Ventura 2026 - SCHEDULE

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 19

 

3:00PM - 7:30PM - Registration / Sign-In

Sessions and Showcases posted in Registration area

 

5:00 PM - 7:15PM - Dinner/ Happy Hour (on your own)

 

6:30 PM - Open Mic Sign-up with Megan Barker

 

6:45 PM - 7:30 PM - Orientation - Ballroom

 

7:30 PM - Songwriter Showcase #1 - Ballroom

 

9:30 PM - Open Mic - Ballroom

 

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 20

 

9:00 AM - 11:00 AM - Song Listening Sessions

Country/Folk/Americana:  Bobby Rymer

Country/Americana/Sync:  Butch Baker, Adam Zelkind

Pop/Rock/Sync:  Peter Lloyd, Harold Shawn

Pop/Rock/Sync:  Richard Harris, Ashley Neumeister

Pop/Rock/Sync:  Gabi Kochlani, Scott Coleman

Pop/Rock/Sync:  Adam Epstein, Todd Porter

Pop/Rock/Sync:  Max Hirsh, Michael Gross(MG)

 

11:05 AM - 12:20 PM - Panel Discussions

 

     Durango All-Stars - Stories and Tunes from Durango's finest

 

"One On One Sessions" - with Max Hirsh

"One On One Sessions" - with Gabi Kochlani

"One On One Sessions" - with Liz Sharpe

"One On One Sessions" - with Ralph Torrefranca

 

12:30 PM - 1:25 PM - Lunch (on your own) 

 

1:30 PM - 3:00 PM - Songwriting Workshop (tba) Ballroom

 

3:15 PM - 5:15 PM - Song Listening Sessions

Country/Folk/Americana - Steve Bloch, Warren Sellers

Country/Americana/Pop/Sync - Akira Hori, Eric Campbell

Pop/Rock/Sync - Ralph Torrefranca, Liz Sharpe

Pop/Rock/Sync - Elise Wiezer, Russell Manning

Pop/Rock/Sync - Andrew Morro, Brian Naguit

Pop/Rock/Sync - Sam Boot, Jon Ernst

Pop/Rock/Sync - Sarah Flick, Megan Barbour

 

5:00 PM - 7:15 PM - Dinner / Happy Hour @ Restaurant and Bar (on your own)

 

7:15 PM - Songwriter Showcase #2 - Top Of The Harbor Ballroom

 

9:45 PM - Open Mic - Top Of The Harbor Ballroom

 

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 21

 

9:00 AM - 9:45 AM  

     Workshop with Ashley Neumeister and Jolene - Top Of The Harbor Ballroom

 

10:00 AM - 11:20 PM - Panel Discussion

     Music For Sync - Megan Barbour, Michael "MG" Gross, Brian Naguit, Harold Shawn, Paramount #2, Ashley Neumeister, Liz Sharpe, Scott Coleman, Jon Ernst, Todd Porter, moderated by Nitanee Paris - Top Of The Harbor Ballroom

"One On One Sessions" - with Max Hirsh

"One On One Sessions" - with Eric Campbell

"One On One Sessions" - with Gabi Kochlani

"One On One Sessions" - with Ralph Torrefranca

 

11:30 PM - 12:30 PM - Lunch - Bar and Restaurant (on your own)

 

12:30 PM - 2:30 PM - Song Listening Sessions

Country/Folk/Americana - Butch Baker, Warren Sellers

Pop/Sync/Country/Americana - Sarah Flick, Adam Zelkind

Pop/Rock/Sync - Ralph Torrefranca, Ashley Neumeister

Pop/Rock/Sync - Elise Wiezer, Jon Ernst

Pop/Rock/Sync - Andrew Morro, Megan Barbour

Pop/Rock/Sync - A&R (TBA), Russell Manning

Pop/Rock/Sync - Sam Boot, Liz Sharpe

 

2:40 PM - 3:45 PM - Panel Discussions

     Publishing/A&R - Elise Wiezer, Ralph Torrefranca, Bobby Rymer, Butch Baker, Peter Lloyd, Adam Epstein, Sam Boot, Max Hirsh

     DIY - Steve Garvan, Andrew Morro, tba

 

4 PM - 6 PM - Song Listening Sessions

Country/Folk/Americana - Steve Bloch, Bobby Rymer

Pop/Sync/Country/Americana - Akira Hori, Liz Sharpe

Pop/Rock/Sync - Peter Lloyd, Scott Coleman

Pop/Rock/Sync - Max Hirsh, Michael Gross (MG)

Pop/Rock/Sync - Richard Harris, Todd Porter

Pop/Rock/Sync - Gabi Kochlani, Harold Shawn

Pop/Rock/Sync - Adam Epstein, Brian Naguit

 

6:00 PM - 7:15 PM - Dinner - Bar and Restaurant (on your own)

 

7:15 PM - Concert - Top Of The Harbor Ballroom

Ventura 2026 - Special Guests

Butch Baker, Nashville:  Co-founder, Hori Global Music Publishing
Steve Bloch, Nashville: Publisher and independent A&R Consultant, Steve Bloch Music
Sam Boot, LA:  Founder, Reboot Creatives(a&r, publishing, management)
Eric Campbell, Tucson:  Owner, sus3 Music
Scott Coleman, San Diego:  Creative Producer, The Elements Music
Adam Epstein, Nashville:  Head of A&R, Demolition Music
Jon Ernst, LA:  Owner, Show Runner Music
Sarah Flick, Nashville:  Creative Consultant, Following Sarah Music
Steve Garvan, Sand Point, ID:  Owner, Garvan Management and Consulting
Michael "MG" Gross, San Francisco:  Managing Partner, Squeak E. Clean
Richard Harris, LA:  Consultant, Demolition Music, producer, writer, Expo alum
Max Hirsh, LA:  A&R Manager, Angry Mob Music
Akira Hori, Nashville:  Catalogue and Project Manager, Hori Global Entertainment
Gabi Kochlani, LA:  A&R Executive, Publisher, Founder, The Grey Administration
Peter Lloyd, LA:  Director of A&R, Creative Music Publishing, Hollywood Records, Disney Music Publishing
Russell Manning, LA:  Senior Coordinator, Creative Music Strategy, Paramount Television
Andrew Morro, LA:  Day to Day Manager at ATC Management
Brian Naguit, LA:  VP, Music Creative, CBS Studios
Ashley Neumeister, Prescott, AZ:  Music Supervisor, Head of Music Licensing, True Music
Nitanee Paris, LA:  Partner/Director of A&R, Artist Max
Todd Porter, San Francisco:  Music Supervisor, Hated Industries
Bobby Rymer, Nashville:  Owner/General Manager, Writer's Den Music Publishing
Liz Sharpe, Nashville:  Creative Manager and songwriter, Songs For Film & TV
Warren Sellers, Irvine:  Noted Expo alum and staff songwriter
Harold Shawn, LA:  Music Supervisor, Creative Music Strategy, Paramount Television
Ralph Torrefranca, LA:  Executive Director of Writer Creative, Angry Mob Music
Elise Wiezer, LA:  A&R Creative Coordinator, The Brill Building
Adam Zelkind, Santa Barbara: 8 time award winning songwriter and producer with thousands of sync placements