Robert Baird is President of BAM! Baird Artists Management in Toronto, and President of NAPAMA (North American Performing Arts Managers and Agents). He is a member of the PAE (Performing Arts Exchange) Advisory Committee and is NAPAMA liaison to APAP (Association of Performing Arts Presenters). He is a member of the Board of Directors of Festivals and Events Ontario (FEO) where he serves as Chair of the Membership Committee and a member of the Conference Committee. Mr. Baird also serves as Coordinator of the IPAY Dutch Consortium Project. He has just been appointed Co-Chair of the Midwest Arts Conference to be held in Minneapolis in the fall of 2011.
Mr. Baird is known internationally for his creative marketing ideas and skill at promotion. BAM! Baird Artists Management was created to assist emerging and established artists in furthering their performing careers, especially in the United States and Canada, but internationally as well. Robert has had a long and distinguished career in the arts, publishing, education and artist management. He began performing as a musician at a young age and throughout his life has been involved in many aspects of performance including dance bands, piano accompanying, solo performance, choral music, symphonic music, and international musical theatre. Whether on stage, in the pit, or on the podium, he has experienced the life firsthand and offers invaluable advice to the performing artist.
Robert's twenty-year career in publishing saw him as CEO of one of Canada's leading educational music publishers, executive director of a national publisher's association, and head of his own music publishing firm. His knowledge of all aspects of publishing (including techniques of printing) and marketing is put to good use in the design and execution of promotional campaigns for artists in his roster. Education has long been a central part of Robert's life. He earned three university degrees and has taught in elementary and secondary schools and at the university level. His experience with young people and his rapport with them inform his work with artists in children's theatre and those who work with young audiences.
Now, with a steadily growing distinguished roster of artists, Robert is overseeing the artistic careers of both emerging and established artists in Canada, the United States, and around the world.
Robert Baird Conference Leadership:
Panels, Presentations, Workshops
APAP 2012
Chair, Special Interest Session, Frosh Initiation
(With David Wannen, Managing Director, New York Gilbert & Sullivan Players and Vice-President/Membership, NAPAMA)
International Resource Centre for Performing Artists (Toronto, ON)
Panelist, Career Moves Workshop (November 2011)
C.A.F.E. 2011 (London, ON)
Speaker, "Let's Keep it Legal: Contract Negotiation Do's and Don'ts"
APAP Webinar
Panelist, APAP Webinar - First-time Showcasers, October, 2011
Arts Northwest, 2011 (Eugene, OR)
Panelist, "Canadian Artists heading South/American Artists heading North: The thrills, chills and spills of crossing a border"
Panelist, "Frosh initiation for Presenters, Agents and Artists" (with Joseph Mclwain, Edmonds Center for the Arts, and John MacAdams, Craicmore)
Mentor
Arts Midwest, 2011 (Minneapolis, MN)
Co-Chair of Conference
Leader, 101 Workshop: "An Introduction to the World of Arts Presenting"
Mentor
Volunteer
WAA, 2011 (Seattle, WA)
Presenter, "Arts Northwest & NAPAMA Introduce the CPAE Program"
Facilitator, New Colleagues Orientation
Mentor
Volunteer
Live! Singapore 2011 (Singapore)
Chair, Panel, "Touring in North America, Visa & Taxation Issues in the United States and Canada" (with Jack Schuller, Mainstage Management, Vancouver, BC)
ECMA 2011 (Charlottetown, PEI)
Panelist, "After the Handshake: Maximizing Your Export Success"
(with Moderator: Bruce Morel (Music Management International, Dartmouth, NS), Guest Speakers: Liana White (Canadian Federation of Musician, Toronto, ON), Bob Paterson (BPA Live, Suffolk, England)
CSEME 2011 (Canadian Special Events & Meetings EXPO (Toronto, Ontario)
Speaker, "The Good, the Bad, the Unusual: A Primer on Booking Artists from Here and Abroad"
Arts Midwest, 2011
Co-Chair of Conference
APAP 2011
Chair, Special Interest Session, Canada, Eh?
