how we can use them to the benefit of festivals, sponsors and consumers.

Moderators

Mike Wald

Business Development, Oniracom

Speakers

Dae Bogan

Music Industry Professional

Jesse Lawrence

Founder & CEO, TicketIQ

“I’m the CEO of TiqIQ.com, which is the leading ticket search engine online. I started my professional career as a writer covering New York technology in 1996. I’ve been fascinated by the ticket market from a young age and remember trying to understand what drove the market... Read More →

Curt Mosel

Senior Vice President of Marketing and Corporate Partnerships, ArtsQuest

As Senior Vice President of Marketing and Corporate Partnerships for ArtsQuest, Curt Mosel leads a 20-person team responsible for marketing, public relations, ticketing and corporate partnership initiatives supporting the nonprofit’s arts and cultural programming for the region... Read More →

Raymond Roker

Executive Producer and Content Strategy Director, Goldenvoice

Raymond is responsible for content strategy, curation, development, production and monetization across a diverse range of Goldenvoice music and event properties. He is the in-house executive and creative producer for Coachella & Goldenvoice programming; including episodic, streaming... Read More →

Brian Rucker

Director of Strategic Alliances, Pandora

Brian Rucker serves as Director, Strategic Alliances at Pandora Media Inc. In his role, Brian identifies and executes strategic partnerships on behalf of Pandora as they relate to festivals, lifestyle events and award shows. Brian has held past management roles at Townsquare Media... Read More →

Saturday November 19, 2016 2:30pm - 3:20pm PST
Santa Ynez Room

Panel, Film, Food & Beverage, Music

2:30pm PST

SponsorFest: Growing Your Festival’s Partnership Revenue: New Strategies for Increasing Close Rates & Winning the Delta/FestForums Sponsorship Challenge

Lesa Ukman, Founder of Lesa Ukman Partnerships and co-founder of IEG, Inc. will inform attendees at FestForums about the latest developments and trends in the sponsorship industry.

In addition, Delta will be awarding a $10,000 sponsorship (value of travel certificates) to a festival or event that best embodies a strategic fit for the airline. A Delta representative will speak to the audience about what they look for in a sponsorship proposal. Attendees will prepare a 3-page targeted sponsor proposal for Delta. The winner will be announced at Best of The Fests on Monday, November 21st.

Speakers

Lesa Ukman

Founder, Lesa Ukman Partnerships

Lesa Ukman launched IEG in 1982 introducing the idea that businesses which partner with the sports, arts, entertainment and nonprofits their customers and employees love, outperform their competitors by a huge margin. Her ideas and ideals spawned an industry that changed marketing... Read More →

Saturday November 19, 2016 2:30pm - 4:00pm PST
Santa Barbara Room

Panel, Film, Food & Beverage, Music

3:00pm PST

Hearing is Believing

Saturday November 19, 2016 3:00pm - 4:40pm PST
Cinetransformer

4:00pm PST

Opening Keynote

Moderators

Simon Rust Lamb

Wordsmith

Speakers

Michael Lang

Co-Creator, Woodstock - Musical Concert Promoter, Producer and Artistic Manager

Known best as a creator and producer of the Woodstock Music and Art Festival, Lang also founded a music label called Just Sunshine Records and produced numerous music events and film projects through his Michael Lang Organization.

Saturday November 19, 2016 4:00pm - 5:00pm PST
Santa Barbara Room

Keynote, Film, Food & Beverage, Music

5:00pm PST

Fiesta Lagunitas

Join us after a day of panels and networking for some fun in the Plaza del Sol at The Fess Parker!

5 - 7 PM

Beer, wine, and spirits tasting. Hors d'oeuvres will be served.

6:30 - 7:30 PM

Dinner will be served.

7 - 11 PM

Live music on stage

7 PM: Shawn Jones

8 PM: Rita Coolidge

9 PM: Canned Heat

10 PM: Headphone Disco

Chefs/Artists

Canned Heat

Rock Band

Luxury DJs

Rita Coolidge

Singer/Songwriter

Rita's credentials have made her a legend. She released more than a dozen albums including 1978's multi-platinum "Anytime... Anywhere". Many of her songs have become classics including ″We're All Alone″, ″Higher And Higher″, and ″The Way You Do The Things You Do″. She’s... Read More →

Shawn Jones

Musical Artist

Saturday November 19, 2016 5:00pm - 11:00pm PST
Plaza del Sol

Break/Entertainment

9:00am PST

True North: The Power in Trusting What You kNOw

Speakers

Nia Peeples

Actor

"Nia" Peeples is an American R&B and dance music singer and actress. Peeples is also famously known as Pam Fields, the mother of Emily Fields on hit TV drama, Pretty Little Liars (TV series), as Karen Taylor Winters on The Young and the Restless, and as Sydney Cooke... Read More →

Sunday November 20, 2016 9:00am - 9:20am PST
Santa Ynez Room

20/20, Film, Food & Beverage, Music

9:00am PST

Networking - Breaking the Ice (Part 2)

It’s time to network! According to Maya Angelou, “people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” Come share who you are and what you do, and gain some valuable contacts and information!

