The NAPAMA Retreat
TUCSON, AZ | Sunday, May 31 - Tuesday, June 2, 2026
The NAPAMA Retreat is a unique opportunity for performing arts professionals to relax and recharge, learn new skills, and build relationships in a supportive and inspiring environment.
Oasis of Innovation
The NAPAMA Retreat is a 3-day gathering, open to anyone in the touring performing arts industry, that offers a chance to connect with colleagues outside of the usual sales-focused booking conference and to share information and resources that can help elevate and strengthen your work. Whether you are an agent, manager, artist, presenter, producer, vendor, service organization, student or other arts worker, this retreat is for you.
This year’s theme is “Oasis of Innovation” – The arts industry often feels like a challenging landscape, especially with funding drying up and shifting audiences and economic influences. To survive and grow in such an “arid” environment, ingenuity and adaptability is key. Join us in Tucson, AZ, a vibrant cultural mecca in the heart of the Sonoran Desert, as we explore creative solutions, develop deeper or new skills, connect with collaborative colleagues across the touring community, and rejuvenate our passion and commitment to the arts.
The Retreat will be at the beautiful Fox Tucson Theatre and runs from Sunday, May 31st at 2:00pm MT to Tuesday, June 2nd at 2:00pm MT. Each day includes professional development and networking opportunities – with a good balance of focused work and free time to explore the city. From roundtables to dine-arounds, from panel speakers to happy hours, from sharing stories to sharing our time, this gathering will impact you both personally and professionally.
Join us in person May 31 - June 2, 2026 at the beautiful Fox Tucson Theatre in Tucson, AZ.
You do not have to be a NAPAMA member to register, but if you are, you save on registration!
Hotel
The official retreat hotel will be The Leo Kent Hotel. The hotel rate is $152 per night, plus tax. The Leo Kent has a courtesy hold on 50 rooms and after that it is first come, first serve, pending availability. PLEASE book your hotel rooms early so they don’t sell out to others! The discounted rate of $152 plus tax, is available starting Saturday, May 30 through Wednesday, June 3.
What past attendees have to say
Pricing
Early bird registration up through April 30th is $299 for members and $399 for non-members. After April 30, registration is $350 for members and $450 for non-members. Registration includes an opening reception, one breakfast, and one lunch. Optional excursions available for separate fees.
All are welcome to the NAPAMA Retreat, regardless of membership status.
Want to save $100 off of registration? Become a NAPAMA member! Join before registering to avail this discount, along with receiving all the other benefits NAPAMA has to offer. Join as a… Agent/Manager | Artist/Artist Ensemble: Represented| Artist/Artist Ensemble: Self-Represented | Other | Presenter | Service Organization | Student/Retiree | Vendor
Already a NAPAMA member? Be sure to sign in to the member portal* before registering to get your discount.
Save $51 by registering before May 1!
Thank you to our Host Venue and all of our Retreat Sponsors whose generous support makes it possible for us to offer this experience at this price.
Non-MEMBER PRICING
MEMBER* PRICING
*To access member pricing, first login to the member portal before registering.
Cancellation and Refund Policy | NAPAMA RETREAT
- If you have to cancel anytime up to 30 days prior to the event your registration fees are able to be refunded less any processing fees incurred. Unfortunately NAPAMA is not able to refund the processing fees.
- However, if you cancel up to 30 days in advance and prefer to, you can defer your registration to the next retreat at no additional cost. Please remember that this deferral holds no cash value and cannot be refunded, applied to membership fees. If prices increase you will be required to make up the difference for that year’s conference.
- OR, you are able to convert all or part of your registration fee into a tax-free donation to NAPAMA.
- All refunds, deferrals, or cancellations must be received in writing 30 days prior to the event.
- Unfortunately we are not able to issue any refunds, deferrals, or cancellations within 30 days of the event, including cancellation due to illness or weather.
- No-shows for the event will not receive a refund or credit for a future event.
Join the conversations in TUCSON
You don’t even have to be a member of NAPAMA to attend.
