Article Contributed by Jensen Communications
Published on January 14, 2026
Jeff “Skunk” Baxter | Photo courtesy of FestForums®
Several brilliant talents will be honored at this year’s FestForums®, to be held February 11–13, 2026, at the beautiful Mar Monte Hotel in Santa Barbara, California. They include GRAMMY® Award-winning Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee Jeff “Skunk” Baxter (from Steely Dan and Doobie Brothers), who will receive the Living Legend Award; Kevin Lyman, founder of the Vans Warped Tour, which will be hailed as Festival of the Year; and a rising star, singer-songwriter Hunter Hawkins, who will receive the conference’s Emerging Artist Award.
In addition, FestForums® will welcome back legendary singer-songwriter and guitarist Dave Mason, who was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Traffic, to share some of his incredible life stories and sign copies of his memoir, Only You and I Know. He was a FestForums awardee in 2015.
The ninth iteration of FestForums® is sure to be its most successful yet. FestForums is the industry’s most exclusive three-day gathering that brings together hundreds of festival professionals, entertainment industry leaders, event producers, and artists to meet and mingle, share knowledge, fuel their souls, and fill their senses in one idyllic beachfront location. The conference includes curated panels, exhibitors, awards, concerts, and parties galore. Topics include technology, sustainability, safety, wellness, marketing, operations, and more.
“I’m thrilled and grateful for all the success we’ve had,” says Laurie Kirby, owner and President of FestForums®. “There’s a real gap at the top of the festival ecosystem for engagement. But from everything I hear from our attendees, whether it’s the conversations I’ve had or the emails I’ve received, people love the engagement that occurs at our event. They’re able to meet people they ordinarily wouldn’t, obtain new information from panels, and it’s all in a nice, informal environment. It’s a lot of fun, too! Since its inception, I decided that FestForums® would be something that I myself would want to go to, so I curate it as if I’m Customer Number One.”
The number and scope of festivals represented at FestForums® continues to expand. At this year’s conference look for SXSW, Coachella, Burning Man, New Orleans Heritage & Jazz Festival, Lollapalooza, Bonnaroo, Broccoli Fest, Electric Daisy Carnival, Summerfest, Netflix is a Joke, Slamdance, Hawaii Food & Wine Festival, and many more.
As it has in years past, FestForums® will celebrate the achievements of minorities and women in the live entertainment space. Says Kirby, “We have a whole community of people who have done great things in the industry, and I want to highlight those champions among us. I have panels specifically on women in the industry, on social justice, nonprofits, and leadership, and all of them point in the same direction of how we can be the best citizens and help elevate the arts at a time when we’re being faced with tremendous challenges on so many different levels.”
She adds, “During the past year, current politics have unfolded, grants and monies have been pulled from the creative space, and people have gotten a little disheartened. To give them a place to gather and continue to discuss creativity is a very powerful thing.”
Over the years, FestForums® has hosted leaders and legends in the music, film, food & beverage, and wellness industries such as the Coen Brothers, Quentin Tarantino, Kat Cora, Alicia Silverstone, Kenny Loggins, Dennis Quaid, Taj Mahal, Matthew Modine, Shep Gordon, Alan Parsons, Michael McDonald, Jack Johnson, Dane Cook, Rita Coolidge, T-Bone Burnett, and Harry Shearer, among others.
This year, attendees will be treated to a special benefit concert featuring Jeff “Skunk” Baxter, Hunter Hawkins, Talking Heads keyboardist and guitarist Jerry Harrison, and Steve Miller Band bassist-guitarist Kenny Lee Lewis. “It’s such a great mix of talents,” Kirby says. “They’re all coming together to raise funds for a local nonprofit, Adam’s Angel, that feeds and clothes those suffering from extreme poverty in Santa Barbara County.”
FestForums® welcomes leaders of the biggest food and wine festivals who will speak about the future of their industries. Among them are Denise Yamaguchi of the Hawaii Food & Wine Festival, Meritage Entertainment Founder/CEO Doug Richter, Fast Forward Event Productions CEO Michelle Metter, and Brander Vineyard Founder and Proprietor Fred Brander (aka “the king of Sauvignon Blanc”), who will be honored for his Legacy of Excellence.
The worlds of film and music converge at FestForums®, which will welcome Slamdance President and Co-Founder Peter Baxter; Netflix is a Joke Chief of Staff Abbey Londer; Digital Domain CEO and Chairman Scott Ross; Festival Productions, Inc. – New Orleans President & COO EJ Encalarde; and noted poet and songwriter Stephen Kalinich, whom the late Brian Wilson referred to as “a genius.”
And, of course, the most popular networking opportunity is back. That’s right—PuppiesPalooza, presented by Eventeny, returns to FestForums®, offering festival professionals and furry friends from local shelter Paw Works a lunch break of puppy cuddles, stress relief, and genuine connections. Adoptions are even possible.
“This year’s lineup is extraordinary,” Kirby says. “We’ve got rock stars from the festival industry, alongside genuine rock stars. It’s everything people have come to love about our event, plus new panels, speakers, and performers. It’s going to be a very productive and fun three days.”
For more information, visit: https://festforums.com/
A full list of this year’s FestForums® speakers can be found HERE.
About FestForums®:
FestForums® is a festival conference for food, beverage, wellness, music, and film festival industry leaders that takes place annually in Santa Barbara, CA. Showcasing cutting-edge technology, talent, ticketing, sponsorships, scheduling, merchandising, operations, sustainability, charitable work, innovation, and safety, FestForums brings together festivals and events of all sizes for collaboration and professional development.
