Ventura 2025 - SCHEDULE
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 20
3:30 PM - 7:30 PM - Registration / Sign-In - Sessions and showcases posted by the lobby entrance.
5:00 PM - 7:15 PM - Dinner / Happy Hour - Bar and Restaurant (on your own)
6:30 PM - Open Mic Signup - Top of the Harbor Ballroom
6:45 PM - 7:30 PM - Orientation - Top of the Harbor Ballroom
7:30 PM - Songwriter Showcase #1 - Top of the Harbor Ballroom
9:45 PM - Open Mic - Top of the Harbor Ballroom
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 21
9:00 AM - 11:05 AM - Song Listening Sessions
- Pop/Sync/Country/Americana —Liz Sharpe, Bobby Rymer - Santa Barbara Room
- Country/Folk/Americana — Christina Wiltshire, Warren Sellers - Santa Rosa Room
- Pop/Rock/Sync — Richard Harris, Asha Dillion - San Miguel B Room
- Pop/Rock/Sync — Peter Lloyd, Katie Pool - San Miguel A Room
- Pop/Rock/Sync — Julia Keefe, Michael “MG” Gross - Santa Cruz Room
- Pop/Rock/Sync —Adam Epstein (Eric Hurt), Brian Naguit (Brittany Whyte) - Bayview Room
- Pop/Rock/Sync — Christina Chung, Todd Porter - Top Of The Harbor Ballroom
11:10 AM - 12:30 PM - Panel Discussions
- Durango All-stars — Stories and tunes from Durango’s finest - Top of The Harbor Ballroom
- One On One Sessions with Christina Chung, Sam Boot, Gabi Kochlani, Liz Sharpe
12:30 PM - 1:30 PM - Lunch – Restaurant and Bar, Durango Special Menu (on your own)
1:30 PM - 3:00 PM - Panel Discussion
- “Songwriting For Sync: How To Up Your Licensing” with Richard Harris, Pam Sheyne
Nitanee Paris, Maia Mohammad, and Liz Sharpe - Top Of The Harbor Ballroom
3:15 PM - 5:20 PM - Song Listening Sessions
- Pop/Sync/Country/Americana — Gabi Kochlani, Steve Bloch, Adam Zelkind - Santa Barbara Room
- Country/Folk/Americana — Lindsey Will, Butch Baker - Santa Rosa Room
- Pop/Rock/Sync — Tricia Fontneau-Ramos, Lava Hong, Travis Drum - San Miguel B Room
- Pop/Rock/Sync — Sam Boot, Wyler Sanca, Nick Lara - San Miguel A Room
- Pop/Rock/Sync —Robin Hansel (Mike Torres), Michael “MG” Gross - Santa Cruz Room
- Pop/Rock/Sync — Cliff Downs, David Fisher - Bayview Room
- Pop/Rock/Sync — Rehan Manickam, Adèle Ho, Pete Davis - Ballroom
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 22
10:00 AM - 11:20 AM - Panel Discussion
- Music For Sync – Lava Hong, Asha Dillion, Michael “MG” Gross, David Fisher, Adèle Ho, Pete Davis, Brian Naguit, Taylor Amazan, Katie Pool, Wyler Sanca, Travis Drum, Alexi Diem (moderated by Nitanee Paris) - Top The Harbor Ballroom
- One On One Sessions with Christina Chung, Sam Boot, Gabi Kochlani, Liz Sharpe
11:30 AM - 12:30 PM – Lunch - Bar and Restaurant
12:30 PM - 2:35 PM - Song Listening Sessions
- Pop/Sync/Country/Americana — Liz Sharpe, Steve Garvan, Warren Sellers - Santa Barbara Room
- Country/Folk/Americana — Julia Keefe, Steve Bloch - Santa Rosa Room
- Pop/Rock/Sync — Peter Lloyd, Asha Dillion - San Miguel B Room
- Pop/Rock/Sync — Sam Boot, Katie Pool - San Miguel A Room
- Pop/Rock/Sync — Lindsey Will, David Fisher - Santa Cruz Room
- Pop/Rock/Sync — Richard Harris, Nick Lara - Bayview Room
- Pop/Rock/Sync — Gabi Kochlani, Adèle Ho - Ballroom
2:40 PM - 3:45 PM - Panel Discussions
- Publishing/A&R — Julia Keefe, Bobby Rymer, Lindsay Will, Butch Baker, Peter Lloyd, Christina Wiltshire, Sam Boot, Adam Epstein, Tricia Fontneau-Ramos, Cliff Downs - Top Of The Harbor Ballroom
- DIY — Steve Garvan, Danielle Taylor, Aaron English, Jared Oluwa - San Miguel B Room
4:00 PM - 6:00 PM - Song Listening Sessions
- Country/Folk/Americana — Cliff Downs, Bobby Rymer - Santa Barbara Room
