From the very first meeting of the organizers in January of 2022, THE Conference: Live at Lititz has always been about intention. Every element–the way content is curated, the look and feel of the designed spaces, and the operations and staffing–is part of a larger story that is looking to be told in Lititz each December. Modeling the goals of the conference into every aspect of the planning process is key to the success of this event.
The response from the industry has been loud and clear. Even with adding 300 additional tickets this year, THE Conference: Live at Lititz sold out completely three months in advance. But as organizer Charlie Hernandez often cautions, “the sophomore album is always the hardest,” and the need to stay focused and aligned on the mission is at the forefront of the team’s decision making.
Rock Lititz Experience Manager, Rachel Pfennig Hales, has been helping curate content for Rock Lititz since the launch of the first studio in 2014. As a former Production Coordinator, spending time on tour with the Black Eyed Peas and Lynyrd Skynyrd, she is also author of Tour Book, a non-fiction look at the industry through a collection of interviews from on tour. The combination offers first-hand touring knowledge and a deep grasp of how to deliver engaging content for crews. Over the years, she has helped develop and drive professional development programming for the Rock Lititz Community and brings this same care to content creation for THE Conference as the Content Lead.
“THE Conference: Live at Lititz is committed to creating a space for live touring professionals to gather and learn together. This community draws passionate, innovative, and resourceful individuals from around the world, and our goal is to celebrate and strengthen this unique backstage network by providing the opportunity for conversation at both an industry-wide level, as well as from personal and team growth perspectives,” shared Hales. “Year one got a lot of this dialogue started, and this year, we plan to build on that foundation by focusing on topics that challenge, educate, and put these ideas into action. Expect more activities, more group discussions, and more first-hand stories of creative problem-solving in an evolving industry.”
The team has spent a lot of time connecting with attendees from last year and experts across specialties to prepare a purpose-built schedule that keeps an interactive focus on topics touring professionals and vendors are looking to explore. And there is just as much care put into who speaks at THE Conference. Inclusivity, diverse perspectives, and amplifying new talent are part of the organizer’s core Guiding Principles.
“We recognize that every room at this event is full of leading experts,” Hales continues. “The team has taken a lot of care to respect that, by planning opportunities for the audience to engage in roundtable Q+As, interactive discussions, workshops, and to share their own experiences. When we do rely on panels, it is essential the voices contributing at THE Conference represent live touring as it is today, as well as where we hope it grows. All of our speakers are immersed in today’s production world and prepared to share about their hurdles and successes, with the goal of creating a stronger, collective industry. Just as the best events happen when a variety of specialized teams collaborate to create one seamless show, we also need a range of experiences, cultures, ages, genders, and skillsets, to ensure we benefit from a variety of perspectives, insights and innovations that will contribute to the health of our teams and productions.”
These themes can also be seen in the vision of Adam Byrne, Creative Director at TAIT who has been helping to shape the aesthetic of THE Conference since year one. “In thinking about how to approach the look and feel this year, there were a trio of guiding principles I kept coming back to. The first is to provide a forum for our future. A place where professionals at any stage in their career can come together, meet old and new friends alike, and grow and learn from one another. Second, to weave a new way of doing things. Progress propagates at the intersection of ideas and action. You need the harmony of the views and thoughts being presented intertwining with the people who can act on it to craft meaningful change. The last is to preserve what is precious. Recognize that there are aspects of the industry worth passing down while also understanding our increasing responsibility in sustainability efforts towards our planet, people, and practices.”
“The design for this year’s conference is drawn from these themes and goals. The overall layout of Studio 1 is intended to feel open yet intimate and provide a multi-purpose room that can accommodate a gathering one night and panel discussions the next day. Helping to shape the space, fabric scenic panels representing a deconstructed weave are angled and arrayed around the center of the room. Lighting and effects will bring the woven patterns to life. The stage and central electrics take on gemstone-inspired shapes adorned with marbled soft goods. All done with gear that can be used on other productions,” Byrne details.
Byrne works directly with every vendor supplying gear to ensure that the final design is one built from shared goals and partnership. THE Conference seeks to build additional community in the industry, and this can be seen clearly in the way the final designs are created. Byrne explains, “Collaboration with vendor sponsors is a critical part of the design process, from first musings all the way through the event. It’s important to remain flexible as I design, to be open to the input of the vendor sponsors and adjust the design as challenges present themselves. Once we have a vision, we’re all moving towards, the vendor sponsors are my biggest allies. They’re the ones who will make the vision possible, materializing it in the space, turning idea to actuality. None of it be possible without them.”
As he finalizes the design details for year two, Byrne explains what the experience has meant to him, “As someone who has a deep passion for our industry, working on THE Conference has been a very special experience for me. I fully believe in what CJMS, in partnership with Rock Lititz, are doing for the future of live entertainment production.” CJMS refers to conference founders, Charlie Hernandez, Jake Berry, Marty Hom, Stuart Ross.
Between last year and this year so far, working on THE Conference has been a tremendous learning opportunity. “Coming into the first year was rather intimidating as I wasn’t fully sure what to expect,” says Byrne. “I really wanted to shape something that embodied the industry without overcomplicating what it needed to be. Approaching the design for this year’s conference, I wanted to build on what had been done previously while refining the design lens to focus on the established theme and goals of the event.”
Content and design are not the only areas where the mission of THE Conference is top of mind. Conference Director, Emily Cassidy, explains how these themes are woven into the operations and strategy, “This team works hard to always ‘practice what we preach’. We don’t just talk about mental health; we provide small group therapy sessions, Friends of Bill meetings, social alternatives to drinking, and decompression spaces. We don’t just say we want to advance young people; we offer internships and production roles to young professionals and integrate education opportunities and mentorships into those experiences. We do not just talk about sustainability; we provide water bottles and avoid single use plastic in our catering. We repurpose gear and products to create our spaces. Attendees should see the topics discussed on the stage being modeled throughout the campus during the conference.”
This continues into how partners and sponsors are incorporated into THE Conference. “If someone wants to be a part of shaping this event, I work hard to find them a seat at the table. We decided early on to avoid traditional tiered, category-exclusive sponsorship packages and instead custom build everything to deliver on something unique. Many of our activations came from asking the question, ‘what is something you have always wanted to try but couldn’t?’ This has led to over 35 sponsors and partners participating in making this conference happen.”
The organizers of THE Conference: Live at Lititz continue to ask themselves how to push the boundaries, open doors, and build something that truly impacts the health and success of the industry. This is an industry built on the relationships of people, many of whom will be on the Rock Lititz Campus December 6-8.