Speakers

Stuart MacNaught

Co-President, FestForums

Sunday November 20, 2016 9:00am - 9:50am PST
Santa Barbara Room

Networking, Film, Food & Beverage, Music

9:30am PST

Food at Your Festival: A Chef's Point of View

Speakers

Julie Barreda

Chef | Owner | Tour Operator, Destination-Kitchen.com

Sunday November 20, 2016 9:30am - 9:50am PST
Santa Ynez Room

20/20, Food & Beverage

10:00am PST

Glastonbury Film Highlights

Followed by Q & A with Producer Robert Richards

Speakers

Robert Richards

Commercial Director, Glastonbury Festival

Sunday November 20, 2016 10:00am - 10:20am PST
Cinetransformer

10:00am PST

Using Your 5 Senses at a Festival

Speakers

Barry Ross Rinehart

Executive Creative Director, Multi Image Group (MIG)

Over the last thirty years Barry has been designing transformative multi-sensory narrative experiences for and with CEOs and little kids, billionaires and refugees, movie stars and astronauts, scientists and jurors, board members and volunteers, politicians and ordinary citizens... Read More →

Sunday November 20, 2016 10:00am - 10:20am PST
Santa Ynez Room

20/20, Film, Food & Beverage, Music

10:00am PST

Break - Sponsored by Vendini

Vendini png

Sunday November 20, 2016 10:00am - 10:30am PST
The Fess Parker

Break/Entertainment

10:30am PST

Placement of Music in Film

Speakers

Richard Glasser

Head of Music, The Weinstein Company

Sunday November 20, 2016 10:30am - 10:50am PST
Santa Ynez Room

20/20, Film, Music

10:30am PST

Festival Futures

“The best way to predict the future is to create it.” These festival producers are leading the charge in this multibillion-dollar industry that changes lives, changes minds and which has now firmly planted itself in the collective consciousness of our society.

Moderators

Kevin Lyman

Owner-CEO, 4fini, Vans Warped Tour

Speakers

Eamon Armstrong

Creative Director, Fest300

Eamon is a social alchemist who travels the world discovering the best festivals. His mission as Creative Director of Fest300 is to unite the global festival community, and inspire cultural curiosity. Eamon is a veteran of the Burning Man world and you can find him at events like... Read More →

Barbara Morgan

Executive Director, Austin Film Festival

Danny Wimmer

CCO/PRESIDENT, Danny Wimmer Presents

Danny Wimmer’s career as a music industry taste-maker started more than 20 years ago as a promoter for the Warped Tour and other regional arena shows in his home town of Jacksonville, FL. He was a co-owner of Jacksonville’s Milk Bar, which quickly became known for featuring the... Read More →

Sunday November 20, 2016 10:30am - 11:20am PST
Santa Barbara Room

Panel, Film, Food & Beverage, Music

11:00am PST

Breaking Down Walls and Telling Stories With Your Festival

Speakers

Colin Stanfield

CEO/President, PEI Film, Food & Idea Festival

Colin Stanfield grew up on Prince Edward Island, Canada and has worked in the arts and culture sphere for over two decades. He is the founder of Raspberry Point a Festival consulting company focusing on strategic planning, programming and event production. Colin launched the Prince... Read More →

Sunday November 20, 2016 11:00am - 11:20am PST
Santa Ynez Room

20/20, Film, Food & Beverage, Music

11:30am PST

Best New Strategies for Selling More Sponsorship to Your Festival

Speakers

Lesa Ukman

Founder, Lesa Ukman Partnerships

Sunday November 20, 2016 11:30am - 11:50am PST
Santa Ynez Room

20/20, Film, Food & Beverage, Music

11:30am PST

Access, Ticketing & Analytics

From the ticket purchase to the use of onsite cashless payment, let’s learn exactly what ticketing and RFID platforms can provide. How do latest trends in data collection and analytics serve the festival economy in maximizing profitability, logistics and more? Also, discover how festivals can provide ticket buyers with ticket insurance.

Moderators

Parag Bhandari

Founder and CEO, UG Strategies

Speakers

Katelyn Boyle

Assistant Director of Musical Operations, Red Frog Events

Allison Brecklin

Head of Operations, Ticketfly

Bryan Derbyshire

President & CEO, TicketGuardian, Inc

Over the past decade Bryan has established himself as a thought leader and strategic trailblazer in the payments, technology, and most recently transactional insurance space. He has been able to do this due to his tactical approach and experience with the majority of the acquiring... Read More →

Keith Goldberg

Chief Revenue Officer, Vendini

Mr. Keith Goldberg has been the Chief Revenue Officer at Vendini, Inc. since December 2014 and served as its Vice President of Marketing and Product. Mr. Goldberg has been at Vendini since 2011. He started consulting for a myriad of Fortune 500 companies. Mr. Goldberg graduated from... Read More →

Biasha Mitchell

Strategy, Music and Live Entertainment, Eventbrite

Biasha develops strategies for ongoing high impact music initiatives at Eventbrite. She leverages 20+ years experience working in live entertainment and event logistics and production as well as five years working at Eventbrite to design and deliver value to Eventbrite and it’s... Read More →

Anthony Palermo

Co-Founder & CEO, Connect&Go

Anthony Palermo has been at the forefront of RFID technology since 2006 leading engineering teams on the design, development and deployment of some of the largest RFID projects in the world. In 2012, Mr. Palermo co-founded Connect&GO, which deploys RFID Access, Payments and Experiential... Read More →

Sunday November 20, 2016 11:30am - 12:30pm PST
Santa Barbara Room

Panel, Film, Food & Beverage, Music

12:00pm PST

Same as Last Year – Why Event Technology is Never the Same

Founder & CEO of TOURtech, Allen Cook, talks about thoughtful planning for technology at your event, the benefits of redundancy and the cost of failure.

