Playroom Theater
151 W. 46th St., 8th Floor, NYC
It's a new year filled with new opportunities! It's time to take those projects off the back burner and move ahead. For producers, that means finding the money and resources to bring your projects into production. We invite you to acquire some basic tools and crucial information that will help you to function effectively in hard times and the better days that are on the way. From pitching techniques and presentation skills to legal requirements and effective business planning, plus a wealth of first-hand experience from more than a half dozen producers who are currently active in the Broadway and off-Broadway worlds, we promise you an informative, empowering and inspiring day.
Workshop faculty will include Broadway producers (see full bios below) Jane Dubin (An American in Paris, Absolute Brightness of Leonard Pelkey, Peter and the Starcatcher, Ann, The 39 Steps), RK Greene (Peter & the Starcatcher, A Time to Kill, Cougar, Room Service), Carl White of Martian Entertainment - two-time Tony Award®-winning producer and general manager (The Normal Heat, Hedwig and the Angry Inch); producer/investor James Simon (Hand to God, Something Rotten, Pippin); producer/investor Michael Rubenstein; plus attorneys Lisaroxanne Walters and Erach Screwvala, and financial advisor Bailie Slevin.
Schedule:
9:45am-10:00am - registration and check-in, coffee and cake/bagels
10:00am-10:15am - introduction of room (registrants)
10:15 to 10:55 - "Commercial and Not-for-Profit Asks: Defining the Differences" - with attorney LisaRoxanne Walters. We will define terms, then focus on the not-for-profit side: the legal paperwork and structure that is necessary in order to ask for donations, and the responsibilities to your donors, plus the ways in which not-for-profits and commercial companies can work together.
10:55 to 11:35 - "Commercial Financing: Formalizing Your Ask" - with attorney Erach Screwvala. The required paperwork and structures at every level of development, from front money agreements to private placement to Federal filings. And the limitations placed on asking.
11:35 to 11:45 - BREAK
11:45 to 12:15pm - "The Implications of the New Tax Laws on Theater Investing" with Attorney Erach Screwvala. New tax breaks for theater investors have finally caught our industry up with the film industry. How do these changes effect you and your investors? The JOBS Act is finally going into effect. How do the new Federal Securities & Exchange Commission rulings affect who and how you can ask for money?
12:15 to 1:00pm -"How to Present Yourself to Investors" with financial advisor Bailie Slevin. We will take a look at a basic money raising pitch both from your side and the investor’s side, learning how to speak the same financial language, exploring how to best communicate your proposal to your target audience. GETTING the money is what it is all about but HOW you go about the process makes all the difference. It takes simplicity, focus, structure, organization, and follow through to make it happen. This section will concentrate on "winning language" and "successful steps" to get the support for your creative projects.
LUNCH to 1:00pm to 2:00pm
2:00 to 2:30pm - "The Investor's Perspective: Why Your Show?" with James Simon & Michael Rubenstein. So what do you need to do or say to get an investor to write that check? Different investors have different reasons. Two major players in commercial Broadway will discuss why they pick the shows they pick, and what you might learn from their choices.
2:30 to 3:15 -"Creating an Effective Business Plan: Why Is This Show Likely to Succeed?" with RK Greene. Your business plan is your blueprint for success, and a compelling sales tool when approaching investors. It helps you understand your project and how best to pitch it. We will offer a flexible template covering all the basic areas of information you need to include, as well as offering guidance in creating a plan that is professional looking and appealing.
3:15 to 4:00 - "Cultivating and Maintaining a Pool of Investors" with producer Jane Dubin. Identifying prospective investors is just the first step. How do you communicate your passion for a project, incentivize a prospect and close the deal? We'll consider the ways to cultivate your relationships and maintain them through clear and careful communication.
4:00 to 4:15 - BREAK
4:15 to 5:00 - "How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Just Started Asking" with Michael Alden, Jane Dubin, RK Greene, Carl White. The best kept secret about raising money: you have to ask for it. And yes, it doesn't come naturally to everyone. Our panel will talk about overcoming fears, making mistakes and getting back in the saddle. And how they took the leap of faith that brought them the results they wanted.
5:00 to 5:15 - Keynote Speech: Michael Alden
5:15 to 6:00pm - RECEPTION