Preliminary Schedule
Schedule subject to change. Here is our preliminary schedule and possible PD topics:
8:00am-12:00pm Optional Nature Excursion to Sonora Desert Museum
2:00-3:00pm Welcome - Speakers include Bonnie Schock, Executive Director, Fox Tucson Theatre; Kevin Peters, Board President of NAPAMA, and Idris Goodwin, Award Winning Storyteller & Educator
3:00-4:00pm Introductory Affinity Group Round Table Discussions
4:00-5:00pm Venue Tour of the Fox Tucson
6:00-8:00pm Opening Reception
8:00-9:30pm Dinner on your own or Optional Guided Walking Tour
9:30-10:30am Venue Tour of U of A
11:00am-12:30pm PD: Intersection of Performing Arts & Civic Engagement
12:30-2:00pm Sponsored Lunch
2:00-3:00pm Round Table Discussions
3:00-3:15pm 15 min break
3:15-4:45pm PD: Marketing Do's & Don'ts
5:30-6:30pm (optional) Happy Hour
7pm+ (optional) Dine-arounds
9:00-10:30am Roundtables & Sponsored Breakfast
10:30-11:30am PD: Conference Updates
11:30-11:45am 15 min break
11:45am-12:45pm PD: Diversifying Your Market
12:45-1:15pm Closing Reflection
3pm+ (optional) Closing Night Hang (Details TBA!)
Professional Development Sessions Being Considered
- Intersection of Arts & Civic Engagement
- Marketing Dos & Don’ts
- Social Media
- AI tools for the Arts
- Advancements in Accessibility
- Conference Updates
- Other ideas? Email retreat@napama.org
Professional Development Topics
“Oasis of Innovation” PD Sessions Announced!
Sharing knowledge is a key goal for the retreat, so in addition to numerous roundtable discussions, we have the following Professional Development sessions planned for the retreat. Stay tuned as we reveal our final panelists over the next few weeks!
Monday
11AM-12:30PM: Intersection of Performing Arts & Civic Engagement
The arts can turn an empty building into the heart of a town, contribute to public health and social engagement, start dialogue and create empathy. How do we leverage that strength to make an impact beyond a ticket sale? What models work? How do we find partnerships to support it? Hear from arts leaders in Arizona about their state’s creative and funding landscape, as well as stories of artistic collaborations and programming with municipal or community partners that made deep impact and real opportunities for connection.
Moderator:
- Spring Karlo, Co-Director of Holden & Arts Associates,
Panel:
- Christina You-sun Park, Executive Director of Arizona Commission on the Arts
- Bonnie Schock, Executive Director of Fox Theatre Tucson, Tucson, AZ
- Michelle MacLennan, Executive Director of Chandler Center for the Arts, Chandler, AZ and President of Arizona Presenters Alliance
- Ellen Conn, General Manager, Childsplay, Tempe, AZ
- Yvonne Montoya, Artistic Executive Director, Safos Dance Theater, Tucson, AZ
3:15-4:45Pm: Marketing Do's & Don'ts
A practical 2 part session on how artists, agents, and presenters can work collaboratively on marketing assets and strategies to have the most successful show. Whether you’re a newbie or an experienced veteran looking to sharpen up on best practices, hear the latest on what venues and promoters need in an artist’s EPK, what trends folks are seeing in audience engagement and special programming, and what pitfalls to avoid.
Part 2 of this session will be a deep dive into social media marketing and best practices to navigate the different platforms and their ever-changing rules and engagement practices.
Moderator to be announced!
Panel:
- Trish McKeon, Associate Director of Marketing + Communications, Fox Tucson Theatre, Tucson, AZ
- Madison MacLeod, Social Media Manager, Fox Tucson Theatre, Tucson, AZ
Tuesday
10:30-11:30Am Conference Updates
Representatives from national and regional conferences will give a brief update to the upcoming conference season programs, juried and independent showcases, etc… with time for questions!
Moderator: Kevin Peters, Theater Division Agent, G.L. Berg Entertainment
Panel:
- Jessica Rosenblatt, Executive Director, Ohio Arts Professionals Network (OAPN)
- Emily Wolfram, Montana Performing Arts Consortium
- Josh Heim, Executive Director, Western Arts Alliance (WAA)
- Carey Rayburn, Board President, Arts Northwest (ANW)
- Jennifer Ross, Vice-President, Midwest Arts Xpo (MAX)
- TBD, Association of Performing Arts Professionals (APAP)
- Other Panelists to be announced!
