Pitch Sessions for Producers, Agents, & Artists:   The Next Great Performance Begins with the Pitch 

What happens when you bring together the most creative minds in the business? Let’s find out at WAA 2026! We are accepting applications for Pitch Sessions 

Share your project, program, or artist with a captive audience of presenters and partners through our 2026 Pitch Sessions. 

Who: You are an artist, agent, or producer with an exciting project, program, or artist to share. You are ideally a WAA member, but it’s not required.   

What: All ideas are welcome, but this year’s five-minute pitches provide an ideal opportunity for works with clear calls to action: Bookings and dates for a large or international ensembles, direct investment for a work in development, etc. Pitches, like Juried Showcases and Professional Development Sessions, will fit into one of the Conference’s three thematic Circles: 

• Family: Works serving multi-generational audiences with intentional engagements that don't start or end at the matinee.  
• Arts & Entertainment: Tribute shows, nostalgia, holiday, Broadway, and more find their home here.  
• Beyond the Circle: Work that defies definition, crosses boundaries, and goes... beyond. 

How: A panel of performing arts stakeholders will select 8-10 applicants to present their pitch to a live audience at the WAA Annual Conference. Those selected will each have five minutes to pitch and answer questions. A/V support will be provided.

When: Pitches will occur alongside Juried Showcases, held under the Conference’s three thematic Circles, at the Mariott Oakland City Center. Each Pitch will be a maximum of 5 minutes occurring during transitions between acts.

WAA provides a safe space for dialogue where creators and collaborators can share perspectives without inhibition and practice the WAA Code of Ethics. WAA supports the intellectual rights of creators and will not tolerate the appropriation of ideas by other creators or attendees.  

Apply Now! Apply online by March 13, 2026 at 11:59pm PT 

All applicants will be contacted by end of April with the results of their applications. 

While you may submit more than one application, please note that no more than one application from a single agency/organization/artist will be selected.

Inquiries/Questions

For membership or general application questions: please reach out to membership@westarts.org