Speakers

Allen Cook

Founder & CEO, TOURtech

Boasting 27+ years of experience in the entertainment & production industries, TOURtech’s humble beginnings in Allen’s garage tell a story of a man with a brilliant idea and a ton of moxie. Allen Cook is a veteran of Live Entertainment and Event Production Planning. With an academic... Read More →

Sunday November 20, 2016 12:00pm - 12:20pm PST
Santa Ynez Room

20/20, Film, Food & Beverage, Music

12:30pm PST

Glastonbury: Behind The Scenes

Speakers

Robert Richards

Commercial Director, Glastonbury Festival

Sunday November 20, 2016 12:30pm - 12:50pm PST
Santa Ynez Room

20/20, Music

12:30pm PST

Lunch Break

Sunday November 20, 2016 12:30pm - 1:30pm PST
The Fess Parker

Break/Entertainment

1:00pm PST

The Key to Attracting The Collegiate Audience to Your Festival

Moderators

David Hazan

Strategic Marketing Consultant, DLH Strategic Marketing

Speakers

Andrew Citores

CEO and Co-Founder, JusCollege

Andrew Citores is the CEO and co-founder of JusCollege, a college group travel company headquartered in Las Vegas.One of Southern Nevada’s fastest growing start-ups, the company has serviced over 400,000 travelers and attendees to 75 destinations in the US, Mexico, and Canada in... Read More →

Sunday November 20, 2016 1:00pm - 1:20pm PST
Santa Ynez Room

20/20

1:30pm PST

Safe and Sound: Why Safety and Security Matter

The news is flooded with stories of meteorological, medical, security and financial disasters at festivals. Within minutes, a festival’s reputation and financial stability can be upended. But what if these disasters could be prevented, minimized or insurable? How can preplanning and on-site crisis management reduce or eliminate risk and reduce your festival’s negative exposure. We’ll learn how from our panel of professionals in the safety and security field.

Moderators

Jim Digby

President & Chair of the Board of Directors, Event Safety Alliance

Dr. John Scala

Private Weather Consultant/Broadcast Meteorologist

JOHN R. SCALA, PhD CCM, is a broadcast meteorologist with WGAL News 8 in Lancaster, PA and a private weather consultant preparing expert opinions in criminal and civil litigation including cases of personal injury, questionable death and storm-related damage. Previously, Dr. Scala... Read More →

Speakers

Sara Gael

Director of Harm Reduction, MAPS Zendo Project

Sara Gael, M.A., is the Director of the Zendo Project, a psychedelic harm reduction organization started by the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS). The Zendo Project sets up tranquil spaces at events with trained volunteers to help individuals having difficult... Read More →

Charlie Jennings

SVP Operations, Danny Wimmer Presents

A concert industry veteran of thirteen years, Jennings joined Danny Wimmer Presents as Senior Vice President of Operations in 2015, and currently oversees the some of the nation’s largest rock and metal festivals, including Monster Energy AFTERSHOCK, LOUDER THAN LIFE, Monster Energy... Read More →

Maren Steiner

Health & Safety Director, Insomniac

Maren Steiner brings more than 10 years of medical and risk management experience to some of the largest and most notable concerts and festivals in the country. In 2011, she joined Insomniac as Director of Health & Safety and brought together a team of medical professionals that are... Read More →

Matt Weiss

Production Director, A3C Festival

Kevan Wilkins

Productions Manager, Goldenvoice

Sunday November 20, 2016 1:30pm - 2:30pm PST
Santa Barbara Room

Panel, Film, Food & Beverage, Music

2:00pm PST

How to Taste Wine

Speakers

Matt Kettmann

Contributing Editor, Wine Enthusiast

Sunday November 20, 2016 2:00pm - 2:20pm PST
Santa Ynez Room

20/20, Food & Beverage

2:00pm PST

The 4%: Film's Gender Problem

Speakers

Caroline Suh

Film Director

Caroline Suh is a documentary filmmaker, who has directed and produced projects for Netflix, CNN, Sundance Channel, PBS, A & E, and the History Channel, among others. Most recently, she directed a six-part series for Epix called 4%, about the lack of female directors in Hollywood... Read More →

Sunday November 20, 2016 2:00pm - 2:40pm PST
Cinetransformer

2:30pm PST

Delta Lady

Moderators

Laurie Kirby

Co-President, FestForums

Speakers

Rita Coolidge

Singer/Songwriter

Sunday November 20, 2016 2:30pm - 2:50pm PST
Santa Ynez Room

20/20, Music

2:30pm PST

Break - Sponsored by Navdy

Navdy png

Sunday November 20, 2016 2:30pm - 3:00pm PST
The Fess Parker

Break/Entertainment

3:00pm PST

FOMO is Real. Here's How to Create It.

You do not want to miss this. Learn how festivals are evoking FOMO in festival goers through effective social media strategies.

Speakers

Robby Black

VP of Product, Vendini, Inc.

Sunday November 20, 2016 3:00pm - 3:20pm PST
Santa Ynez Room

20/20, Film, Food & Beverage, Music

3:00pm PST

What’s Cooking? : Getting Out of The Kitchen and Onto The Stage

Ever since Shep Gordon brought Roger Verge and others out of the kitchen and into the spotlight, the demand for celebrity chefs has gone through the roof. They are the new rock stars. With dedicated cooking channels and the proliferation of so many culinary & beverage festivals, it’s a great time to be a chef. Let’s hear from them!

