APAP|NYC 2025 Opens the Industry’s Most Vital Conversations to All
From January 10–14, 2025, thousands of performing arts professionals from around the globe gathered in New York City for APAP|NYC 2025, the flagship annual conference of the Association of Performing Arts Professionals (APAP). Widely recognized as the world’s leading convening for the presenting, booking, and touring industry, APAP|NYC once again affirmed its status as a must-attend event for those shaping the future of the performing arts.
This year’s conference reached a remarkable post-COVID milestone, welcoming over 3,000 attendees from 34 countries across five continents, and from all 50 US. states. In addition to the bustling EXPO Hall—featuring more than 300 exhibitors—attendees immersed themselves in panels, performances, networking events, and seminars that reflected the breadth and urgency of conversations shaping our field.
For many of us, APAP’s conference programming feels like placing a hand on the pulse of our industry. Each year, the conference curates powerful conversations that not only explore where we are but offer forward-looking visions of where we can go, and more importantly, where we want to go. These conversations are not passive reflections; they’re active calls to shape our future with intention, vision, and values.
The 2025 edition was no exception. Set against the backdrop of a rapidly changing political landscape in the United States, this year’s conference featured sessions on timely and essential topics from arts advocacy in a post-election climate and the implications of climate change, to evolving funding models, international cultural exchange, labor, immersive programming, and the rise of AI and digital strategy in the arts.
APAP is making several of its most compelling panels available to the public, that is their testament toward greater accessibility, transparency, and community-wide dialogue. Over the next seven weeks, StageLync will proudly publish a series of full-length panel recordings from APAP|NYC 2025, starting with “Advocating Post-Election” on April 10.
To learn more about this bold move and the values behind it, I sat down with Krista Rimple Bradley, APAP’s Senior Manager of Industry Relations. In this newly created role, Krista helps guide the organization’s engagement with the broader field, cultivates industry relationships, and responds to stakeholder needs and issues. She brings over three decades of experience in the nonprofit presenting, performing arts, and philanthropy sectors, with past roles at Mid Atlantic Arts, the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company, and the Walker Art Center. Before her current position, Krista led APAP’s conference programming, professional development, and member resources. I asked her what motivated APAP to open up these conversations, how the topics are chosen, and what she hopes this video series will offer to professionals who couldn’t attend in person.
Andrea Honis: Can you share the motivation behind programming these major panel discussions and making them available to the public?
Krista Rimple Bradley: Our APAP|NYC programming starts with asking members about the key issues and challenges they’re facing and areas where they need more insight, tools, skills, and resources to meet their business needs and navigate the current environment. Many of the panel topics and featured speakers came from their suggestions. In addition, APAP’s Conference Committee represents a wide range of professionals from the field, including artists, agents, and presenters, folks working in urban, rural, and suburban communities from across all regions of the US and Canada, and arts workers at various phases of their careers. Their collective expertise, perspective and experience helped shape the curation of these sessions.
As the national service, advocacy and membership organization for the performing arts industry, APAP constantly tracks and monitors key issues impacting our members and the field at large. It’s a key part of meeting our mission—to develop and support a robust performing arts presenting, booking and touring industry and the professionals who work within it. Some of our ongoing scanning of trends and issues informed other panel discussions.
AH: Why did APAP decide to open these important conversations beyond the members-only conference?
KRB:APAP is committed to making our programs and information accessible. These plenaries and panel discussions provide timely and important insights that impact our entire industry and all facets of our ecosystem—from advocacy strategies to changing funding realities, to new industry and business trends. Everyone needs access to this information to help shape their strategies and inform their work. And all of us need inspiration and hope, especially in these dynamic times. That’s why we wanted to make these available to a broader audience.
AH: APAP is more than just the annual APAP|NYC conference. You offer many learning, networking, and professional development opportunities to your members. Could you tell us about the types of opportunities members enjoy year-round as part of their membership?
KRB: Yes, APAP is known for convening arts professionals, but it’s not just at our conference. APAP offers members opportunities to convene, while staying abreast of issues, information and the changing cultural landscape. Some examples of these opportunities include member convening and affinity groups, timely briefings and learning sessions featuring field experts on key topics. APAP advocates for the industry. APAP supports professional growth. APAP provides community.
AH: Lastly, what can viewers expect from the upcoming video series? Are there any standout panels or discussions that you would recommend viewers not miss?
KRB: I think they’re all standouts! For important information and grounding with advocacy, start with Advocating Post Election. For inspiration, try Arts RX or This is Strategy with Seth Godin. And for a window into future trends, watch The Future of Performing Arts Funding and Immersive Programming. Happy viewing!
Main Image: Bahia Ramos (Vice President, Arts at The Wallace Foundation) speaking at the Future of Performing Arts Funding session at APAP|NYC 2025. Photo: Adam Kissick/APAP.
Editor's Note: At StageLync, an international platform for the performing arts, we celebrate the diversity of our writers' backgrounds. We recognize and support their choice to use either American or British English in their articles, respecting their individual preferences and origins. This policy allows us to embrace a wide range of linguistic expressions, enriching our content and reflecting the global nature of our community.
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