Spring Conference 2021
Marketing & Fundraising
April 7-9, 2021
Online

At this year’s Spring Conference we will explore marketing and fundraising through the lens of 2021. How can theatres best communicate with patrons and donors with one voice as we begin to think about reopening…or staying distant for a while longer? How are we maintaining relationships with our communities when we can’t see them in person? What new connections have we been able to make during this time that we want to keep as we go forward? What parts of “normal” would we rather not return to? As we work to break down departmental silos to make sure everyone is on the same page with our missions and safety, are marketing and development in step with artistic, education, production and the board?
This reimagined Spring Conference will be held online, with deeply discounted pricing allowing greater access for more NAMT members and more staff from each theatre to attend from their homes, offices or home offices! We’ll still have almost everything you expect from a NAMT event (sadly, you’ll have to bring your own cocktails and hors d’oeuvres), including plenty of time to meet and network with new colleagues from around the country.
Registration
Attendance Eligibility
The Spring Conference is open to NAMT members in good standing and invited guests only. If you are not sure of your membership status, or are interested in attending the Conference as a way to learn more about membership, please email Member Services Director Adam Grosswirth.
We’ve made this reimagined online Spring Conference as accessible as possible, and encourage you to register as many people from your organization as you can. This is a great opportunity to introduce new staff members to NAMT!
Rates and Deadlines
- $50 for one attendee from your organization
- $80 for two attendees from your organization
- $100 for three or more attendees from your organization
- You may register up to 10 people* on a single form for the Spring Conference. This is the fastest and easiest way to register your organization! If you need to register more people for the Conference, you will receive a code to do so at no additional charge once you submit your first form.
- *More than 10 people from your organization may attend the Conference, this is just a technical limitation of our registration system. If you’re registering more than three Conference attendees, your confirmation email will include a code to allow you to come back and register more at no additional charge.
- Non-members may attend the conference by invitation only. Non-member rates are $65/$100/$125
Registration Process
Each attendee will receive a login to our online events platform, and important pre-event information will be sent via email. Therefore, you must provide a unique email address for each attendee on the registration form.
Your registration will not be complete until you click the SUBMIT button at the very end of the form and you have paid (if applicable). You will see a confirmation screen and receive an email upon completion.
Agenda
Wednesday, April 7, 2021 (All times ET)
3:00 - 3:15 pm | Welcome Remarks Hopin Stage |
3:15 - 4:15 pm | Keynote Hopin Stage |
4:30 - 5:15 pm | Speed Networking Hopin Networking |
5:30 - 6:30 pm | Social Hour |
Thursday, April 8, 2021 (All times ET)
12:00 - 1:15 pm | Plenary Panel: EDI in Marketing and Fundraising Hopin Stage How are theatres making sure our development and marketing practices and narratives are following through on our EDI and anti-racism statements? What can we do to reimagine or move away from subscription and donor-centric models that may uphold white supremecist ideas? What sort of accountability is in place in all departments to make sure everyone is on the same page in doing this work, and in communicating that to our patrons and donors? |
1:30 - 2:30 pm | Concurrent Sessions: New Models of Engagement and Making the Case for Musical Theatre Hopin Sessions |
3:00 - 4:15 pm | Plenary Panel: What Now? What Next? Hopin Stage Where are we now and what do we think the next six months will look like? As we look towards reopening or — reimagining for a longer stretch of time — what are our priorities for communicating with patrons? How are we staying in touch? What will they need to know about coming back? And what do we want a fully open future to look like? |
4:30 - 5:30 pm | Concurrent Sessions: "In These Times" Hopin Sessions |
5:30 - 6:00 pm | End of Day Wrap-Up Hopin Stage |
Friday, April 9, 2021 (All times ET)
12:00 - 1:00 pm | NAMT Innovation & Exploration Fund Presentations Hopin Stage Case studies from your colleagues who have received NAMT Innovation & Exploration Fund grants for marketing and fundraising projects. Learn what your colleagues have been working on and how you can adapt these great ideas to your own theatre. |
1:30 - 2:30 pm | Concurrent Sessions: The Next Generation of Patrons Hopin Sessions |
3:00 - 4:15 pm | Plenary Panel: Looking Forward Hopin Stage What do we think our world will look like in a year? |
4:30 - 5:30 pm | Concurrent Sessions: Take Me (Back) To The World Hopin Sessions |
5:30 - 6:00 pm | End of Day Wrap-Up Hopin Stage |
6:15 - 8:00 pm | Virtual Cocktail Party Hopin Sessions & Networking The space is virtual, but the cocktails are real! BYOB and spend some time with your NAMT friends and colleagues until we can gather again. |
As of 3/2/21. Subject to change.