Moderators

Barbara Fairchild

Culinary Expert, Editor, Writer

Barbara Fairchild is currently enjoying a multi-faceted career as a freelance food and travel writer, editor, public speaker, radio personality, and consultant. Ms. Fairchild was for ten years the editor-in-chief of Bon Appetit magazine, based in Los Angeles. She stepped down in... Read More →

Speakers

David Alan Bernahl,II

CEO, CLM, Pebble Beach & Los Angeles Food & Wine Festivals

Cat Cora

Celebrity Chef, Restaurateur, Author

As a prominent figure in the culinary community, Cat Cora made television history in 2005 when she became the first female Iron Chef on Food Network’s Iron Chef America. Since then, Cora has continued to evolve her craft to become an accomplished author, restaurateur, contributing... Read More →

Gilles Epié

Celebrity Chef

Chef Epié started working at the age of 14 and trained with Roger Jaloux the iconic chef restaurant Paul Bocuse and Alain Senderens. He continued his career alongside Jean-Pierre Coffe at La Ciboulette. After he traveled the world and learned its cuisine he returned to... Read More →

Claire Parr

Co-Founder, Live In The Vineyard & Yountville Live

Claire (West) Parr, daughter of radio industry giant, Jim West, was raised in Dallas, TX. She spent her early years in her father’s recording studio working on jingles and production packages for United Stations, ABC/Cap Cities and other broadcasting conglomerates. She started... Read More →

Doug Richter

Managing Director, Global Partnerships, INVNT

As Managing Director, Global Partnerships at INVNT, Time Inc’s live media agency, Doug is part of a core team developing a national platform of event properties for Time Inc’s iconic brands including Sports Illustrated, People, Entertainment Weekly, InStyle and Real Simple. Prior... Read More →

Sunday November 20, 2016 3:00pm - 3:50pm PST
Santa Barbara Room

Panel, Food & Beverage

3:00pm PST

This Side of the Dirt

Followed by Q & A with Director and Writer Ty Roberts and Tito Beveridge and cocktails.

Moderators

Ty Roberts

Director

Speakers

Tito Beveridge

Owner, Tito's Vodka

Sunday November 20, 2016 3:00pm - 4:30pm PST
Cinetransformer

3:30pm PST

Festival Vending: Tips of The Trade w/ Mr. B's Festival Needs

Speakers

Brendan Sheehan

Owner, Mr. B's Festival Needs

In spring of 2008, Brendan Sheehan created Mr. B’s Festival Needs – General Store, a traveling 24-Hour General Convenience/Camping Supply store that is contracted year after year by dozens of music festivals all over the country. While traveling the festival circuit, Brendan realized... Read More →

Sunday November 20, 2016 3:30pm - 3:50pm PST
Santa Ynez Room

20/20, Film, Food & Beverage, Music

4:00pm PST

Women in the Film Industry: Let’s Opine Over Wine

The content of film festivals is sourced by the work of filmmakers and their creative storytelling through narrative features and docs. But when only 4% of all directors are women, isn’t the story being told through the male lens? Half of recent film school grads are women so the times they are a changin’. The women breaking the mold have plenty to say about taking control of the big screen.

*Wine will be served (as is our tradition) courtesy of co-founders Stu and Laurie.

Moderators

Lynne King Smith

CEO, TicketForce

Lynne King Smith is a writer, blogger, lover of social media, and loves to share ideas about using technology across markets. She helped to found and ran the communications for a non-profit from 1996-2002 and worked as a senior writer for non-profits for ten years. She holds a... Read More →

Speakers

Wendy Guerrero

President, Bentonville Film Festival

Wendy Guerrero has a rich and varied background as a producer in traditional film which forged an additional path as President of the Bentonville Film Festival, a research based and commercially focused film festival with the primary mission of championing women and diverse voices... Read More →

Tia Lessin

Filmmaker

Academy Award-nominated filmmaker Tia Lessin is the director and producer, with Carl Deal, of Trouble the Water (winner of the Sundance Film Festival’s Grand Jury Prize, the Gotham Independent Film Award and the Full Frame Film Festival’s Grand Jury Prize) and of Citizen Koch which... Read More →

Laura Michalchyshyn

Executive Producer, Media Executive

Laura Michalchyshyn is an executive producer and media executive who co founded Robert Redford’s Sundance Productions. She is a creative producer, working on non fiction and fiction content for all platforms with established and emerging storytellers, directors, writers and collaborators... Read More →

Caroline Suh

Film Director

Hebe Tabachnik

World Cinema Programmer, Palm Springs & Seattle Film Festival

For over 15 years Hebe Tabachnik has been a film curator, producer and festival consultant, and has participated as juror, project evaluator and panelist at film festivals in the US, Argentina, Brazil, China, Chile, Colombia, Cuba, Israel, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Spain, and Trinidad... Read More →

Sunday November 20, 2016 4:00pm - 5:00pm PST
Santa Barbara Room

Panel, Film

4:20pm PST

Cannabis and Emerging Trends in the Festival Space: Not your Brother's Pot Plant

With four states allowing adult use cannabis consumption and five more on the verge including California, will authentic partnerships between cannabis brands and event promotion collide in a positive way going forward? This has quickly proven to be a multi-billion dollar industry with a bright future. What will this mean for festivals in terms of sponsorship and programming (i.e. think food festivals incorporating cooking with pot, music festivals naming the XXX Brand Cannabis Stage)? How does cannabis fit into the mainstream music, film and food festival industry? Alternatively will an entire festival and event industry continue to emerge around this culture? And what does all of this mean for the harm reduction movement?

Moderators

Elise McRoberts

CannaBoss

Cannabis Entrepreneur, Influencer, Producer.

