Performers Are Lining Up to Come to Aventura Arts & Cultural Center When the Curtain Rises Again

Published: Nov 6, 2020

AVENTURA, Fla. (November 4, 2020) – Aventura Arts & Cultural Center General Manager Jeff Kiltie and Events Services Manager Scott Gutierrez-Miller recently took part in a three-day virtual conference presented by The Florida Professional Presenters Consortium, known simply as Florida Presenters, that proves entertainers are as eager as audiences to see a return to live performance. 

During the conference, 143 talent agents representing thousands of performing artists presented 99 previews of shows ready for when the curtain goes up again. Administrators from 60 venues across the Florida attended the online cultural tradeshow presented by the statewide organization that represents nonprofit and publicly owned and operated performing arts facilities. 

“We were among the first to close when the pandemic began and it takes careful planning to reopen,” said Kiltie. “We work closely with performers and their managers several months to a year in advance to schedule shows. As the Aventura Arts & Cultural Center prepares to reopen, the health & safety of our guests, artists, staff, and volunteers are our top priorities. Our health & safety guidelines have been developed in conjunction with the Broward Center for the Performing Arts in collaboration with Cleveland Clinic and follow guidance of local and state health officials and the CDC.” 

The Broward Center for the Performing Arts manages the Aventura Arts & Cultural Center and, in the first weeks of the pandemic, Broward Center Director of Programming and Florida Presenters VP Jill Kratish instigated a weekly Zoom call for Florida Presenters members. Started as a weekly check-in to compare notes and provide moral support, 40-50 people a week would join the call, and soon talent agents and product vendors were being invited as special guests. The pivot to an online virtual conference was a natural outgrowth of those weekly Zoom calls. 

South Arts and the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs sponsored the event enabling Florida Presenters to offer the entire program to its members and the invited talent agents entirely free. The conference utilized the Event Hub and Zoom platforms, and three “Virtual Room Managers” were hired from the Miami area to manage the technical aspects of the online presentations. 

Planning for Summit 2.0 in September 2021 is already underway. Whether it will be a traditional in-person event or a virtual event is unknown at this time, but the organization is pleased with the results of the inaugural Summit.  

Florida Presenters is committed to strengthening Florida's quality of life, economy and communities through the business of culture and education. Collectively, the member organizations of Florida Presenters serve six million audience members a year, creating a statewide economic impact of $500 million a year, which supports the Full Time Equivalent of over 15,000 jobs, $378 million of household income, $21.8 million of local government fees and tax revenue, and $26.1 million of state government fees and tax revenue. 

Celebrating its 10th Anniversary Season, The Aventura Arts & Cultural Center is a 14,864-square-foot, 330-seat waterfront complex that hosts performing arts, cultural and educational programming for all ages. It is located at 3385 N.E. 188 Street in Aventura. Join the conversation, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram @aventuracenter or #aventuracenters. 

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