TEDxBroadway Conference Set for January

The inaugural TEDxBroadway -- a one-day event about the future of Broadway as a place -- will kick off on Monday January 23, 2012 at New World Stages in New York City. The daylong event will bring together a variety of experts in academics, entertainment, marketing, customer service, and beyond to answer the question: "What's the best that Broadway can be twenty years from now?"

TEDxBroadway, which is an independently organized event licensed by TED, aims to engage all the stakeholders in the vitality of the neighborhood -- both on stage and in the audience-to develop a vision for the Broadway of tomorrow.

TEDxBroadway was organized by Damian Bazadona, founder of Situation Interactive, Broadway producer Ken Davenport, and Jim McCarthy, of Goldstar.

"The future doesn't just happen; it's created, and that creation starts with ideas. TEDxBroadway challenges everyone who has a stake in Broadway's future to think and dream big," said McCarthy. "More than that, it's a chance to create a vision of a place that's the best it can possibly be 20 years from now."

"Broadway is about more than theater as a genre and today's hottest shows. It's about the people that bring the shows and the area to life," said Davenport. "People will be the key to defining and shaping the Broadway of tomorrow- and with TEDx we can bring those people together to talk about what the future of Broadway is going to look like."

Among those appearing will be Jordan Roth, president of Jujamcyn Theaters; Randy Weiner, producer of Sleep No More in New York, and digital customer service trailblazer Frank Eliason. It will also include a performance by thye choreographer Bill T. Jones and a video presentation starring Neil Patrick Harris.

"With the digital revolution, the world of marketing is changing, and it's important that Broadway keeps pace," said Bazadona. "But, like many issues and opportunities facing Broadway, that's going to demand a collective effort and collective planning."

Interested attendees can find a full list of confirmed speakers and purchase tickets at the URL listed below. The conference will begin noon on January 23 will continue until 5pm.