2026 Music Festivals Confab

$50/members
$75/not-yet-members

(Includes coffee, pastries, and a light lunch)

For the first time since 2017, this signature convening for classical music festivals is back. This one-day intensive is designed for the leaders and teams who shape programming, build audiences, and drive the success of festivals across the West. It’s a unique chance to reunite with peers, exchange fresh ideas, and recharge your strategic thinking.

Join colleagues from across the field for a dynamic day of learning and high-value networking. Together, we’ll explore the most pressing opportunities and challenges facing today’s festivals, share proven strategies and resources, and spark solutions that strengthen your festival’s artistic and financial future.

Sample Topics Include:

• Innovative, data-driven marketing strategies to boost visibility and ticket sales
• Building mutually beneficial partnerships with tourism and destination organizations
• Strengthening board governance to support long-term growth
• Effective approaches to fundraising and donor engagement
• Best practices for musician housing and hospitality
• Navigating visa and immigration challenges for international artists
• Recruitment tips for seasonal staff and staying compliant with California employment law
• Expanding reach through off-season programming and year-round audience development

A complete agenda will be available in early January.

If there is a topic you would like to discuss, please email us at cbamforth@acso.org.

 

Nearby Hotels

Attendees are responsible for making their own hotel reservations. The following hotels have availability as of December 1, 2025. Prices are subject to change.

• Hyatt Regency Sacramento (across the street): $170/night 

• Sheraton Grand Sacramento (across the street): $197/night 

• The Citizen Hotel (8 min walk): $166/night 

• Hyatt Centric Sacramento (15 min walk):  

• Kimpton Sawyer (15 min walk):  $152/night 

• Other hotels