National Alliance for Musical Theatre Announces 2024 Spring Conference

New York: National Alliance for Musical Theatre has announced the keynote speaker and Conference Agenda for the Spring Conference titled “Marketing & Development Should Be Friends,” which takes place on Wednesday, April 3 – Friday, April 5, at Lyric Theatre of Oklahoma's Plaza Theatre and other locations around Oklahoma City.

One of the most important educational and networking events of the year for musical theatre producers and administrators, the NAMT Spring Conference is hosted each year by a different NAMT member theatre, traveling around the United States and Canada. This Conference will be NAMT's first event in Oklahoma. “We're so excited to partner with Lyric and have this opportunity to show theatre professionals from across the country some of the great art and culture in Oklahoma City,” said NAMT's Member Services Director Adam Grosswirth.

NAMT's Spring Conference is one of the few events to address fundraising and marketing at the same time, bringing leaders from both departments together to explore the full patron experience. At “Marketing & Development Should Be Friends,” attendees will dive in to pressing issues related to these topics, as well as the state of the industry more broadly. Just as importantly, it provides a community for leaders of theatres from all over the country and the world to share best practices, brainstorm and support one another.

"I'm so excited to bring the NAMT community together for our first-ever event in Oklahoma, in partnership with our friends at Lyric," said Executive Director Betsy King Militello. "The Spring Conference is a vital event for ensuring the health and future of the musical theatre field, giving our members the opportunity to share best practices and innovative new ideas, and face the challenges of the current moment head-on. This year we also get to see the first production of a show that got its start in our Festival of New Musicals, a sure sign that the future of musical theatre is vibrant and bright.”

The 2024 Fall Conference will feature Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt in a keynote conversation with Michael Baron (Producing Artistic Director, Lyric Theatre of Oklahoma). Other Spring Conference sessions include: “Watcha Gonna Do,” a full-conference conversation about the state of the field three years post-reopening; “No Reason Why They Can't Be Friends: Staffing Models for Collaboration,” a panel looking at how different theatres are structured and how development and marketing directors work together to communicate with a single voice; “All Er Nuthin',” about how theatres curate complete experiences for their patrons from ticket sale to post-show; and “Oklahoma, OK,” a spotlight on local fundraising and community-building, with lessons that can be applied nationwide; plus breakout sessions, affinity groups and lots of networking time. Most Conference sessions will be livestreamed for NAMT members who are unable to join us in person.

Conference attendees will also get to see Lyric's production of new musical King of Pangaea, which was featured in NAMT's Annual Festival of New Musicals in 2022. Additional events include a Networking Cocktail Party at Myriad Botanical Gardens, and visits to the First Americans Museum and the Oklahoma City National Memorial.

The 2024 Spring Conference is open to NAMT members and sponsors only and is available in person and in-part online. For more about the benefits of membership, all of NAMT's programs and services, and joining NAMT as a theatrical producer or producing/presenting organization, visit namt.org/member.

Other speakers and panelists for the 2024 Spring Conference include: Michael Adkins, Stages St. Louis (MO); Brooke Baerman, Ogunquit Playhouse (ME); Samantha Bagwell, Spektrix (NY); Brannon Bowers, American Music Theatre Project at Northwestern University (IL); Angela Cassette, Music Theatre Wichita (KS); Sunny Cearley, Allied Arts OKC (OK); Kwofe Coleman, The Muny (MO); Janet Davis, Clarkson Davis Arts (VT); Stephanie Fried, The Bushnell (CT); Mark Fleischer, Pittsburgh CLO (PA); Susanna Gellert, Weston Theater Company (VT); Elizabeth Gray, OKC Civic Center Music Hall (OK); Brent Hart, Oklahoma City Philharmonic (OK); Hillary Hart, Theatre Under The Stars (TX); John Herget, Stages St. Louis (MO); Yz Jasa, Goodspeed Musicals (CT); Andrew Kuhlman, Stages St. Louis (MO); Paul Larson, Blueprint Advancement (WI); Stacie Louis-Jacques, Capacity Interactive (NY); Charlie Ludden, Lyric Theatre of Oklahoma (OK); Dan McMahon, Goodspeed Musicals (CT); Pam Mowry, Canterbury Voices (OK); Bethany Nothstein, Spektrix (NY); Greg Reiner, National Endowment for the Arts (DC); Mia Sherlock, Lyric Theatre of Oklahoma (OK); Jerrod Shouse, Shouse Consulting (OK); Frank Stilwagner, Goodspeed Musicals (CT); Susan & Mike Turpen, Riggs Abney/Lyric Theatre (OK). More panelists will be announced this week!

More details about the Spring Conference, including a complete agenda and a current list of attendees, are available at namt.org/conference.

The National Alliance for Musical Theatre

The National Alliance for Musical Theatre, founded in 1985, is a not-for-profit organization serving the musical theatre community. Its mission is to be a catalyst for nurturing musical theatre development, production, innovation and collaboration. Their 210+ members, located throughout 33 states and nine countries abroad, are among the leading producers of musical theatre in the world and include regional theatres, presenting organizations, higher education programs and independent producers. In 2024, NAMT will celebrate reaching $1 million in awards to member organizations through NAMT granting programs including the Frank Young Fund for New Musicals and the Impact & Exploration Fund. Among the 300 musicals launched by NAMT's Annual Festival of New Musicals are Lizard Boy, Interstate, Lempicka, Teeth, Darling Grenadine, Gun & Powder, Benny & Joon, Come From Away, The Drowsy Chaperone, HONK!, It Shoulda Been You, Ordinary Days, Striking 12 and Thoroughly Modern Millie, among many others, representing 564 writers. This year, nearly 150 students from 34 states are participating in the Musical Theater Songwriting Challenge for High School Students, an initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with NAMT. Discover more at namt.org.

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