Speakers

Catherine Enny

Founder, CEO, Guerrilla Management

Catherine Enny founded Guerrilla Management overseeing and crafting long-term careers of artists such as Josh Homme (Kyuss, Queens Of The Stone Age), Fu Manchu, The Dwarves, Sean Yseault (White Zombie, Famous Monsters), Michael Franti, Blue King Brown and many more. Wit... Read More →

Elizabeth Hogan

Vice-President of Brand & Communications, Willie’s Reserve

Jason Pinsky

CEO, Cannastract

Jason Pinsky is the CEO of Cannastract, a New York based business that focuses on bringing “more science” to cannabis extracts and concentrates. Pinsky built his career in the music and technology space establishing his first company Haze City in 1998 where he toured and produced... Read More →

Michael Ray

Executive Director, Bloom Farms

Michael Ray was born in San Francisco and raised in the Sierra Foothill Mountains on his family ranch known as Bloom Farms. He is a cannabis advocate, lobbyist for social change, and entrepreneur with a passion for technology and design. In 1999, Michael moved to New York City to... Read More →

Sunday November 20, 2016 4:20pm - 5:00pm PST
Santa Ynez Room

20/20, Film, Food & Beverage, Music

5:00pm PST

Cocktail Party - Sponsored by Red Frog Events

9:00am PST

Networking: Food & Beverage Festivals

Monday November 21, 2016 9:00am - 10:00am PST
Reagan Room

Networking, Food & Beverage

9:00am PST

Maintaining Interest in Your Film Festival Year Round

To sustain year-round interest for an event that only happens annually is a challenge that all film festivals face. Expanding the festival’s reach in the real and virtual community is one way that festivals grow and thrive. Film series’, online programming and other strategies will be explored by film festival leaders that have successfully and profitably managed to build a year-round presence.

Moderators

Wendy Eidson

Festival Director, San Luis Obispo International Film Festival

A former assistant director, hot sauce purveyor and community theatre director, Wendy Eidson is bravely heading into her 13th year with the San Luis Obispo International Film Festival. The festival prides itself on its high-quality, eclectic mix of films and filmmakers, as well as... Read More →

Speakers

Laura Archibald

CEO, Festpicks

Laura Archibald is the CEO of Solomon’s Signature Productions Inc., a film production company focused on historic and biographically oriented feature films and documentaries. Their eclectic catalogue includes films in development or released that include: the history of music... Read More →

Richard Botto

Founder and CEO, Stage 32

Richard “RB” Botto is the Founder and CEO of Stage 32 (stage32.com), the world’s largest platform for connecting and educating film creatives. Called “LinkedIn meets Lynda for film creatives” by Forbes, Stage 32 boasts a member base of over 500,000 and features over 1000 hours of film craft and business related education taught by over 500 indus... Read More →

Anita Cotic

Senior Manager of Event Production, TIFF

Shawn Guthrie

Manager, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences

Shawn Guthrie oversees the Student Academy Awards program and the Grants program for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. His career at the Academy began 15 years ago in the Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting program, a position to which he brought many years of experience... Read More →

Nancy Kennedy

Director of Strategic Partnerships, Seattle International Film Festival

Monday November 21, 2016 9:00am - 10:00am PST
Santa Ynez Room

Panel, Film

9:00am PST

You Can’t Fight City Hall: Festival Permitting

The ability to hold a festival depends on the ability to receive the proper local municipal, city and state permits. Failure to interface properly with government agencies will stall or shut down your festival faster than you can say infraction. Understanding the permitting process is the topic of this can’t miss panel.

Speakers

Danny Hayes

CEO, Danny Wimmer Presents

Evan Korn

Managing Partner, iDEKO Productions

Evan is a current partner at iDEKO productions, a New York City based event production company focused on creating interactive and innovative consumer experiences for the entertainment, corporate and hospitality industries. At iDEKO, Evan is responsible for operations, logistics and... Read More →

Joseph Pred

Mutual Aid Risk & Safety (former San Francisco Entertainment Commissioner and Burning Man Emergency Operations Chief)

Joseph Pred has been working in a variety of operational, risk and emergency management roles with festivals and temporary mass gatherings for over 20 years. In addition to managing Mutual Aid Response Services (MARS) and Mutual Aid Risk and Safety since 2000, Joseph founded Burning... Read More →

Monday November 21, 2016 9:00am - 10:00am PST
Santa Barbara Room

Panel, Film, Food & Beverage, Music

10:00am PST

Break - Sponsored by Gigsalad

Gigsalad 2 png

Monday November 21, 2016 10:00am - 10:30am PST
The Fess Parker

Break/Entertainment

10:00am PST

Networking: Music Festivals

Moderators

Clay Busch

Head of Marketing & Strategic Partnerships, Danny Wimmer Presents

An alumni of Chapman University, Clay Busch joined Danny Wimmer Presents in 2011–marking the company’s first hire–and has been a key part of the company’s growth. His prior experience includes marketing, consulting, event management and A&R. Clay got his start as an intern... Read More →

Monday November 21, 2016 10:00am - 11:00am PST
Reagan Room

Networking, Music

10:30am PST

Launch & Growth of Food & Beverage Festivals

Besides ticket revenue, concessions and sponsorship, what revenue streams can festivals optimize to enhance their bottom line? How do festivals optimize the three big ones? Are grants, merch, and streaming profit centers or break evens? Additionally, adding food and music film programming can create revenue generating partnerships for the festival. Let’s deconstruct this.

Moderators

Brian Arnone

COO, ShowClix

Speakers

Joseph Fletcher

Talent Producer, L.A. Food & Wine

Joe Fletcher has produced over 1,000 concerts and festivals on four continents and produced shows with Bob Dylan, Beyonce, 311, Elton John, Eminem, BB King, Jason Mraz, Jay Z, Sheryl Crow, Van Halen, Keith Urban, Maroon5, Slipknot, Snoop Dogg, Jackson Browne, Black Eyed Peas, Crosby... Read More →

Tom Hoppa

Producer, BottleRock Napa Valley

Tom is Director of Artist Integration at Latitude 38 Entertainment, the producer of BottleRock Napa Valley since 2014, and is a co-founding partner of Highway 29 Entertainment with whom he has produced events at Auction Napa Valley, The Safeway Open (PGA), and much more. Previously... Read More →

Gary Meyer

Publisher/Director, EatDrinkFilms

Gary Meyer stared his first theater in the family barn when he was twelve-years-old. He directed a monster movie there and wanted to show it on the set. It became The Above-the-Ground Theatre where over 250 films were screened along with live productions, workshops and the publication... Read More →

