Upper Deck and Community Room at Farmers Market, 6333 W. 3rd Street, Los Angeles, CA

Drop by to meet up for dinner at your own pace (and on your own dime). The historic Farmers Market packs in nearly 100 vendors, with a dazzling array of foods to choose from. We've reserved the Upper Deck associated with the Community Room as a gathering spot for Summit attendees. You can ask for directions, but there is only one upstairs space, so when you find stairs, take them! If a sign says the space is closed for a special event, that's actually us. The Market is directly across the street from the Short Stories Hotel.

While there, gaze upon the Great Summit Cup, and begin your journey on the Summit Cup Challenge!

Petersen Automotive Museum, 6060 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, CA.

Doors open at 8:30: Start the Summit off right by making sure you have enough time to register on the 1st floor of the Petersen, tour the new Lowrider exhibition, and then take the elevator to the 4th floor for a light breakfast and coffee. The Petersen is a 15 - 20 minute walk from the Short Stories Hotel, and has a parking garage. More information about accessibility and getting there can be found here.

Lowriders provide the opening for an honest conversation about how live events can build new relationships, how nuanced the relationship between science and community can become, and how the relationship between institutions and lived culture requires a delicate dance.

Daniel Aguirre, Pueblo; Ben Dickow, City of STEM and Columbia Memorial Space Center; Christina Romero, LA Lowrider Alliance; Ben Wiehe, Science Festival Alliance

If you work it right, you can meet nearly everyone at the Summit before lunch at this session that is somewhere between show-and-tell, a poster session, and an energetic mixer. We'll start at 11:00 with the first set of presenters at tables, and switch to a new set at 11:30.

Pavilion Stage: About Last Night...

Using last night's comedy event as a case study, we'll work together to try our hands at critiquing an event. This group conversation will be led by  participants in last night's stage show as well as attendees assigned to follow an observation protocol that can be adapted for your own homegrown event critiques. Show up ready to be both gentle and genuine with your colleagues.

Kasha Patel, DC Science Comedy; Kari Wouk, BugFest; Kellie Vinal, The Story Collider

Patio Table Conversations:

West Table: Resources in Rural Areas. In rural areas the direct connection between fundraising and community engagement is crystal clear, but that doesn't make it less of a challenge! Bonnie Stevens, Flagstaff Dark Skies; Marian Murphy-Shaw, Siskiyou Science Festival

Pavilion Stage: Changing Minds is a Joke

We all get stuck in our own frame of mind. The event experience can help us re-frame by playfully making new associations that help us see old topics in new ways. It's the same with a good joke: Funny often happens when you suddenly see something from a different perspective. But are humor and playfulness appropriate in the face of entrenched worldviews on heavy topics like climate change? Join this workshop if you are interested in changing minds, and be ready to change yours!

Estaban Gast, Comedian; Diana Plasker, Science Friday

Patio Table Conversations:

East Table: Careers and Science Events. Chances are your science events career path has not been linear. Questions from early career practitioners frame a conversation about whether and how to straighten that out. Ximena Leon, Vanderbilt University; Francesca Long, Wisconsin Science Festival

West Table: Combining Science and Pop Culture. Join me to talk about the great things that can happen when we mash up pop culture, storytelling, immersive play, and science education. Gabriel Santos, CosPlay for Science Initiative

Pavilion Stage: Speaking of Science

Communicating with a large audience about science and science events can be overwhelming!  This short workshop will help hone your ability to describe your event, speak directly to your audiences, and anticipate points of friction. It will also provide tips on preparing scientific experts you feature in your events, setting everyone up for success.

Ethan Angelica and Kate Downey, Public Speaking for Scientists; Dana Buskovitz, Science ATL

Patio Table Conversations:

West Table: Past the Pivot to Virtual: A discussion about how to use live streaming and other forms of online viewer engagement to enhance audience engagement. Arielle Johnson, Lunch Break Science

East Table: National Collaboration Opportunities. We'll start with the example of the National Academy of Sciences and their efforts to collaborate with organizations across the country, and go from there to talk about what it's currently like for anyone interested in either side of the national to local to national (or whichever order!) collaboration. Keri Stoever, LabX

We all want to create event experiences that inspire and excite, but what does that mean when there are elephants lurking in every room? We know events are a gateway to deep community building, but how do we pour intention into our work so that we are not just addressing surface level symptoms? One way to begin, is by accurately naming the inequities we are all navigating. We invite you all to contribute to a conversation, anonymously if you choose, where you can name realities that often remain unspoken, and find a shared sense of community.

Daniel Aguirre, Pueblo; Carleen Sabusap, MIT Museum Experimental Practice Group

Please proceed to the 4th floor of the Petersen Automotive Museum, 6060 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, CA. Information about accessibility and getting there can be found here.

Data collection, research and evaluation have the potential to be extractive, transactional, and oppressive. Though measurement is an essential practice, we can often reduce people down to a quote, number, or image. How can we collectively drive a paradigm shift that centers community perspectives in the story telling? Join us for a complex conversation between a community organizer, a researcher, and a funder who are partnering with their respective communities for deeper relationships and equitable collaboration that lead to critical awareness and meaningful change.

Daniel Aguirre, Pueblo; Christopher Barahona, Weingart Foundation; Matyos Kidane, LA Community Action Network; Jill Stein, Visitor Studies Association and Reimagine Research Group

The three Summit plenary conversations on Monday and Tuesday string from one to the next with several connected threads. Pick up these threads and follow them further in more intimate table conversations with panelists from all three plenaries.

Pavilion Stage: The Process of Co-Design

It's not possible to run a successful event without knowing your target audience. But beyond the idea of just a show with an audience, there is the deeper potential of events to create new, long term relationships. Careful process is the key to making the most of that potential. In this group workshop reflect on how your processes can be used strategically to bring you closer to your community collaborators.

Stacey Baker, Pueblo; Monique Ealey, Mississippi Science Festival

Patio Table Conversations:

East Table: Science on Stage: Join us to share the good, bad, and ugly of our experiences mashing up science, performances, and main stage acts. Brooke Ciardelli, Cambridge Science Festival

West Table: Organizing Collaboration. From regional festivals to (inter)national networks, let's talk about different organizational approaches that make the most of our collaborations. Emily Rice, Astronomy on Tap; Erik MacIntosh, North Carolina Science Festival

Pavilion Stage: Not Satisfied: What Stinks about the Nonprofit Model -- and what we can do about it

Join us for an eye-opening presentation on nonprofit fundraising that challenges the status quo. We'll delve into the shortcomings of traditional models and mindsets, offering candid assessments of what's broken and how we can fix it. Through interactive exercises, we'll explore innovative strategies and alternative approaches that maximize impact. Get ready to rethink “the ask” and pave the way for better ideas, approaches, and partnerships.

Samantha Connors, Everyday Futures Fest; Kristine Michie, Impactfull

‍Patio Table Conversations:

West Table: Incorporating Visual Arts into Science Events. Let's talk about the special approaches and inspiration it takes to work with the visual arts--and visual artists--in ways that treat it as more than just an add on to an event. Danetta Evans, Tuskegee University

‍