From ASCAP:
After 10 years of running the EXPO, we get it: three days of inspiration, education and networking can be overwhelming. Whether it’s your first time out or you’re a 10-year veteran, here are some tips to prepare you for the adventure ahead.
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Confirm your flight and hotel info
Save time and avoid headaches by checking in early on your airline, and double-checking your reservation with your hotel.
Plan your transportation
Los Angeles is a big city and it’s easy to get lost. Luckily, it’s pretty easy to get to the Loews Hollywood Hotel by public transportation. Visit www.metro.net to plan your trip before you get into town. Taking the bus or the subway (both of which stop right at the hotel) can save you time and money.
Get familiar with the EXPO map
The ASCAP EXPO schedule is jam-packed so you don’t want to waste time finding panel rooms and activities. Get acquainted with our EXPO map so you don’t miss anything.
Stock up on swag
The EXPO is a great place to hand out CDs and business cards. Bring plenty of copies of anything you want to hand out, but don’t overdo it!
Bring your (portable) instrument
The EXPO is all about music, so bring along the tools of your trade! You never know when an impromptu jam session might break out.
Plan out your EXPO schedule
With all the great programming at the EXPO, it’s possible that some panels in smaller rooms will hit capacity. Pick out your must-see panels before you get to the EXPO, and get there a few minutes early to ensure you get a good seat. Create a profile online to customize your EXPO schedule!
Know your panelists
Want to learn more about all the amazing panelists at the EXPO? Head to 2015expo.ascap.com for full biographies and credits. We decided to save some trees by not printing them in our program book.
Shoe-bee-doo-bee-doo…
The Loews is a big hotel and we’ve got great stuff happening all over it throughout the EXPO. That means you’ll be walking a lot. Wear comfortable, supportive shoes – your feet will thank you!
Find out who’s coming
Create an online profile to connect with other attendees. You can even log in with your Facebook account.
Pick up your EXPO badge on Wednesday
In town before the EXPO starts? Stop by the registration desk on the Mezzanine level of the Loews on the evening of Wednesday, April 29th and avoid the lines the next morning.
Get your website reviewed
You’ve still got time to submit your website for a live critique at our Website Demolition Derby panel on Saturday, May 2nd. The panelists will be ruthless and leave all diplomacy aside, so if you’re courageous enough, send a note to Bandzoogle’s Dave Cool: dcool@bandzoogle.com.
Park at Hollywood & Highland
With entrances on Highland Ave. and Orange Dr., the Hollywood & Highland Center offers the best and cheapest parking in the heart of Hollywood. Only $2 for two hours with validation from participating shops, restaurants and nightclubs (the Loews Hollywood Hotel does not validate), with a daily maximum of $15 and a $15 flat rate on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays after 10 pm. The parking structure is open 24/7. Click here for more info on parking.
Panel fill up without you? Visit an overflow room.
Don’t let a capacity crowd get you down! We’ve set up overflow rooms on the 3rd floor, where you can watch live video feeds from the Hollywood Ballroom 1 and 2, Mt. Olympus or Silver Lake rooms.
It’s your bag
Even if you don’t start out with a lot of stuff to carry, you’ll end up with a lot of stuff to carry! Pick up a free EXPO registration bag in The ASCAP Room after you get your badge.
Charge your phone
EXPO days tend to start early and end late, so you’ll want to make sure your phone battery is fully charged in the morning. Bring your charger with you just in case – or pick one up at the ASCAP EXPO Boutique!
Share your EXPO experience with #ASCAPEXPO
We want you to share what an amazing time you’re having at the EXPO with all your Twitter, Facebook and Instagram followers! Visit the photobooth and WorldArts GIF booth, both on the 2nd floor Mezzanine, but don’t keep those pictures all to yourself – share them with the world. We’ll be featuring posts tagged with #ASCAPEXPO on the EXPO Experience screens around the conference. So go ahead and take an #ASCAPEXPO selfie…but not too many (see photo above).
Write down what you learn
We know you’ve got the memory of a musical elephant, but you can’t possibly remember everything. We put in a spiffy ASCAP notebook in your registration bag, in case you left yours at home.
Take the EXPO with you for free with EXPO Video Access!
