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FestForward Convergence is a one-of-a-kind interactive conference and networking event for music, film, food + wine + beer festival organizers.

Addressing cutting-edge technology, sustainability, innovation, safety & collaboration, FestForward will close with "Best of the Fests," a festival award ceremony recognizing North America’s best festivals in game changing categories.

The Recipe: One part music + one part film + one part food & wine + one part technology. Stir it up for a fun-filled mentally invigorating three day professionally enhancing experience with hundreds of festivals & industry insiders attending.

BOOK with a 10% discount and a free 200$ campaign on filmfestivals.com (submission booster eBlast) using Bruno15 code

 

 

Sunday November 22

10:30-11:45 AM Registration & FestForward Convergence

Exhibition Center opens: Grab a Mimosa- compliments of OneHope Wines and a wristband from Blink FX and visit each vendor for prizes!

 

11:45 AM-Noon Fifteen Minutes of Game

FestForward Co-founders Laurie & Stuart break the ice on the conference so you can dive right in.

 

Main Session Room – Grand Ballroom

12:00 Noon - 12:50 PM

Opening Keynote

 

12:50 PM – 1:30 Lunch

Moderators

Robert Richards

Commercial Director, Glastonbury Festival

 

Speakers

David Alan Bernahl,II

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

Mr. Bernahl is co-founding partner of Coastal Luxury Management, a company that focuses on acquiring and managing unique opportunities in the hospitality sector. The company’s first major project was Pebble Beach Food & Wine, a 4-day, annual event hosted at Pebble Beach Resorts that attracts nearly 5,000 people. Pebble Beach Food & Wine celebrates 60 celebrity chefs, 250 international wineries and provides cooking demos, wine... Read More →

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 career with the largest international Advertising Agencies: Publicis, DMM Masius and JWT, handling accounts such as Kellog’s, Unilever, Colgate... Read More →

Maureen Ford

President, Local Alliances at Live Nation

Ms. Ford is a 20 year music marketing veteran, having most recently served as Executive Vice President of Live Nation Alliances. Previously, as Vice President of National Music Sales, Ford led the music group's regional and national sales efforts including the renaming of five prominent Live Nation Amphitheatres such as the Tweeter Centers in Boston, Chicago, Philadelphia and West Palm, as well as creating and selling major music programs... Read More →

Kevan Wilkins

Production Manager, ​Goldenvoice

 

1:30 PM – 2:20 PM
The Future of Festivals
​The last frontier of the “tribal gathering” according to Seth Godin is the festival. With expansion in every festival vertical under the sun, the death of the festival is greatly exaggerate. Let’s hear from our team of experts in food, wine, music & film about where we are heading in the industry.

 

Hosted by Laurie Kirby, AboutFest
Kevin Lyman, Vans Warped Tour
David Alan Bernahl II CLM, Pebble Beach & Los Angeles Food & Wine Festivals
Maureen Ford, Live Nation
John Boyle, Insomniac

Bruno Chatelin Filmfestivals.com
TIFF 

 

2:30 PM – 3:20 PM:
​NetGain: Networking With Purpose & Prizes

Review the feedback from any conference and you will consistently find that networking is the most important reason for attendance. So here's your chance! Bring your elevator pitch, business cards, and come ready to rumble.

 

Facilitated by Stuart MacNaught, AboutFest

 

3:30 PM – 3:45 PM Networking Break

 

3:45 PM – 5:00 PM

SponsorFest: Brought to you by Lesa Ukman and Delta Air Lines.

Delta will be awarding a sponsorship at FestForward valued at approximately $10,000. (value of travel certificates) to a festival or event that best embodies a strategic fit for Delta.

 

Lesa Ukman, Futures Director, ESP Properties and co-founder of IEG, Inc. will inform attendees at FestForward how to participate and help them understand the best practices in sponsorship proposals and the sponsor industry.

​In addition, 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, with mentoring by Liana Bender, California Film Institute Development Director.

​Contest: All FestForward attendees at SponsorFest (except for corporate sponsors) are eligible to win.

 

To enter: Attend FestForward and sign in at SponsorFest on Sunday November 22, 2015. Submit your 3-page proposal/deck by midnight November 22, 2015 to info@aboutfest.com. The Winner will be announced Tuesday morning before the Awards brunch.

Come Help Us Set The American Riviera Afire!