12:45-1:15Pm Diversifying Your Market
There are many different “markets” across the touring performing arts field and they are all important in our eco-system. Looking beyond Urban Performing Arts Centers and Clubs, this session will focus on Festivals, Fairs, Corporate & Special Events, and Rural presenters. Can your work translate and connect across these different nuanced audiences? How is working with a presenter different from working with a promoter or a corporate booker? What do you need to know about marketing to these programmers and audiences?
Panel:
- Khris Dodge, Executive & Artistic Director, Tucson Jazz Festival
Moderator & other Panelists to be announced soon!
Speakers
Idris Goodwin
Idris Goodwin is a multi award-winning storyteller whose work spans stage, screen, audio, and page. From his widely produced breakbeat plays and historical dramas such as How We Got On, Hype Man: A Break Beat Play, This is Modern Art, and Bars and Measures to books for young readers like King of the Neuro Verse (Simon & Schuster/Atheneum), Goodwin’s been commissioned and or produced by The Kennedy Center, The Eugene O’Neill Conference, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Actors Theatre of Louisville, and Arena Stage. A United States Artist Fellow and seasoned educator, he has created content for HBO Def Poetry, Sesame Street, and Nickelodeon. Idris is an Associate Professor of Dramatic Writing at Arizona State University, as well as former Executive Director of the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center at Colorado College and Artistic Director of StageOne Family Theatre in Louisville, Kentucky and Seattle Children’s Theatre. Learn more about Idris here or check out his website.
Christina You-sun Park is the executive director of the Arizona Commission on the Arts, a state agency dedicated to fostering a vibrant arts and culture sector that fuels local economies, enriches communities, enhances education and promotes the health and well-being of Arizona residents. With a broad background in cultural research, creative placemaking and grant making, Park is a seasoned leader in building interdisciplinary collaborations and strengthening partnerships with local communities, national organizations and government agencies. Previously, Park was the associate director at the Studio for Creativity, Place and Equitable Communities at Arizona State University (ASU). There she led a team focused on innovative programs and research that underscore the critical role of arts and culture in community development and well-being. A practicing artist and experienced educator, Park has taught at ASU and Phoenix College, and contributed to artist groups including Eyelounge, Salem Art Works and Franconia Sculpture Park. She holds an MFA from ASU and a BFA from Virginia Commonwealth University, and is dedicated to the transformative power of art to inspire dialogue and drive positive change.
Christina You-sun Park
Bonnie Schock
Bonnie Schock brings 35 years of professional, nonprofit arts leadership experience to her current role as Executive and Artistic Director of the Fox Tucson Theatre. She has been a presenter, producer, stage director, grant maker, interdisciplinary arts educator and practitioner, and led a range of organizations and projects. She holds an M.F.A in Stage Directing from the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities. Prior to the Fox, she led the historic Sheldon Theatre of Performing Arts through a programming renaissance, where a series she created garnered national attention as a feature in Inside Arts Magazine, an industry publication focused on performance trends. She served as Program Officer at the MN State Arts Board, guiding the largest state investment in the arts in the nation, specifically building the Arts Tour MN program, where she gained comprehensive knowledge of performance touring. She has been a Leadership Fellow with the Association of Performing Arts Professionals, the Shannon Institute, and the Bush Foundation’s Creative Community Leadership Program. Since joining the Fox in 2020, she has been responsible for rapid yet strategic organizational growth, fiscal and administrative excellence, the introduction of new programming structures, dramatic expansion of youth education initiatives, and launched a bold vision and related $26.5M capital campaign for expansion of the historic facility into a multi-stage performing arts complex that will be positioned to meet next generation needs. Schock has a lifelong commitment to the transformative power of the arts at both the individual and community levels. She has a particular love of historic venues, for the rich tapestry of history, memory, and emotion that they hold; and the endless possibilities for community connection they provide.
