Professional Development Proposals: WAA 2025
What Do You Want to See in 2025?
WAA offers exceptional opportunities for learning and discovery and we’re looking for professional development sessions that deliver high impact and appeal to performing arts professionals! The Annual Conference in Los Angeles, California (September 2 - 5, 2024), WAA will provide a variety of in-person and online sessions throughout the year.
2024 WAA Pre-Conference in Tijuana; credit: Victor Karam
Ditch the Pitch, 2024 WAA Conference; credit: Adrian Eberstein
Joe Kye, Amplified, 2023 WAA Conference; Jo Cosme Photography
The Politics of Presence, Opening Plenary, 2019 WAA Conference; credit: Corporate Close Ups
Formats
Common formats include keynote speakers, panel discussions, presentations, roundtables, webinars, workshops, written papers, or other multimedia formats. There are limited opportunities for in-person sessions at our conference, and WAA will prioritize proposals that take advantage of being face-to-face. We want to center connection through high levels of interaction including play and/or more tangible takeaways physical or otherwise. For example, open dialogue with specialists instead of keynote presentations, hands-on workshops as opposed to PowerPoint deck info dumps, forums to find or implement solutions to our collective and actionable problems over insular brainstorming sessions.
WAA will support the following sessions this year:
Forum - Facilitated large group and/or breakout discussion
Excursion - Offsite activity, experiences, and tours
Panel - Invited Speakers/Moderators
Presentation - Info session
Workshop - Nuts and bolts, “how-to,” skill building
Roundtable/Coffee Talks - Peer networking or learning around a topic of interest
Affinity Session - Identity based networking and/or learning. Open to all or closed to those of that identity by host discretion.
Criteria
There are limited opportunities for in-person sessions at our conference, and WAA will prioritize proposals that take advantage of being face-to-face and center connections. Successful proposals have the following characteristics:
The learning is clear and timely, there are relevant and tangible takeaways.
The exchange between attendees and experts and each other is rich.
The experience is tailor-made for professional adult learners.
The topic aligns to one or more of WAA’s values: Informed, Inclusive, Innovative.
The deadline for all proposals is March 14 at 11:59pm Pacific Time.
Your idea will be reviewed by the appropriate committees.
Applicants will be notified by end of April.
If you have any questions, please contact Membership & Programs Coordinator, Makaveli Gresham.
Questions about the application and/or criteria?
Attend the online Conference Info Session
February 19, 2025 at 1:00pm Pacific Time