Partnering for Profitable Events & Festivals

Join seasoned talent buyer Jenna Friday and working musician Veronica Wirges for a fun, in-person workshop all about how musicians and event organizers can team up to throw great shows and make real money doing it -- together.

Through a real talk between both sides of the stage, you’ll learn how to work together, find funding, get funded, troubleshoot, and build events and festivals that are sold out, operating smoothly and being profitable for everyone involved.

This workshop features:

✅ Understanding the role of the talent buyer and musician

✅Flexible pay models & alternative currency

✅ Aligning small gigs with big goals

✅ Building lasting, win-win partnerships

✅ How to handle funders pulling out

✅ Make sure your funding is diverse

Walk away with tools, insights and strategies to boost bookings, increase audience turnout, strengthen negotiations, and create profitable, lasting relationships.

✅ Jenna Friday is an Arkansas native with a background in international business and more than a decade of experience in festival and event production. She served as executive director of the Arkansas Festivals & Events Association from 2015 to 2021, and she worked closely with communities statewide to strengthen their events. After transitioning into real estate, she continued to stay invested in the industry by consulting for the Mid-South Music Festival in Arkadelphia, where she partners with the city to vet, book, and secure entertainment, while also leading sponsorship recruitment efforts.
In addition to her work in Arkadelphia, Friday is co-director of Searcy Beats & Eats, a volunteer-led organization producing multiple large-scale festivals and events each year. In this role, she specializes in booking local, regional and nationally touring talent, ensuring diverse and engaging lineups. With her combined experience in programming, fundraising and community partnerships, Friday brings a practical and creative perspective on how to source and secure talent for festivals and live events successfully.

✅ Born in Central Arkansas, Veronica Wirges is a powerhouse saxophonist and cultural organizer, shaping the future of Arkansas music. As co-founder of Monsterboy Lives, an indie rock duo with songs featured on television and podcasts, she has performed everywhere from grassroots community stages to regional festivals. She is the driving force behind the Arkansas Music Office, an initiative she co-founded to connect artists with the tools, partners and platforms they need to succeed. From producing showcases and representing Arkansas talent at statewide events to linking musicians with scholarships, healthcare programs and professional resources, Wirges is redefining what support for working artists looks like.

Drawing on her experience as a stage manager, booking agent, and performer, Wirges approaches every negotiation with an eye toward mutually beneficial partnerships - always mindful of the components she needs to move forward on her own artistic path while creating opportunities for others. Whether on stage or behind the scenes, she champions collaboration over competition and is building a music culture where Arkansas talent doesn’t just survive - it thrives.

Moody Brews is a pocket pub and craft brewery located in Pettaway Square, a growing arts community in a historic neighborhood. The business earned the Arkansas Times Best New Brewery in 2024 and is known as a spot offering unique brews, a select menu, and good company.

The Arkansas Arts Council, an agency of Arkansas Heritage, which is a division of the Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage and Tourism, advances and empowers the arts in Arkansas. The agency supports and perpetuates cultural, educational and economic opportunities in the arts for the benefit of all Arkansans.

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Host or Publisher Arkansas Arts Council