See below for answers to all of your pertinent (and impertinent) questions.
When should I plan to get to Seattle and when should I plan to leave?
Arrive: Plan to arrive on Thursday December 11 in time to participate in "Survivor Seattle! A Guide to the NPN Annual Meeting" at 4pm at the hotel. This orientation session is designed to demystify the Annual Meeting for new and returning NPN Partners, Artists and Colleagues. You will have an early chance to meet your fellow attendees, Regional Desks, NPN Board and staff.
Depart: Scheduled Annual Meeting activities end on Sunday December 14 at 9:30pm after the "Closing Dinner, Dance and Keynote," which you do not want to miss. Plan to depart on Monday December 15. Don’t forget to schedule some time to be a tourist in Seattle.
Who is invited to attend?
The Annual Meeting is a national forum for peer-to-peer communication among NPN Partners, artists, and key stakeholders. One representative from each NPN Partner organization is expected to attend. Invited leaders come to articulate issues, debate alternative models, and examine policies that shape the local and national presenting arenas. Unlike other performing arts gatherings, this meeting is deliberately designed to create a place at the table for artists. This reinforces the most important premise of NPN’s structure: building long-term relationships among presenters, artists, and communities. In an effort to actualize this vision, NPN invites artists to the meeting who have been commissioned through NPN’s Creation Fund or participated in a Performance Residency during the past three years. Additionally, a local NPN Partner committee suggests host cultural community members–artists and organizational colleagues–to attend.
This is my first NPN Annual Meeting. Will I be the only one who doesn’t know anyone?
Absolutely not! Last year, about 36% of attendees had never attended an Annual Meeting. Plan to attend "Survivor Seattle! A Guide to the NPN Annual Meeting" at 4pm on Thursday December 11 in the Hotel’s Main Ballroom to help you figure out the lay of the land (and to meet some of the other folks). Besides, the people who attend the Annual Meeting are a pretty special bunch–you should feel comfortable introducing yourself to them.
What should I bring with me?
In the hotel, there will be resource tables available for your printed materials, and the Media Lounge will be accessible for viewing of/listening to artists’ work throughout the weekend–bring copies of DVDs and CDs.
What are the objectives for this year’s Annual Meeting?
Building and strengthening relationships
Advancing professional development
Connecting with what’s going on creatively around the country
Professional Development Workshops for Artists
Facilitated by Creative Capital, these Sunday afternoon workshops will cover the following 2 topics:
Fundraising from Individuals helps artists determine whether and how to start raising money from individual contributors, and will include information on how to organize fundraising events, e-mail campaigns, cultivation and individual appeals. Register for Fundraising from Individuals here
The Internet for Artists: Using the internet to build community, promote your work and increase administrative effectiveness helps artists expand their online presence and learn to harness the power of internet tools such as social networking and media sharing sites, e-commerce, promotional websites and blogs. Register for The Internet for Artists here