Professional development sessions at PAE support the presenting and touring field with practical management, leadership and career training. During PAE, we offer workshops for artists, managers and presenters through three focus areas: Fundamentals, Skills, and Issues & Ideas.

Fundamentals workshops are designed to meet the needs of those new to the field, providing essential information. Skills workshops are designed for professionals with more experience, but who are in need of more specialized and in-depth exposure to major issues of concern to the field. Issues & Ideas workshops are designed for experienced professionals who want to dig more deeply into an artform, an issue, or explore an idea.

These three strands of learning allow PAE conference participants at all points in their careers to find opportunities for stimulating conversation. Presenters, artists, agents and managers will find an array of enticing topics that will help deepen their knowledge and expand their ways of working.

Three additional components of Professional Development @ PAE were added to last year’s conference. Short Attention Span Sessions are just one hour, for a quick visit to a topic or a roundtable discussion with your peers. Conversations With… enables a small group of pre-registered participants to have a facilitated conversation with visionary leaders in our field. And Dinner and Discourse matches a good meal with a learning opportunity – for example, how to talk with your audiences about a particular artform.

New to the field? Try a Fundamentals workshop or two. Been around a while and now you’re ready for more advanced training? Try a Skills workshop. Want to dig deep into a meaty topic? Spend some time with Issues & Ideas. Wherever you land, you’ll find a dynamic, interactive workshop that will offer you practical information and plenty to think about long after the PAE is over.