- Pop/Sync/Country/Americana — Adam Epstein (Eric Hurt), Butch Baker - Santa Rosa Room
- Pop/Rock/Sync — Christina Wiltshire, Brian Naguit (Brittany Whyte - San Miguel B Room
- Pop/Rock/Sync — Tricia Fontneau-Ramos, Wyler Sanca - San Miguel A
- Pop/Rock/Sync — Christina Chung, Alexi Diem (Lava Hong), - Santa Cruz Room
- Pop/Rock/Sync — Rehan Manickam, Pete Davis (Kristen McFarren) - Bayview Room
- Pop/Rock/Sync —Robin Hansel (Mike Torres), Travis Drum (Nick Haussling) - Ballroom
6:00 PM - 7:15 PM – Dinner / Happy Hour - Restaurant and Bar
7:30 PM – Concert - Top Of The Harbor Ballroom
- Featuring Emily Shackelton, Bruce Sudano, Lauren Christy with SkyeChristy the band
Ventura 2025 - Special Guests
Taylor Amazan, LA: Head of Sync, Riptide Music Group
Butch Baker, Nashville: Co-founder, Hori Global Music Publishing
Steve Bloch, Nashville: Publisher and independent A&R consultant, Steve Bloch Music
Sam Boot, LA: Creative Manager, Honua Music
Lauren Christy, LA: 7 time Grammy nominee songwriter whose hit songs include "Complicated", Skater Boi", "I'm With You", and "Tonight(I'm Lovin You)"
Christina Chung, LA: Creative Manager, Honua Music
Pete Davis, LA: Music Supervisor, Tunestone Music
Alexi Diem, LA: Music Coordinator, Trailer Park Group
Travis Drum, LA: Associate Music Supervisor, Ignition Creative
Cliff Downs, Nashville: A&R and Publishing, MCD Music Publishing
Adam Epstein, Nashville: Head of A&R, Demolition Music
David Fisher, San Francisco: Chief Creative Director, Songs for Film & TV
Tricia Fontneau-Ramos, LA: A&R Manager, Hollywood Records, Disney Music Publishing
Steve Garvan, Sand Point, ID: Owner, Garvan Management and Consulting
Michael "MG" Gross, San Francisco: Managing Partner, Squeak E.Clean
Robin Hansel, LA: Senior Creative Director, Brill Building Music
Richard Harris, LA: Demolition Music, producer, writer, Expo alum
Adèle Ho, LA: Music Supervisor, Little Spark Music
Lava Hong, LA: Associate Music Supervisor, Trailer Park Group
Julia Keefe, Nashville: Head of A&R, Edgehill Music
Gabi Kochlani, LA: A&R Executive, Publisher, Founder The Grey Administration
Nick Lara, LA: Director, Creative Sync, Honua Music Group
Peter Lloyd, LA: Director A&R, Creative Music Publishing and Music Synergy, Hollywood Records, Disney Music Publishing
Rehan Manickham, LA: A&R Manager, Engineer, Legion Management, Anomaly Publishing
Brian Naguit, LA: VP of Music, Creative, CBS Studios
Nitanee Paris, LA: Partner/Director of A&R, Artist Max
Katie Pool, LA: Manager Creative Strategy, Paramount
Todd Porter, San Francisco: Music Supervisor, Hated Industries
Bobby Rymer, Nashville: Owner/General Manager, Writer's Den Music Publishing
Wyler Sanca, Seattle: Senior Music Coordinator Creative Music Strategy, Paramount
Warren Sellers, Irvine: Noted Expo alum and staff songwriter
Emily Shackelton, Nashville: Hit songwriter and artist with two number 1 hits for Carly Pearce, "Every Little Thing" and "What He Didn't Do"
Liz Sharpe, Nashville: Creative Manager and songwriter, Songs For Film & TV
Pam Sheyne, LA: Hit songwriter with huge hits for Christina Aguilera ("Genie In A Bottle"), Jessica Simpson ("Irresistible"), Dream ("He Love You Not"), and a number of Film/TV placements
Danielle Taylor, LA: Founder, Chance Recordings
Lindsay Will, Nashville: Senior Director of A&R at Round Hill Music
Christina Wiltshire, Nashville: Senior Director A&R, Warner Chappell Music
Adam Zelkind, Santa Barbara: 8-time award-winning songwriter and producer with thousands of sync placements