Attendees
John Fionte
Creative Director/Director of New Works
Margot Astrachan
owner
Adam Grosswirth
Member Services Director
Betsy Militello
Executive Director
Brittney Woolley
Development Manager
Kara Kirby
Office Coordinator
Lady del Castillo
Program Assistant
Aimee St. James
Marketing and PR Manager
Brian Swasey
Associate Producer
Kelly Thayer
Assistant Development Director
Brooke Baerman
Campaign Associate
Brian Crawford
Manager Corporate Sponsorships
Neil McMahon
Graphic Designer
Bradford Kenney
Executive Artistic Director
Rachel Prest
Development Associate
Michael Stailey
Marketing Strategist
Dawn Pahel
Human Resource Manager
Dan Breen
Director of Development
Kent Bridges
Managing Director
Joshua Ford
Director of Marketing & Communications
Fred Paul
General Manager
Debbie Ellinghaus
Managing Director
Michael Mercier
Deputy Director of Advancement, Institutional Giving
Wesley Meekins
Deputy Director of Advancement, Major Gifts and Special Projects
Julie Via
Patron Services Manager
Colleen Robinson
Manager of Special Events and Donor Relations
JJ Kaczynski
Graphic Designer/Brand Manager
Weldon Brown
Director of Sales
Sarah Straub
Associate Director of Marketing
Emily Jerison
Brand Journalist
Adrienne Feiger
Director of Major Gifts
Anita Bentz
Donor Prospect and Research Manager
Bea Daggett
Director of External and Strategic Affairs
Leigh Schaedel
Director of Membership and Special Events
Emma Rhyner
Digital Media & Content Coordinator
Brian Moran
Ticketing Services Manager
Mark Hoebee
Producing Artistic Director
Christopher Slavik
cslavik@papermill.org
Amy Rowland
arowland@papermill.org
Patrick Parker
Associate Artistic Director
Mike Stotts
Managing Director
Hawley Abelow
Director of Communications, Marketing, and Membership
Sarah Berger
Development Assistant
Lisa Rubin
Artistic and Executive Director
Emilie Hervieux
Senior Marketing Associate
Jessica Yaffe
Director of Development
Melanie Thompson
Communications Manager
Debora Friedmann
Social Media, Marketing Junior Coordinator
John Schaller
Director of Development
Robert Brunschmid
Director of Operations
Kevin Sweeney
Director of Marketing
John Herbert
VP of Finance and Administration
Michael Murphy
President
Bill Patti
General Manager
Thembi Duncan
Director of Arts Engagement and Education
Darryl Reuben Hall
Founder/Executive Director
Emily Parker
Marketing Manager
Sonja Furiya
Director of Annual Fund
Kwofe Coleman
Managing Director
Dylan Stanley
Public Relations Manager
Jenny Pratt
Director of Major and Planned Gifts
Courtney Simms
Director of Advancement
Camele-Ann White
Board President
Tom Morrissey
Producing Artistic Director
Colleen Harris
Managing Director
Hillary Hart
Executive Director
Bill Titus
Administrative Assistant
Dan Danielowski
Executive Director
Paul Stancato
Artistic Director
Stephanie Prugh
Development Manager
Jack Cummings III
Artistic Director
Jenny Rader
Finance Manager
Maggie Wilson
Marketing Manager
Hannah Oren
Artistic Producer
Denise Dickens
Executive Director
Courtney Lawson
Development Intern
Kacey Jones
Development Director
Jay Markham
Production Manager
Frank Stilwagner
Director of Advancement
Danielle Franich
Associate Advancement Director
Jenny Nightingale Myers
Patron Services Director
Lauren Wolbaum
Marketing Manager
Diane Wright
Director of Finance
Tracie Mahadeo
Donor Stewardship Manager
Aileen Forde
Associate Development Director: Institutional & Major Gifts
Robb Hunt
Executive Producer
Alyson Mintz
Subscriber Concierge
Greg Garcia
Associate Director of Marketing and Analytics
Ali Jaynes
Box Office Manager
Amelia Nichols
Development Campaign & Events Coordinator
Kevin Wilson
Individual Giving Coordinator
Rona Ebert
Art Director