Michelle Mac Lennan is a seasoned arts leader and independent producer working at the intersection of artists, agents, presenters and funders to support project development and strategic artist advancement. She serves as General Manager of the Chandler Center for the Arts, Cultural Arts Manager for the City of Chandler, and President of the 501(c)(3) Chandler Cultural Foundation. With decades of experience in public-private partnership models, Michelle has collaborated closely with artists and their representatives to develop new work, structure residencies, and build meaningful, place-based communities. Her approach prioritizes trust, clarity, and alignment between artistic vision, community context, and real-world conditions. Recognized with a Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust fellowship and named one of the Phoenix Business Journal’s “30 Outstanding Women in Business,” Michelle was elected by her peers as President of the Arizona Presenters Alliance. As she prepares for her next act, she is choosing work deliberately honoring long-standing relationships, and making space for projects that feel true, resonant, and aligned with her values.
Michelle Mac Lennan
Ellen Conn
Ellen Conn is a 2024 Piper Fellow and Certified Nonprofit Accounting Professional with a focus on creating values-aligned financial strategies and processes for arts organizations. She is the General Manager of Childsplay in Tempe, Arizona. In her nineteen years with Childsplay she has spearheaded new budgeting processes, led strategic planning efforts, and worked across all departments to ensure shared financial understanding and sustainability. Her current priority of expanding revenue lines and increasing audiences is a new challenge supported by her Fellowship activities. She served as the first Treasurer on the Board of Directors for Phoenix based startup Rising Youth Theatre, helping them to develop their financial values, systems and processes. She lives in the Phoenix-Metro area of Arizona with her family.
Khris Dodge is a versatile musician, educator, and Tucson arts advocate for more than 30 years. He was recently appointed Executive Director of the Tucson Jazz Festival and continues to serve as director of Jovert, Tucson High Magnet School’s steel band. In addition, he also runs Khris Dodge Entertainment (KDE), a full-scale concert production company. Educated at the University of Arizona, where he earned both his Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees in Percussion Performance, Khris used the skills learned under Gary Cook – as well as jazz piano instruction from Jeff Haskell – to craft a versatile music career. Khris has played everything from orchestral percussion with Tucson Symphony and Arizona Opera (the latter of which he played with for 20 years) to keyboard for Broadway National Tours (Wicked, The Book of Mormon, Jersey Boys). Additionally, he has played featured performances at the Sedona Film Festival, Musical Instrument Museum, Austin Cabaret Theatre, and New York’s Metropolitan Room, to name a few. Khris also arranged and conducted Hot Stuff: A Symphonic Tribute to Donna Summer, which debuted in 2019. In his spare time, Khris works with the Tucson Arizona Boys Chorus, Diaper Bank of Southern Arizona, and the Rotary Club of Tucson.
Khris Dodge
Yvonne Montoya
Yvonne Montoya is a mother, choreographer, writer, bi-national artist and the founding Artistic Executive Director of Safos Dance Theatre based in Tucson, AZ. Originally from Albuquerque, NM, Montoya was a Postgraduate Dance Fellow at Arizona State University, a Kennedy Center Citizen Artist Fellow, a Dance/USA Artist Fellow, and the first Arizona-based dance artist to receive the National Dance Project Production Grant. Montoya won the Arizona Drive-In Dance Film Festival Creative Excellence Award in 2021, and her company won the Tucson Pima Arts Council’s Lumie Award for Emerging Organization in 2015. Montoya’s touring show Stories from Home premiered at GALA Hispanic Theatre in Washington, D.C. in October 2023 and is currently touring nationally. Montoya is the founder and thought leader behind the Southwest-based dance and research project Dance in the Desert: A Gathering of Dancemakers. Montoya is a published writer and independent dance scholar and researcher. www.yvonnemontoya.co
Trish McKeon has been on a wild & crazy 30-year ride! She’s sat on all sides of the conference room table – major record labels, Broadway tours and venue (show) marketing. National and local levels – designing creative and goal-breaking advertising campaigns, crossover promotions, sponsorships, and community outreach. Plus, publicity and artist relations: TV and radio appearances, meet n greets, opening nights, cast events and more! She’s enjoyed the fabulous and the frenzied ever since her first concert: Bruce Springsteen, Born in the USA tour. She’s a Swiftie, bookworm, lover of French 75s, movie popcorn addict & animal rescue mom.
