The City of Lynchburg Office of Economic Development & Tourism, the Small Business Development Center, and the Academy Center of the Arts have teamed up to host the second annual Create Lynchburg Conference on Saturday, February 24, 2018, at the Academy Center of the Arts’ Warehouse Theatre.
Create Lynchburg is a conference for Lynchburg’s community of artists and creatives, with a goal of supporting area arts & entrepreneurship, and equipping artists and organizations with the tools, resources, and connections to be successful in business, while making a positive economic impact in the greater Lynchburg community.
“We are really excited to bring this conference back to Lynchburg and to continue the collaboration between the Office of Economic Development & Tourism and the SBDC,” said Academy Center of the Arts’ Executive Director, Geoffrey Kershner. “Last year’s conference touched on a real need to bring our creative community resources that will help them succeed not just as artists and creative but as small businesses and entrepreneurs.”
Anna Bentson the Assistant Director of the Office of Economic Development said, “from Lynchburg’s participation with Americans for the Arts national economic impact study we know that the arts in Lynchburg generate at least $10.8 million in economic impact. Efforts like Create Lynchburg elevate the arts as a critical economic sector.”
On Saturday, February 24, 2018, a full day of workshops will take place in the Academy’s Joy and Lynch Christian Warehouse Theatre, at 519 Commerce St.
The speakers and panelists for the conference will include artists, legal experts, entrepreneurs, and other arts professionals. Among these panelists will be Alicia Hester of Facebook’s Global Marketing Solutions Team.
Hester visits Lynchburg from the Facebook offices in Austin, Texas, and will lead a workshop on tips and tricks for utilizing Facebook and Instagram. Also joining this year’s conference are Ann Meier Baker, the Director of Music and Opera at the National Endowment of the Arts, Roger Schmidt, the Executive Director of the Sitka Fine Arts Camp in Sitka, Alaska, and a number of regional and local artists and entrepreneurs.
The 2018 Create Lynchburg workshops and speaker sessions will include:
- Facebook 101 – Tips & Tricks for Marketing with Facebook and Instagram
- Etsy and Beyond: Keywords, Pricing, and Virtual Markets
- Time Management and Personal Organization for Artists
- Healthcare for Artists
- How to Utilize both Conventional and Unconventional Resources for Organizational Growth
- Tailoring Fundraising for Your Community
- Grant Writing
Create Lynchburg has been sponsored by Moore & Giles, and the Lynchburg Regional Business Alliance.
Conference Tickets can be purchased at https://academycenter.org/event/create-lynchburg-2018/. Prices include: Adult: $55*, Student: $25*, Arts Organizations: 3 tickets for $99**
*Lunch, one coffee, and one happy hour drink included
**Call box office to arrange
For more information or to purchase tickets, visit academycenter.org or call (434) 846-TIXX (8499).