Elisbeth Challener
Managing Director
Hunter Regian
Individual Giving Coordinator
Charlie Frasier
Chief Development Officer
Drew Nebrig
Director of Marketing and Communications
CEO
Partner
Producer
Guidelines
Participation Guidelines
NAMT is committed to recognizing and celebrating the diversity of experiences, talents, skills, cultures and opinions that our members bring to our community, and specifically to our events. We invite you to participate in the Fall Conference and Festival of New Musicals in a spirit of open-mindedness, curiosity and respect.
We want every NAMT event to be a safe, inclusive and productive environment for all participants. In that spirit, we ask you to…
- Be inclusive, actively seeking and inviting diverse perspectives
- Listen to understand
- Participate in an active and direct way, with professionalism and respect for others
- Be considerate, kind, constructive and helpful in your language and actions
- Refrain from demeaning, discriminatory or harassing behavior and language
- Respect confidentiality requests by speakers and other attendees
NAMT staff and Board may take action (up to and including expulsion with no refund and exclusion from future events) to redress disruptive, disrespectful or offensive behavior or any other actions deemed in conflict with the above guidelines.
Thank you to every NAMT community member for helping to make all of our events informative, inclusive and respectful.
About Hopin
Hopin is the online events platform where the Spring Conference will be taking place. We think it’s pretty easy to navigate once you’re inside but we also know that any new technology can take a little getting used to and we want you to be as comfortable as possible. It may help to familiarize yourself with Hopin a little before we start.
General Tech Tips
- An online event uses a decent amount of computer memory and internet bandwidth. Hopin will work on your tablet or phone, but we recommend using a desktop or laptop computer, with an ethernet connection if possible. Chrome is the best browser to use. Close as many other tabs and programs as you can. (If everything is running smoothly for you, you’re good to go, but if you run into trouble you can try streamlining a bit.)
- If you run into trouble, try refreshing the page.
Sometimes things need a little nudge, it’s just the nature of this type of software. If you have repeated problems, we’re here to help!
- There’s a clock at the top right of your screen. If it stops, you’ll know you’re frozen! Try refreshing your browser.
- We know some people like to be in two places at once at online events. Hopin doesn’t recommend running multiple tabs at once…though sometimes it works fine! You can also log in on multiple devices. There’s also a picture-in-picture function on the Stage.
- If you run into trouble, try refreshing the page.
- VPNs can interfere with the software sometimes. Hopin recommends turning off your VPN if you have one for the best connection. (If you don’t know what this means, you’re probably fine!)
Click here for a video tutorial on navigating Hopin.
Navigating
Right Sidebar
- On the right there’s a Sidebar with icons of people, a bell (notifications), mail, and your picture or initials. (Click the arrow at the very top to minimize or expand it.)
- There is a lot going on here!
- You’ll see tabs along the top for Chat, Polls and People
- Under each of these, depending on where you are, you’ll see another set of tabs for Everyone (i.e., the chat or the list of people for the whole event), Meeting Room, Stage or Booth (the chat or people in just the area you are currently in), and Messages (people you have private messages with).