Trish McKeon
Madison MacLeod
Madison MacLeod is a social + digital media professional with over 10 years of marketing experience specializing in the cultivation, curation, and growth of brand identities across various artistic and academic disciplines. With a focus on the performing arts + music and a passion for community-building, her expertise in creating and leading successful campaigns has been an asset to the organizations she has worked with throughout each transition from one era of digital marketing to the next.
Optional Excursions
Nature Excursion to the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum
Sunday 8am-12pm
The Desert Museum is a fusion experience: Nature trails, zoo, botanical garden, natural history museum, and more. Explore the half-mile “Desert Loop” and learn about the region’s most iconic native plants and animals through immersive environments and exhibits.
Please note that the Desert Museum is 85% outdoors with approximately half of the paths being paved and half unpaved with compacted materials. More information is here. https://www.desertmuseum.org/
Entrance fee for the museum is $35 (paid directly to Museum upon entrance.) Shuttle fee (subsidized by NAPAMA) is only $15.
More info & sign up coming soon!
The Desert Museum is an approximately 30-minute drive from downtown. Public Transportation is not available to the museum and ride-shares are unreliable in the Sonoran Desert, so NAPAMA will arrange shuttle transportation. Shuttle space will be limited to 27 people, on a first come first serve basis. Pick up and drop off would be at the Leo Kent hotel. (Please gather at 7:45am for a sharp 8am departure! The shuttle will leave the museum at 11:30am for a 12pm return.)
Guided Walking Tour
Sunday 8-9pm
Learn more about the history and culture of Tucson with a group stroll through downtown. For one hour (and approximately one mile) we’ll visit locations like the Pima County Courthouse and El Presidio Neighborhood with an expert tour guide from Strolls and Stories. We’ll see a historic Sonoran Row House, Saguaro Cacti, and modern public art by Joe Pagac, as well as hear tales of famous western gunfighters and the Dillinger Gang’s capture in Tucson.
Space is limited to 30 people, on a first come first serve basis. Sign up coming soon!
NAPAMA will pay for the tour – but please plan to tip the tour guide!
Join us at the (round)table
Our Sponsors
Thank you to all of our Retreat Sponsors whose generous support makes it possible for us to offer this experience at this price.
Diamond Sponsor
Platinum Sponsors
Gold Sponsors
Silver Sponsors
WE NEED YOU TO BE A SPONSOR
On behalf of the entire Board and membership of NAPAMA, we invite those who can to join us as a sponsor of the 2026 NAPAMA Retreat, scheduled May 31 – June 2, 2026, in Tucson, Arizona. With sponsorships starting at $250.00, your investment as a Retreat Sponsor supports the future of the NAPAMA organization, helps keep registration fees low helping those who may not otherwise attend, gives us leveraging power that underlines the importance of our convening power, and offers a meaningful and significant gift to our community. Thank you to the members who have already answered the call to sponsor!
Benefits for All Sponsors (Platinum, Gold, Silver) include:
Logo included on all Retreat-centered written communication such as announcements, emails, digital flyers, and the like
Logo with weblink included on all Retreat pages
Logo included with Retreat materials, table signage, and follow up items and communication
A Live Acknowledgement throughout the Retreat
Remaining Sponsorship Opportunities
$1,000+
- PD speakers or sessions
Platinum Sponsor
$750-999
- Sun Opening Reception
- Monday Lunch
- Monday Lunch – 2nd spot
Gold Sponsor
$500-749
- Monday Social Event
Silver Sponsor
$250-499
- Tuesday Roundtable
Benefits will begin to be acknowledged on or after January 6, 2026.
We hope that you will join us as a sponsor of the 2026 NAPAMA Retreat. To sponsor, email Karen Kennedy directly at kmkennedy@mac.com, Subject: NAPAMA Retreat, with your pledge level and I will follow up with an invoice and link to renew.
For more information, you can contact Spring Karlo, Retreat Chair, at sk@holdenarts.org.
We hope to welcome you as a sponsor of the 2026 NAPAMA Retreat. Thank you for your consideration.
Retreat Committee,
Spring Karlo, Kevin Peters, Tara Bailey, Erika Finley, and Lisa Conlon
This was my first retreat, and it was so wonderful! Thankful for the speed meets and the chance to talk with people I might have otherwise never met.
RETREAT 2021 ATTENDEE