Every registered EXPO attendee can savor the EXPO experience on iPads, iPhones, computers and other devices with EXPO Video Access, available for free with your EXPO registration! Now, you can watch panels you missed and relive your favorite moments on your own time. Your login is your email address and your password is your EXPO registration number. Panel videos will be available around May 7th.
Win stuff
For the low, low price of one business card, you can win gear, products or services from one of our generous EXPO sponsors. Drop your card (or registration bag ticket) into the box in the ASCAP Room and at sponsor tables, then show up at the Dolby Ballroom on Saturday at 11:40am and 4:10pm to find out if you’ve won. You don’t have to be in the room to win most prizes. But why miss all those envious looks from your peers that didn’t win?
Get your elevator pitch ready
Pretend you have 20 seconds to intrigue another EXPO attendee. What’re you going to say to convince them to continue the conversation beyond those few seconds? That elevator ride could change your career. Wouldn’t be the first time.
Respect the panelists
These folks have come from far and wide to share their wisdom with you. Help us show how much we appreciate them by not monopolizing their time immediately after a panel. Please remember to silence your phone in all panels, and please do not take video of any panels. After all, you get free access to over 60 hours of panel content with EXPO Video Access!
Help us make the EXPO Q&As beneficial for everyone
There are plenty of opportunities to interact with our panelists, but before you raise your hand or take the mic during a panel, please ask yourself: “Is my question actually a question?” If you’re dying to tell your life story, an EXPO panel is not the right forum. The Q&A is not the time or place for your elevator pitch to the panelists – it’s about getting valuable answers from panelists. Please only ask a question if everyone in the room will benefit from the answer!
Mix it up
Fill in the gaps in your knowledge by attending both creative and business-oriented panels. We want you to leave the EXPO both inspired and empowered.
Go to a networking event
Shy? We’ve put together a few nighttime networking events to help break the ice. Check out the online schedule for the full rundown.
It’s a bird! It’s a plane! No, it’s an out-of-work actor!
The Hollywood & Highland Center is known for the many actors dressed up as superheroes, supervillains and other movie characters that walk around outside. Don’t get too freaked out if you get propositioned by a Wookiee. It’s his job.
Visit our exhibitors
The EXPO will be chock-full of services and vendors who want to help you succeed. These booths are tailor-made for your career. Chat with these nice folks! Find out more about them at the EXPO sponsor page.
Catch a show
From Thursday’s intimate “I Create Music” Center Stage and the closing Writers Jam to our Eventbrite attendee showcase and performances at the WorldArts Playback Stage, you’ll hear your favorites and discover something new.
Say hello to an ASCAP staffer
Introduce yourself to one of us or ask a question. We’re here for you! We’ll be the folks walking around with an air of authority and “ASCAP” written on our badges. Can’t find us on the EXPO floor? The ASCAP Room is always a good spot to find an ASCAP Member Services employee.
Conserve your energy
You’ll be out and about for many hours at a time. Take it all in, but pace yourself! And speaking of which…
If music be the food of love…eat it
While inspiration will be plentiful at the EXPO, you’ll also need some tried-and-true calories to keep yourself in tip-top shape through the weekend. There are plenty of great food options within the Hollywood & Highland Center, and tons more a short walk away. Your EXPO badge gets you a 20% discount at Dave & Buster’s and Tinhorn Flats restaurants, which are both right outside of the Loews Hotel.
Make a new friend
Music creators from all over the world come to the EXPO every year. Why not introduce yourself to a stranger? They just might end up being your new favorite collaborator.
Stay tuned for updates
If there are any changes to the printed schedule, we’ll plaster posters all over the hotel and let you know via the ASCAP EXPO’s Twitter, Instagram and Facebook accounts. Follow and like us, why don’tcha?
Get outta here
We know from experience that three full days is a long time to spend in one building. Take a walk outside during the panel breaks, or spend an evening outside of the Hollywood & Highland Center. The majority of you aren’t from LA…so enjoy it!
Keep your badge with you at all times
You can’t get into any EXPO events without it, and a replacement badge costs the same as a new one.
Show your ASCAP pride
We’ve got ASCAP shirts, thermoses, smartphone chargers, books and other goodies for sale at the ASCAP EXPO Boutique on the 3rd floor. They’re pretty cool, if we do say so ourselves.
Have a phenomenal ASCAP EXPO!