- Chat messages from NAMT staff will be highlighted, and we’ll “pin” important announcements to the chat window, so keep an eye on these.
- You may also receive notifications via the bell icon, and the envelope icon lets you jump right to your direct messages.
- Click on the circle with your photo or initials to edit your profile.
- We’ve uploaded the information we collected when you registered, but feel free to edit this or add more.
- Adding a photo or a logo for your theatre will help people spot you in the chat and make things feel more personal.
- Please note that the link fields (website, twitter, linkedin) have to include http:// or https:// or the profile may not save. This isn’t clearly indicated on screen, sorry!
- You’ll see tabs along the top for Chat, Polls and People
- You can use the chat to send a message to everyone, or click on People to find a specific person and send a private message. You can even invite them to a one-on-one video call without leaving Hopin.
- As on other platforms you may be used to, use the @ sign before someone’s name to tag them in a chat message.
- This is also where you’ll find important notifications, messages people have sent you and polls throughout the event.
- If you’re in a session, you’ll see chats for both whole event and for just that session; just select the one you want.
- Click the arrow at the top if you need more space on your screen or if you find the chat distracting.
- There is a lot going on here!
Left Sidebar/Rooms
Info/Lobby
- On the left are the different “rooms” of the Conference and Festival
Stage
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- Stage is where plenary speakers, panels and presentations will happen. A red dot will appear when something is “live.”
- If the stream freezes, see if it’s paused (mouse-over and look for a play button), or refresh the page
- Stage has a picture-in-picture feature if you’d like to click around while the stream is going on.
- Mouse-over the video and look for the down arrow icon at the bottom to shrink it. The stream may pause when you change areas, so click it to play again.
- Stage is where plenary speakers, panels and presentations will happen. A red dot will appear when something is “live.”
Meeting Rooms
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- Meeting Rooms is like the lobby of a conference center or New World Stages. You’ll see what breakout sessions are happening and can click one to join. An icon on the lower right shows how many others are in each room.
- We’ll also have a NAMT help desk and a lounge open here at all times.
- The rooms show you how many people are in them. Don’t be afraid to be first — someone has to be!
- Click “Share Audio and Video” if you’d like to join the conversation.
- If you’re used to Zoom, Google Meet, etc, this will look pretty familiar.
- A settings and permissions box will pop up
- If you check “Remember my settings for future sessions,” you won’t have to see this box again. Please note that your device’s camera indicator light may remain on even if your camera is not in use; this means that Hopin has access to your camera because you checked this box. Consider not checking this box for greater comfort!
- If you check “Remember my settings for future sessions,” you won’t have to see this box again. Please note that your device’s camera indicator light may remain on even if your camera is not in use; this means that Hopin has access to your camera because you checked this box. Consider not checking this box for greater comfort!
- Some sessions are moderated, and you will need to be “let in” to appear on screen. Some are open and you’ll appear right away.
- There is a limit to how many people can appear on screen at one time, so if it won’t let you share audio/video please be patient.
- If you’re just watching, please turn your camera and mic off so someone else can have a turn,
- Click the “Leave” button to turn your camera off.
- Meeting Rooms is like the lobby of a conference center or New World Stages. You’ll see what breakout sessions are happening and can click one to join. An icon on the lower right shows how many others are in each room.
Speed Networking
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- Speed Networking is a fun way to meet people. Just click here and see who pops up!
- You’ll have up to 3 minutes for a one-on-one video chat before being connected with the next random person. (Or click next to move on faster.)
- Click Connect if you’d like to follow up with someone. If you both click connect, you’ll find each other’s contact information on your Connections page.
- Speed Networking is a fun way to meet people. Just click here and see who pops up!
Sponsors
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- Last but definitely not least, please visit our amazing Sponsors. These fun interactive booths are a great way to get to know the supporters of this year’s Festival and Conference, without whom none of this would be possible.