Stephanie Mezzano

VP Operations, Business Development, Red Frog Events

Greg O’Byrne

Executive Director, Santa Fe Wine & Chile Fiesta and the Taos Winter Wine Festival

Born in Chicago the fifth of ten children of an Irish/Italian Catholic family, O’Byrne learned at an early age the joys of sharing a meal at large gatherings. While living in the San Francisco Bay Area in the late-seventies, O’Byrne initiated his young wine palate with Joseph... Read More →

Michal W. Wiesbrock

Executive Director |Central Coast Office, Arthritis Foundation

Michal began his event career 25 years ago working on the special events team for Walt Disney World’s 20th Anniversary Celebration. Over the next 15 years with Walt Disney World, he worked various roles in marketing, media relations, and PR including VIP and talent handling. He... Read More →

Monday November 21, 2016 10:30am - 11:20am PST
Santa Ynez Room

Panel, Food & Beverage

10:30am PST

Technology at Festivals

Festival and event producers now rely on technology to manage logistics and communications on so many levels. Over the last few years, we have seen technology expand in ticketing, access, talent management, user experience and much more. Let’s look at the latest trends from both sides of the fence; the producer and the fan.

Moderators

Ted Cohen

Managing Partner, TAG Strategic

Ted Cohen is Managing Partner of TAG Strategic. In an industry that’s been slow to embrace change, Ted was the exception to the stereotypical entertainment-exec rule. But, when you start out on the road with Prince, Alice Cooper & Van Halen, you’re primed for the unexpected. TAG... Read More →

Speakers

Jonathan Burke

XI Media Productions, Producer/Camera Operator/Director

Scott Mirkin

Co-Founder & Executive Producer, ESM Productions

Scott Mirkin is one of America’s most successful event producers. He has produced some of the most high-profile events in the country for political icons such as Barack Obama and Joe Biden, religious figures including the Dalai Lama, and titans of entertainment including Jay Z... Read More →

John Petrocelli

CEO, Bulldog Digital Media

John Petrocelli is CEO and founder of Bulldog Digital Media, a live streaming agency specializing in turnkey execution strategies for live events across all connected devices. Bulldog DM helps brands, agencies, content owners and platforms deliver impactful live engagements with an... Read More →

Rachel Puckett

Marketing Director, HUKA Entertainment

Rachel first got her start in the music technology space as the Producer and Artist Wrangler of live streaming startup, Liveset, crafting intimate live performances online with artists like The Lumineers, Civil Wars, Ben Kweller, Carolina Chocolate Drops and The Revivalists. She... Read More →

Seth Sheck

CEO & Founder, ACCESS Event Solutions

Just about everything Seth Sheck does can be summed up with two words: passion and innovation. A Reno, Nevada native, Seth set his sights on the music industry in 1989. Juggling a band management gig with waiting tables, Seth found his inspiration through a customer’s casual conversation... Read More →

Monday November 21, 2016 10:30am - 11:20am PST
Santa Barbara Room

Panel, Film, Food & Beverage, Music

10:30am PST

Festival

Producer/Director: Michael Raspatello

The music festival surge of the last five years has anchored a growth in live music attendance unseen in modern history. It has attracted new industry entrants, increased brand involvement, and spurred ongoing debate about the motives of the young people that drive this growth. But few have stopped to ask the fans themselves.

As a festival co-founder that was pulled into this world by the demand that was bubbling up in the US circa 2010, I became fascinated with what drove people to these communal experiences. Their motives were in many ways both diverse and shared. They were misunderstood. They were simultaneously well-meaning and disingenuous. And they hadn't been captured on "film." There had been great concert films and docs about the challenges of putting on a fest. But no one had turned the camera on the festivalgoers themselves. Like "Heavy Metal Parking Lot" before it, this fan-focused time capsule felt necessary. I was honored to have the opportunity.

Moderators

Michael Raspatello

Global Director, Partnerships, ZX Ventures - AB-InBev

After receiving his MBA from Kellogg School of Management, Mike joined Anheuser-Busch's North American Marketing operation, serving as an Associate Brand Manager, Digital Brand Manager, and Innovation Strategist for several billion dollar brands. He is currently a Global Partnership... Read More →

Speakers

Steve Knopper

Contributing Editor, Rolling Stone

Monday November 21, 2016 10:30am - 12:00pm PST
Cinetransformer

11:00am PST

Networking: Film Festivals

Moderators

Bruno Chatelin

COO, FilmFestivals.com

My background: Business School, Ad Agencies, Distributor, and digital pioneer and entrepreneur.Founder of filmfestivals.com Major Buzz Factory (Film marketing consulting) and Emotion Film Factory (film production) Bruno Chatelin, french Business School HEC alumni, began his marketing... Read More →

Monday November 21, 2016 11:00am - 12:00pm PST
Reagan Room

Networking, Film

11:30am PST

Niche Festivals: Why Bigger Isn’t Always Better

To be an “it” festival, it’s not necessary to be a household name. From music to film, culinary & beverage festivals, we bring you events that succeed in small communities across North America. In the words of Stephen Colbert, “And So Can You!”