Plaza del Sol, Fess Parker Resort, Santa Barbara

​5:00 - 7:00 PM​ Wine Tasting/Beer Tasting/Cocktail Reception & more…

6:00 - 7:00 PM Pasta & Salad Stations
 

7:00 - 8:00 PM Dave Mason’s Traffic Jam Comes To A Rockin’ Halt at FestForward!

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8:00 - 10:00 PM FireChat After Party 

Monday Track 1

Main Session: Grand Ballroom

9:00 AM – 9:50 AM

Advances in Festival Technology & Safety
Mobile Apps, wireless technology, “wearable” technology, RFID, and other festival technology impacts the safety of the event, experience of the fan, the crew, vendors and the artist. Our goal is to bring you the latest and greatest to make your festival a “techcess.”

Hosted by Ted Cohen, TAG Strategic &
FestForward Technology Chairman
Gillian Zettler, Charleston Wine + Food Festival
Christophe Daligault, FireChat
Steve Lemon, Event Safety Alliance
Jeff Kreinik, Ticketfly

10:00 AM – 10:30 AM

SXSW's Past, Present and Future
2016 will mark 30 years of SXSW. In 1994 they broadened their focus from a strictly music industry event to include interactive technology and film. Other events have adopted various elements of that same convergence approach to conferences and festivals, probably due in part to what they experienced at SXSW.

Mike Shea, Executive Director of SXSW

Interviewed by Phil Gallo

10:50 AM - 11:50 AM

Convergence and Collaboration 2.0: Food, Wine, Film and Music
What happens when the arts come together?
​How do festivals create an identity and an experience that can encompass the best of these disciplines? And how do they leverage their perceived value to maximize revenue? Where do we go from here?

Robert Richards, Glastonbury Festival
Gary Meyer, Eat Drink Films
Devonie Nicholas, South Beach Wine & Food Fest
Melissa Dickson, Fashion Meets Music Festival
SuperFly Presents (Invited)

12:00 PM – 12:45 PM

Social Media: Who’s Listening?

The goal of social media is to engage, listen, and convert with increased attendance, ticket sales and great fan experiences. Different tools serve different functions. Are you using them to their greatest advantage? Listen & learn!

Shana Fong, Eventbrite
Mike Wald, Storywall
Erika Williams, Life Is Beautiful
Hannah Houser, AC Entertainment

12:45 PM – 1:30 PM LUNCH

1:30 PM – 2:20 PM

That’s The Ticket – The Art & Science of Ticketing Your Festival

Ticketing can make or break your festival’s success. Pricing, delivery, authentication, access control and analytics are just a few of the considerations when selecting and working with a ticketing partner. Hear the latest in ticketing technology and preview the next generation of tools that will improve social chatter, increase revenues and streamline your event.

Keith Goldberg, Vendini
David Silbaugh, Summerfest
Ben Raffi, Universe
Jesse Lawrence, TiqIQ
SFX (Invited)

2:30 PM – 3:20 PM

Sustainability - It’s an Authentic Problem

​Sustainability is the ability to sustain a behavior indefinitely. Our environment depends upon us to protect and preserve it for future generations. Let’s face it, festivals wreak environmental chaos. But it doesn’t need to be the case. Hear some case studies to prove just that.

Hosted by Eric Stevens, OTW Safety – Official FestForward Safety Sponsor
Kathleen Gasperini, Label Networks
Patrice Williams, Going Green Film Festival

3:30 PM – 4:20 PM

Working with Charities: The Festival As Change Agent

​Organizers of film, music, food and wine festivals generally incorporate charities into their events in a variety of ways. The events are an organic environment to message audience with calls to action that effect change. Find out how these
leaders are creating a lasting impression beyond the festival walls.

Hosted by Andy Bernstein of HeadCount
Margaret Martin of Harmony Project
Justine Lucas, Global Citizen Festival

Monday track 2

Salon Series – Reagan Room

9:00 AM – 9:50 AM

Film Festival Technology
Festival technology for film festivals includes not only distribution and exhibition but methods for engaging new audiences. Our panel explores how to message in the digital world the ‘analogue” messaging that film festivals traditionally represent.

