Rhino Staging was pleased to sponsor and attend the 2025 FestForums conference earlier this month in Santa Barbara, CA with our partners at Program Productions. Representing Rhino was our National Director of Operations Michelle Smith (in photo above) and National Strategic Development Manager Lisa Soares Hale. Joining us from Program Productions was EVP for Strategy & Development and Chief Sales & Marketing Officer Amy Scheller (in photo below), the Sales & Marketing team of Liana Boghosian and Stephanie DiCaro, and Program Production’s Board of Managers Advisory Member Peter Kimball.
Team Play Makes Panel Pop
Amy and Michelle featured on the Day 2 Operations & Production panel event as moderator and panelist, respectively. Rounding out the panel were Brett Smiley of conCHAIRto, event freelancer Kat Cody, and Kyle Newport of the Sunset Jazz Festival. Discussion during the panel was very lively on the dais and in the audience. Issues and concerns with recruiting, training and developing event labor emerged as a key topic.
Other panel and roundtable topics included Data-Driven Event Management, Festival Cancellation Procedure, Artist Curated Festivals, Unlocking Brand Partnerships, Powering Production with Clean Energy, and Risk Management. Represented on the panels and roundtables were leading event production companies such as Live Nation, Showpower, Goldenvoice, Insomniac Events, Sundance Film Festival, SXSW, Burning Man, BeachLife Festival, and Isle of Wight.
The Stars Come Out
Star power was also in no short supply at the conference. Professional surfer and former world champion, environmentalist, actor, author, and businessman Shaun Tomson kicked things off on Day One. Mr. Tomson spoke to the power of storytelling to inform people in ways more memorable and lasting than can facts and figures alone. Hours later the first of two keynote addresses was delivered by actor, filmmaker, producer, and activist Matthew Modine, best known for his roles in Stranger Things, Oppenheimer, The Dark Knight Rises, Full Metal Jacket, and Birdy. Mr. Modine, a repeat visitor to FestForums, was visible across the three days of the conference and was accessible and generous with his time.
What was perhaps the conference highlight came at the end of Day Two with the second keynote address. Therein singer-songwriter and musician Sophie B. Hawkins delivered heartfelt remarks on her development as an artist. She accented and illuminated her remarks with songs from her catalogue, accompanying herself on piano, guitar and banjo as she sang. It was, no doubt, a touching reminder to many attendees of why they got into the event business in the first place.
Meeting Old Friends, Making New Ones
The action away from the rooms hosting keynotes, panels, and roundtables was equally lively. Attendees mixed and mingled during the day in the two exhibitor halls (where Rhino and Program Productions staffed a shared table) and in the evening at cocktail receptions and parties.
About FestForums
Begun in 2015, FestForums is a leading conference for the festival industry in North America. FestForums keynotes, panels, roundtables and other presentations have tackled issues ranging from ticketing, sponsorship, talent buying, programming, sustainability, safety, marketing and more. In addition to Santa Barbara, FestForums has been held in New York City and San Francisco.
FestForums is produced by Laurie Kirby. Ms. Kirby was an attorney for over twenty years and established The Legends of the LPGA, the senior division of the LPGA, and has represented professional athletes, newscasters, musicians, golf properties and nonprofits.
Thank you!
Rhino values events like FestForums for the opportunities they present to demonstrate and provide industry leadership and grow the company through the development of wider connections throughout the live event industry. Many thanks to our partners at Program Productions for their support in making what we feel was a solid success for Rhino at the 2025 FestForums conference.
Photos courtesy of FestForums.