Moderators

Susan von Seggern

Senior Director, Spark's Consultant Network

Susan von Seggern is one of the most well known and well liked publicists in Los Angeles. In LA for more than 20 years, her work as a major label publicist, CEO of a boutique PR agency, time spent in political PR, her globe-trotting exploits in corporate PR, and her return to consulting... Read More →

Speakers

Max Bernstein

Co-Founder and Executive Producer, The Most Definitely & The Yard Music Festival

After leaving a ten-year career on Wall Street in 2012 Max co-founded The Most Definitely (themostdefinitely.com), a collective of creative pursuits in music. TMD is a record label, music blog and live music event promoter based on of Brooklyn New York. Most notably, TMD co-produced Escape Music Festival on Governor’s Island NYC in 2014 featuring Moby, Girl Talk, Yeasayer, Placebo + many... Read More →

Jonah Gabriel Haas

Marketing Director/Co-Founder, Lucidity Festival

Jonah Gabriel Haas is a messenger, a cultural anthropologist, a lucid dreamer, and a successful entrepreneur. Currently, Jonah is the Marketing Director and a Co-Founder of Lucidity Festivals LLC, which is now in its 6th year of transformational festival production in Santa Barbara... Read More →

Stefanie Salem

Founder & CEO, Newport Beach Food & Wine Festival

Stefanie Salem was born and raised in Southern California. She earned her BA in Psychology from UC Santa Barbara in 1992. Her 20 years of business experience includes having lived and worked in foreign countries while collaborating with political leaders and corporate decision makers... Read More →

Monday November 21, 2016 11:30am - 12:30pm PST
Santa Barbara Room

Panel, Film, Food & Beverage, Music

11:30am PST

Starstruck: Filmmakers and Actors at Your Festival

The call comes in- you’ve got the star of the film for the screening…. room, check; flight, check; check, uh oh! And filmmakers, the backbone of the event, can cost a pretty penny, too. Once they arrive, how do you host them in style without breaking the bank? Since what would be a loss leader is usually your most buzzed about news, festivals, filmmakers and talent discuss how to create a success story.

Speakers

Tia Lessin

Filmmaker

Jolene Pinder

Executive Director, New Orleans Film Society

Prior to assuming the Executive Director position atNOFS, Jolene worked at Arts Engine in New York for three and half years as a documentary film producer and director of the Media That Matters Film Festival.

Barry Rivers

Founder & Director, Maui Film Festival

Gregg Schwenk

CEO, Newport Beach Film Festival

Monday November 21, 2016 11:30am - 12:30pm PST
Santa Ynez Room

Panel, Film

12:30pm PST

Lunch Break

Monday November 21, 2016 12:30pm - 1:00pm PST
The Fess Parker

Break/Entertainment

1:00pm PST

Music Festival Talent Booking

Talent is the key component that draws people to your festival and sets the stage for your event. How does a small festival negotiate with big-name talent and who is going to be the next big name? In this panel we will break down key components of talent buying; sourcing, timing, and finance, among others.

Moderators

Ryan Slater

FestForums

Ryan was the talent buyer and event coordinator at The Cutting Room in NYC where he booked artists such as Billy Joel, Howard Stern, Ronnie Wood, Pete Seeger, Rodriguez, Jennifer Hudson, George W. Bush, and many more. He currently resides in California

Speakers

Elliott Lefko

President, Goldenvoice/AEG

Elliott Lefko has been with Goldenvoice Concerts in Los Angeles since 2002. He books concerts for artists such as Morrissey and PJ Harvey and Tool and others in Southern California and Hawaii and Alaska and Canada. As well he books North American tours for artists such as Leonard... Read More →

Dawson Ludwig

General Manager, Noise Pop

Dawson Ludwig is the General Manager of Noise Pop Industries, a Bay Area based events and marketing company responsible for Treasure Island Music Festival, Noise Pop Festival, Swedish American Hall and DoTheBay.com. Dawson began his career in the music industry as a radio promoter... Read More →

David Silbaugh

Talent Buyer & Production Supervisor, Summerfest

Jonathan Wayland

Director of Talent, Red Frog Events

Jonathan Wayland is the Director of Talent at Red Frog Events, an event production company and pioneer of the experiential entertainment industry. Wayland has been Talent Buyer and Artist Relations Coordinator for two-time Pollstar “Festival of the Year” nominee Firefly Music... Read More →

Monday November 21, 2016 1:00pm - 1:50pm PST
Santa Barbara Room

Panel, Music

1:00pm PST

Sponsorship Strategies for Festival Success

The buzzwords these days are ‘activation’ and ‘experience.’ How do festival sponsorship directors engage brands, ink deals, activate and provide ROI in this landscape? Brands and festivals weigh in.

Moderators

Robert Richards

Commercial Director, Glastonbury Festival

Speakers

Beau Blanchard

Corporate Development Manager, California Film Institute

Clay Busch

Head of Marketing & Strategic Partnerships, Danny Wimmer Presents

Nancy Kennedy

Director of Strategic Partnerships, Seattle International Film Festival

Brian McCue

Director of Sales and Sponsorship, Winmo

As Director of Sponsorship Sales at List Partners Inc., Brian has helped hundreds of non-profits, event organizations, and professional sports teams build partnerships with major brands. From small non-profits in Alaska, to large professional sports organizations like the LA Lakers... Read More →

Paul Whitney

Executive Producer, bluemedia

With more than 15 years’ experience in creating interactive experiences for audiences across the country, Paul is a true pioneer and leader within the Out-of-Home, non-traditional segment of Outdoor Advertising. As the former CEO and founder of Digital Media Etc. there’s no better... Read More →

Alex Yount

Sponsorship Sr. Manager, Red Frog Events

Monday November 21, 2016 1:00pm - 1:50pm PST
Santa Ynez Room

Panel, Film, Food & Beverage, Music

2:00pm PST

Sustainable Events: Models for Greening & Engagement

Surveys show that many festival-goers would pay more for a ticket to a greener event. Want to learn where to start or how to take your event greening to the next level? Hear from music industry leaders and learn how to reduce your environmental footprint, while also creatively engaging attendees in your sustainability initiatives.Dig deeper and view greening resources here: http://bit.ly/2fIi5SS