Benjamin Oberman, Mousetrap Films
Luke Archer, Cool Hand Look
Ralph Echemendia, Red-E Digital
Kimberley Browning, Hollywood Shorts Film Fest

10:00 AM – 10:45 AM

Issues Facing Food and Wine Festivals
With so many food and wine festivals exploding on the scene, the stakes are higher. Ticket pricing, the cost of celebrity chefs, staffing, logistics, audience development & creating a unique experience are top of mind for organizers. We will converge those that have created high profile festivals to understand their view of the industry.

Hosted By Philip Dobard, SoFab Institute
David Alan Bernahl, II, CLM, Pebble Beach and Los
Angeles Food & Wine Festivals
Devonie Nicholas, South Beach Wine & Food Fest
Austin Food & Wine (Invited)

11:00 AM – 11:50 AM
Issues Facing Film Festivals
Programming, sponsorship, staffing, audience and community awareness and festival logistics make the work of running a film festival an incredible, but rewarding challenge. Maintaining relevancy in a world where films are discovered in a multitude of ways and on many devices, as well as managing and planning for a long-term future in the ever changing landscape will be the focus of this panel.

Hosted by Gary Rubin, Cohen Media Group
Noah Cowan, San Francisco Film Society
Liana Bender, California Film Institute
Michal Wiesbrock, Santa Barbara Int’l FIlm Fest

12:00 Noon – 12:45 PM

Issues Facing Music Festivals

With massive rollups, media attention on drug use, overpriced talent & recent high profile festival failures, the challenges for festival promoters has never been greater. However, the discovery of music and fan experiences make festivals the most coveted and memorable way for audiences to consume music. These experts have experienced the ups and downs of
the industry and will share where we are headed.

David Silbaugh, Summerfest
Elliott Lefko, Goldenvoice,
Dave Norman, Tour Manager
Maureen Ford, Live Nation
Disco Donnie Estopinal, Disco Donnie Presents

12:45 PM – 1:30 PM LUNCH

1:30 PM – 2:20 PM

Marketing to Millennials
The conventional wisdom is that the holy grail is millennials, with buying power and influence for the next few decades. They are looking for authentic relationships with properties and brands. But what exactly does that mean?

Amanda Slavin, CatalystCreativ
Erika Williams, Life Is Beautiful
Jacob Tell, Oniracom

2:30 PM – 3:20 PM

Activating Sponsorships at a Festival
When negotiating a sponsorship, all brands recognize the value of activation across many platforms. Festivals need to remain authentic while brands want to be heard. A marriage of convenience must exist for the success of the relationship. What steps must the festival take to ensure success? Our experts will provide some key takeaways.
Hosted by David Hazan, DLH Consulting

Sam Elkin, C3 Presents
Elana Leaf, Insomniac
Robert Richards, Glastonbury Festival
Midori Connolly, AVGirl Productions

3:30 PM – 4:20 PM

Maintaining Your Food & Wine Festival’s Identity

With the rise of VIP ticket prices, celebrity chefs and the epicurean experience, food and wine festivals are feeling the pressure to succeed in a fiercely competitive space. That said, these leaders understand their market and work hard to provide the experience that keeps their loyal fans coming back
while they build a new group of attendees to sustain their festivals.

Gillian Zettler, Charleston Wine + Food Festival
Rebecca Robinson, Zinfandel Experience 

Main Session Room – Grand Ballroom

4:30 PM – 5:30 PM
Wine, Women & Song – Stepping out from Behind the Camera
From icons as the beauty in The Woman in Red, the hilarious Sweeney Sister on SNL, and Fame’s talented triple threat Nicole Chapman, these women have worked in front of the camera for most of their lives. They are now focused on owning their careers on what matters most to them. Hear why Kelly wants us back in the kitchen, Nia has developed a holistic approach to life and Nora can’t stop making us laugh. Also hear from Academy Award Nominated Director Amy Berg (Deliver Us from Evil, West of Memphis, Every Secret Thing with Diane Lane) whose latest film project shines a light on the legendary Janis Joplin.

Hosted by Jennice Fuentes, CEO Fuentes Strategies
Kelly LeBrock, Actor
Nia Peeples, Actor
Nora Dunn, Actor
Amy Berg, Filmmaker

5:30 -6:30 PM
Cocktail Reception in the Exhibit Hall
Last chance to visit the Exhibit Hall and experience the latest and greatest.

Evening on your own! Discover Santa Barbara – The American Riviera​​

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