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  1. Annual Meeting Objectives
  2. Philosophy
  3. Overview
  4. Who You Will Meet
  5. This will be my first Annual Meeting. Will I be the only one who doesn’t know anyone? (No way!)
  6. Getting There

  1. Annual Meeting Objectives (What we hope excites you!)
    • NETWORK: Building and strengthening relationships
    • GROW: Advancing professional development and investing in field leaders
    • INSPIRE: Fueling creativity and social action around the country and the world
    • CONNECT: Deepening the field’s knowledge of AUSTIN culture
  2. Philosophy (What excites us!)
    • To create an environment where artists and presenters can develop peer relationships — not power relationships
    • To provide support to artists, NPN/VAN Partners and colleagues through shared best practices
    • To activate new collaborations and partnerships
    • To show the breadth of work that NPN/VAN has subsidized
  3. Overview (What to expect!)
    • When & Where: December 1-5, 2016 in Austin, Texas
    • Arrive on Thursday for pre-conferences, orientations and the opening reception in the evening; depart on Monday morning (check the schedule)
  4. Who You Will Meet (About 375 participants!)
    • NPN/VAN Partners, board members and staff
    • Austin host committee members and colleagues
    • U.S. and international colleagues — arts presenters/producers, curators, cultural organizers, funders
    • Artists:
      • National artists who have toured on NPN/VAN
      • Austin-based performing and visual artists
      • National “Live & On Stage” performing artists (selected from Creation Fund recipients, previous 3 years)
  5. This will be my first Annual Meeting. Will I be the only one who doesn’t know anyone? (No way!)
    • Usually almost half of attendees are new to the AM. Plan to attend the AM Austin Newbie Mixer on Thursday December 1 at 5:30pm to help you get your bearings, and to meet some of the other cool folks. Besides, the people who attend the Annual Meeting are a pretty special bunch — you should feel comfortable introducing yourself to them. And remember: this meeting is about networking!
    • Here’s what we heard after last year’s Annual Meeting:

      “This was my first Annual Meeting. I met more professionals in my field over the course of four days than I have anywhere else.”

  6. Getting There
    • When should I arrive and depart?

      You should arrive on December 1st, 2016 in time for the AM Newbie Mixer from 5:30-6:30pm (especially if you’re new!) followed by the Opening Reception. Plan to leave on Monday morning, December 5th (there are no scheduled activities on Monday).
       

    • How do I get from the airport to the meeting hotel?

      Getting to the Sheraton from the Airport:

      By Taxi:
      Ask for the Sheraton Austin Hotel at the Capitol (701 E 11th St, Austin, TX 78701)
      Austin Cab – (512) 478-2222
      Yellow Cab – (512) 452-9999
      Cost: approx. $25 Travel Time: 20 minutes

      Super Shuttle:
      Shuttle service from airport – reservations required
      www.supershuttle.com
      (512) 258-3826
      Cost: approx. $12 Time: 20 minutes
       

    • Should I plan to make my own hotel arrangements?

      The answer is most likely yes! NPN/VAN staff make reservations for a small number of attendees, but you would have heard from us directly if this were the case. If you’re unsure, you can always email Orchid: orchid@npnweb.org.

      The hotel is the Sheraton Austin Hotel at the Capitol and you can make your hotel reservation by visiting their booking website here!

      There are a limited number of rooms available at the really low NPN/VAN rate of $129+ (single or double); once those rooms fill up, the rate increases to $154+. Deadline for making reservations is November 1!
       

    • Where will we be?

      We are still anchoring down all of our venues, but these are confirmed:

      Sheraton Austin Hotel at the Capitol
      701 E 11th St
      Austin, TX 78701

      Stateside Theatre
      713 Congress Avenue
      Austin, TX 78701

      George Washington Carver Museum & Cultural Center
      1165 Angelina Street
      Austin, TX 78702

      Mexican American Cultural Center
      600 River St
      Austin, TX 78701

      Six Square, Austin’s Black Cultural District
       

    • What should I bring?

      All the usual things you would bring on a 4-day trip, we take no responsibility for you forgetting your toothbrush (but will happily direct you to the nearest drugstore to buy a new one!); business cards; and any materials of projects you’re working on that you’d like to share (there will be resource tables to put them on).
       

    • What should I wear?

      Wear what makes you feel good. Attendees wear everything from jeans and sneakers to heels. We don’t have many many suit-wearers, but if that’s your game that’s great! We recommend that you bring a pair of comfortable shoes, as some activities will take you out and about in Austin.

         

NPN/VAN receives generous support from Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, Ford Foundation, Japan Foundation Center for Global Partnership, Japan-U.S. Friendship Commission, Miami Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs, Joan Mitchell Foundation, Lambent Foundation Fund of Tides Foundation, Louisiana Division of the Arts, National Endowment for the Arts, Quixote Foundation, Surdna Foundation, WESTAF, City of Austin Economic Development Department-Cultural Arts Division, the Austin Convention & Visitors Bureau, and the Texas Commission on the Arts.