Moderators

Mike Martin

Founder and CEO, EFFECT

The founder and CEO of EFFECT Partners, Michael Martin is known as a thought leader in social change activism, sustainability and social change marketing. EFFECT Partners is a Creative Social Change agency based out of Minneapolis. Billboard Magazine calls Michael “the green touring... Read More →

Speakers

Kim Johnson

Manager, Jack Johnson Music Co-Founder & Director, Kokua Hawaii Foundation & Johnson Ohana Charitable Foundation

Kim Johnson, with her husband Jack, founded the Kōkua Hawaiʻi Foundation in 2003 to support environmental education in the schools and communities of Hawai’i, as well as the Johnson Ohana Charitable Foundation in 2008 to support environmental, art, and music education worldwide. As Jack’s co-manager, Kim Johnson has taken a lead role in advancing greening initiatives for all aspects of Jack Johnson’s touring, and has served as creative lead in the development of fan engagement... Read More →

Jack Johnson

Musician Co-Founder & Director, Kokua Hawaii Foundation & Johnson Ohana Charitable Foundation

Jack Johnson grew up surfing and playing guitar in Hawaii. Since 2001, he has released 6 studio albums and 2 live albums that have sold over 20 million copies worldwide. His Brushfire Records label and touring crew have been leaders in the greening of the music industry and... Read More →

Eric Shiflett

Program Director, Santa Barbara Bowl

Eric Shiflett is Program Director at the historic Santa Barbara Bowl. Eric has been involved with music his entire life performing, working in radio, concert promotions and venue management. Focusing on the strategic growth of the 80 year-old Santa Barbara Bowl, Eric manages... Read More →

Sunny Sohrabian

AEG, Manager, Environmental Sustainability Projects and Initiatives

As the Manager of Environmental Sustainability Projects and Initiatives at AEG, Sunny Sohrabian is responsible for managing AEG 1EARTH, AEG’s corporate environmental sustainability program. In this role, she works with more than 80 AEG venues and events worldwide to measure and... Read More →

Tanner Watt

Director of Partnerships & Development, REVERB

Tanner Watt is the Partnership and Development Director at the environmental non-profit REVERB. REVERB is a 501(c)3 organization that works with music tours and festivals to reduce negative environmental impacts backstage and to engage artists and fans to take positive actions at... Read More →

Brian Yost

President, On Site Products, Live Nation Entertainment

In his role as President, On Site Products, North American Concerts for Live Nation, Brian has responsibility for ancillary revenue streams for Live Nations’ 42 amphitheaters and 6 select clubs and theaters, which host 13 million music fans at close to 1400 shows annually. A... Read More →

Monday November 21, 2016 2:00pm - 2:50pm PST
Santa Barbara Room

Panel, Film, Food & Beverage, Music

2:30pm PST

Break - Sponsored by bluemedia

bluemedia 1 png

Monday November 21, 2016 2:30pm - 3:00pm PST
The Fess Parker

Break/Entertainment

3:00pm PST

Closing Keynote

Moderators

Wendy Guerrero

President, Bentonville Film Festival

Speakers

Bruce Dern

Actor

Monday November 21, 2016 3:00pm - 3:45pm PST
Santa Barbara Room

Keynote, Film, Food & Beverage, Music

4:00pm PST

Best of The Fests Awards Ceremony

Moderators

Richard Burgi

Actor

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Burgi

Monday November 21, 2016 4:00pm - 5:00pm PST
Santa Barbara Room

Best of the Fests, Film, Food & Beverage, Music

5:00pm PST

Cocktail Party

Monday November 21, 2016 5:00pm - 6:30pm PST
Exhibit Hall

Break/Entertainment

7:00pm PST

James Beard Foundation's Celebrity Chef Tour Dinner at FestForums

The James Beard Foundation's Celebrity Chef Tour dinner series brings a taste of what happens at the James Beard House in New York City to more than 20 cities across the country each year. Our Santa Barbara dinner begins with a cocktail reception followed by a one-night-only, multi-course dinner (with wine pairings) featuring a diverse group of JBF Award winners such as Cat Cora and other celebrated chefs, and ending with a decadent dessert course and a Q&A session with the evening's chefs.

Please join us at 7pm on Monday, Nov. 21st, 2016 The Reagan Room, Fess Parker Resort, Santa Barbara, CA. Tickets are $230 each.

Chefs/Artists

Cat Cora

Celebrity Chef, Restaurateur, Author

Christophe Émé

Celebrity Chef

Christophe Émé, executive chef and former owner of Ortolan Restaurant in LA, is making quite a mark on the French dining scene in Southern California. He’s a talented young chef who has cultivated his skills at some of the finest restaurants in the world.

David LeFevre

Celebrity Chef

Chef David LeFevre, a native of Madison, Wisconsin, developed his passion for cooking as a child by helping his Mother in the kitchen. He says “I loved the food my mother made and realized that if I knew how to cook, I wouldn’t have to wait for someone else to cook for me... Read More →

Gilles Epié

Celebrity Chef

Kirk Delong

Celebrity Chef

Kirk DeLong has been named Executive Chef at Fess Parker’s Doubletree Resort, located at 633 East Cabrillo Boulevard at East Beach. As a member of the Resort’s management team, Chef DeLong will be responsible for overseeing all aspects of food preparation and presentation... Read More →

Ray Garcia

Celebrity Chef

As a native Angeleno, Garcia draws his culinary inspiration from the city’s rich culture, the wealth of Southern California produce, and classic training. Previously at the helm of Fig for six years, Garcia expresses his own, fully matured style, bright, bold, and ingredient-driven. “I... Read More →

Monday November 21, 2016 7:00pm - 11:00pm PST
Reagan Room