**THOMASVILLE — Thomasville Entertainment Foundation (TEF) Takes Leadership Role in 2026 Global Performing Arts Conference**
For the second consecutive year, the Thomasville Entertainment Foundation is playing a significant leadership role in the upcoming global conference of the Association for Performing Arts Professionals (APAP) in New York.
In 2024, TEF Executive & Artistic Director Rick Ivey was selected as one of 21 conference committee members tasked with brainstorming, planning, and organizing the 2025 APAP-NYC event. This gathering attracts more than 3,000 performing arts presenters, agents, managers, artists, and producers from all 50 states and approximately 34 foreign countries.
Earlier this year, Ivey was invited to continue his involvement by contributing to the planning of the 2026 conference, which is set to open in New York on January 9. Since May, Ivey and fellow committee members have been actively preparing for APAP-NYC 2026. They have met regularly via Zoom with APAP staff to set the conference theme and goals, design professional development opportunities, brainstorm networking sessions and forums, and recommend speakers and panelists for discussions on current challenges and opportunities impacting various sectors of the performing arts field.
Ivey described APAP-NYC as the world’s largest gathering of performing arts series and presenting organizations, agents, managers, artists, and producers. For nearly 70 years, the conference has served as a “one-stop shop” for in-person connections, artist showcases, continuing education, and idea-sharing within the performing arts community.
Notably, at the 2025 conference, Ivey helped open a forum on arts advocacy amid a changing political environment. He was also instrumental in selecting Tony Award-winning Broadway leading lady Kelli O’Hara as the speaker and entertainer for the conference’s closing plenary session in January.
During her performance, O’Hara praised APAP members for their vital work in delivering rich and engaging arts experiences to communities nationwide. She also reflected on the impactful student master class she conducted in Thomasville as part of TEF’s arts outreach and enrichment mission in 2023.
The Thomasville Entertainment Foundation continues to strengthen its presence on the national stage, advancing the performing arts and fostering meaningful connections across the industry.
https://timesenterprise.com/2026/01/01/tef-continues-leadership-role-at-global-performing-arts-conference/
