Organizers have officially announced the second-annual TEDxBroadway, a daylong conference that brings together leaders in academics, entertainment, marketing and media to discuss the issues and opportunities facing Broadway and generate ideas for growing its future. The event will take place on January 28, 2013 at New World Stages in New York City.
Last year’s sold-out event focused on what Broadway will be like in the year 2032. The 2013 TEDxBroadway will bring together some of the most influential people in the industry to answer the question: “What’s the best that Broadway can be — on stage, in the community, and throughout the world?”
“TEDxBroadway invites everyone who has a stake in Broadway, a neighborhood of New York City, to participate in shaping its future,” said Jim McCarthy, CEO of Goldstar and co-organizer of the event. “Our goal is to present speakers who inspire ideas, conversations and growth.”
According to a recent press release, 2013 TEDxBroadway will feature numerous presentations by artists, entrepreneurs, non-profit theater executives, and business experts including: Seth Pinsky, president of NYC’s Economic Development Corporation; Thomas Schumacher, president of Disney Theatrical Group and award-winning Broadway producer; Randi Zuckerberg, founder of Zuckerberg Media and award-winning producer and media personality; Terry Teachout, drama critic at the Wall Street Journal; Christine Jones, artistic director of Theatre for One; and Josh Harris, founder of the world’s first internet radio and television network, Pseudo Programs, Inc., and subject of the Sundance award-winning documentary film “We Live in Public.”
“This isn’t about ‘fixing’ Broadway as much as it is creating a time and space to envision what’s possible,” McCarthy told TicketNews® via email. “The way we approach that is to try to gather attendees and great presenters and give them the mandate to thing big, think bold, even think in a way that might not even be practical today, but to create at least that one day where the people who have a stake in this neighborhood to push aside all constraints to their thinking and envision the future that they would like to see.”
TEDxBroadway is co-organized by Damian Bazadona, founder of Situation Interactive, Broadway producer Ken Davenport, and Jim McCarthy of Goldstar.
While all three organizers agree that the focus of the event is to explore the possibilities of Broadway and work toward accomplishing at least some of these visions, there are some issues currently facing Broadway that the organizers would like to see tackled sooner than later.
Bazadona told TicketNews® that one of the biggest issues facing Broadway is attracting and nurturing talent to help drive the industry forward. Bazadona, who focused his TEDx discussion on this issue last year, says it is the single biggest reason that he has put all of his efforts into planning this event. “Our success as an industry over time requires us to continue to gain the greatest share of talent, whether it’s writers, actors, producers, investors, builders, designers, or financers – we need to create a strong talent magnet if we expect our industry to continue to thrive and flourish,” Bazadona told TicketNews®.
Davenport, Broadway producer and TEDxBroadway co-organizer agrees with Bazadona and concluded his interview by explaining the importance of engaging today’s kids and developing them as audiences, actors, and producers, but that with all the opportunities out there, this task is getting more and more difficult.
Tickets for the 2013 TEDxBroadway can be purchased for $100 from Goldstar. The conference is part of the TEDx program, an offshoot of TED, a nonprofit organization dedicated to “Ideas Worth Spreading.” TEDx events are self-organized and bring people together to share an experience through TEDTalks video and live speakers, similar to the original TED events.
According to the press release for the event, co-organizing sponsors of TEDxBroadway 2013 are Jujamcyn Theaters, Google, and Broadway.com. Thought leader sponsors include Fathom Events, Theatermania, and NewYork.com. Supporting sponsors for the event are Audience Rewards, Chase Bank, Davis Wright Tremaine, Camp Broadway, and BroadwayWorld.com.
