Connect and collaborate with fellow Inclusive Stages coalition members at our in-person summer convening in Baltimore, MD . This convening will provide an opportunity to share insights, strengthen connections, and advance collective goals. A significant portion of the day will be dedicated to working group sessions, providing focused time to make meaningful progress on coalition-wide priorities. A detailed agenda will be shared directly with coalition members.

Please note: This event is open to Inclusive Stages Coalition Members only.

This convening is made possible by a generous grant from the Sakana Foundation.

The Education and Community Engagement (EdCE) and Youth Orchestra Division (YOD) constituencies will join together in Baltimore for a combined Pre-Conference Half-Day Meeting for 2026, the 50th anniversary of YOD. This is a dedicated time for professionals from member orchestras who specialize in education and community work to learn together while building and strengthening their constituency connections.

Topics include exploring how a community’s unique history, culture, and voice can shape a vibrant musical ecosystem that fosters youth development and leadership. Participants will hear from organizations collaborating around a shared youth-centered mission, engage directly with young artists, co-create a community composition, and take part in dynamic conversations on best practices for building supportive networks and programs that empower youth to realize their creative potential.

Please note: the Education and Community Engagement (EdCE) and Youth Orchestra Division (YOD) Half-Day meeting is designed for and open to professionals from member orchestras who specialize in this work. If you have any questions, please contact nlee@americanorchestras.org and hbriere@americanorchestras.org. Space may be limited and therefore priority will be given to registrants from the EdCE and YOD constituencies.

Cost: $80 Early Bird (by April 16), $90 Regular

Speaker: Catherine Heitz New, Chief Executive Officer, RSC Associates

Arts leaders know they need to grow fundraising, but limited resources often stand in the way. In reality, it’s not about doing more—it’s about taking the right actions at the right time to build momentum and drive results.

In this three-hour workshop, you’ll learn how to strategically sequence your fundraising calendar to target the right prospect pools with the right tactics. Each segment requires a distinct approach, and knowing how to balance your time, money, and people across them is key to sustainable growth.

Bring your full team: executives, board members, and development leaders. You’ll leave with a clear plan for your organization that defines whom you’ll target, how you’ll reach them, and when you’ll engage them.

If you’re ready to move from busy to productive, this session is for you.

Cost: $330 League Member / $410 Not-Yet-Member

Speakers: Julian Chender, Founder and Principal Consultant, 11A Collaborative and Jessica Phillips, Consultant, Arts and Culture, 11A Collaborative

Your organizational culture is the bedrock of your artistic presence. It shapes every project, collaboration, and hire—from musicians and conductors to administrators—and has significant implications on the flow of your operations and your bottom line. Ultimately, it influences everything your orchestra achieves, both on and off stage, including your reach in the community. 

Join us for a Pre-Conference Seminar on organizational culture designed specifically for senior orchestra leaders and board members of all budget sizes. This experiential workshop will discuss the many ways industry culture expectations have shifted over the past five years and then equip you with proven techniques for leading culture with deliberate and impactful action. We will combine your real-world insights with behavioral psychology and organization development models to explore methods tailored specifically for the unique orchestral landscape.

Discover what you, as an influential leader within your organization, can do to propel your orchestra and the field forward.

Cost: $330 League Member / $410 Not-Yet-Member

Join us for a half-day event showcasing technology offerings in areas such as marketing, data management and CRM, ticketing, online program notes, audience engagement apps, in-hall concert technologies, and more. Get to know the companies behind these offerings, learn how your peers are innovating with technology, and pick up tips and tricks for creative ways to take better advantage of the tools you have.

The Tech Fair will take place in the Exhibit Area, with presentations in adjoining rooms. Once confirmed, the schedule of presentations will be posted online.

If you are interested in presenting at the Tech Fair, please be in touch with Steve Alter at salter@americanorchestras.org

No additional cost. The Tech Fair is included in your Conference registration!

Speaker: Marla Bobowick, Nonprofit Governance Consultant

Good governance should be the starting point for how your board, executive team, and artistic leadership work together. When done well, solid governance creates meaningful board engagement, which in turn adds real value to an orchestra’s relevance and resilience. But what should the board be engaged in, and when? What prevents board members from contributing productively? How can executives and board chairs make the most of their boards?

This interactive session will help board members and executives explore governance principles and best practices to:

• Use board process and procedures for more than just fiduciary accountability

• Design meetings that address strategic issues and leverage board expertise in the room

• Establish group norms to motivate board members beyond baseline expectations

• Strengthen relationships between board members and with executive and artistic staff

Board issues will be examined from multiple perspectives—board and staff, larger and smaller orchestras—with an emphasis on practical tips and common pitfalls. Together, we will unpack challenges related to sharing information, decision-making, and strategic leadership in a way that elevates the work of the board and activates appropriate board member engagement.

Cost: $330 League Member / $410 Not-Yet-Member