(With Stacey Atkinson, Canada Council)
APAP 2011
Chair, Special Interest Session, Frosh Initiation
(With Ann Norris, former agent, Baylin Artists; former Presenter, Vail International Dance Festival, and Eric Bricking, CFO/Director of Operations of Hyperion Productions)
APAP 2011
Mentor
OAPN 2010 (Ohio Arts Presenters Network) (Columbus, Ohio)
Mentor
Arts Northwest (2010) (Bellevue, Washington)
Panelist, "Brave New World"
(With Liz Silverstein, Siegel Artist Management, and Brad Burdick, Executive Director, Mount Baker Theatre)
Shadow Pack Pro
Mentor
Arts Midwest 2010 (Indianapolis, IN)
Mentor
Volunteer
WAA 2010 (Long Beach, CA)
Mentor
PA Presenters 2010 (Gettysburg, PA)
Panelist, "Raising the Curtain - 10 Contractual Mysteries Revealed!"
(With Robyn Guilliams, Esq., FTM Arts Law, Washington, DC and Randall Presswood, Director of Performing Arts Facilities & Programming, Bloomsburg University, Bloomsburg, PA)
APAP 2010 (NYC)
Chair, Special Interest Session, Cross-Border Touring
(With Eric Larivière, General Manager, Markham Theatre)
APAP 2010 (NYC)
Chair, Special Interest Session, Current Issues for Agents and Managers
(With Mike Telin, Latitude45 Arts)
APAP 2010 (NYC)
Chair, Special Interest Session, Presenter-Agent Dialogue
(With Martin Wolleson, Director, University Events Office/Artistic Director, ArtPower! at UC San Diego)
IPAY 2009 (Cleveland, OH)
Panel on Federal Withholding Tax on Foreign Artists
(With Jeannette Gardner, Gardner Arts Network; Jean-Pierre Dion, Cultural Attaché, Québec Government Office, NYC)
APAP 2009 (NYC)
Chair, Special Interest Session, Cross-Border Touring
(With Kelly Langgard, Canada Council and Natalie Ackers, General Manager, Roseneath Theatre)
APAP 2009 (NYC)
Chair, Special Interest Session, Current Issues for Agents and Managers
(With Mike Telin, Latitude45 Arts)
ARTS NORTHWEST 2008 (Eugene, OR)
NAPAMA Welcome to the Marketplace
(With Laura Colby, Elsie Management; Liz Silverstein, Siegel Artist Management; Dan DeWayne, Director, University Public Events at CSU, Chico)
ARTS NORTHWEST 2008 (Eugene, OR)
Chair, Panel on Border Crossing
(With Alisa Kaeser - DC Arts Management and Bill Smith - Eye for Talent)
PAE 2008 (Atlanta, GA)
Chair, Panel on Cross-Border Touring
(With Mike Telin, Latitude45 Arts)
ARTS MIDWEST 2008 (Kansas City, MO)
Chair, Agent Roundtable on Current Issues (Everything You Wanted to Know about the Performing Arts World, But Were Afraid to Ask)
ECMA 2008 (Fredericton, NB)
Participated in Panel: Aftercare Training Session: Exporting Nationally and Internationally
(With Mickey Quase, Moderator; Anna Gibbs, Canadian Embassy, Washington, DC; Phill McIntyre, New England Celtic Arts)
FEO 2008 (London, ON)
Booking Entertainment that Will Engage Your Audience and Enhance Your Event
APAP 2008 (NYC)
Chaired Special Interest Session on Canadian Opportunities
(With Jeannette Gardner, Gardner Arts Network; Tim Jennings, Managing Director, Roseneath Theatre)
ARTS MIDWEST 2007 (Columbus, OH)
Chaired Roundtable on The Curator's Role: A Primer for Presenters Who Want to Explore and Support New Artists and Initiatives
WAA 2007 (Los Angeles, CA)
Chaired Roundtable on Doing Business in Canada (II)
PA Presenters 2007 (Bethlehem, PA)
Chaired Roundtable on Doing Business in Canada
FEO 2007 (Toronto, ON)
Booking Entertainment and Keeping It Legal
APAP 2007 (NYC)
Chaired Special Interest Session on Doing Business with Canada
(With Michael Grit, Theatre Manager, Richmond Hill Centre for the Arts; Judy Harquail, CCI)
ARTS NORTHWEST 2006 (Boise, ID)
Chaired Panel on Doing Business in Canada
(With Ronda Billerbeck, City of Kent; Sandra Thomson, Port Theatre)
ARTS MIDWEST 2006 (Little Rock, AR)
Chaired Panel on Doing Business in Canada
(With Jamie Grant, Center in the Square; Judy Harquail, CCI; and Michael Holden, Holden Arts Associates)
WAA 2006 (Long Beach CA)
Chaired Panel on Doing Business in Canada
(With Kurt Bagnell, Banff Centre; Tom Iovanne, Washington Center; and Alpha Yaya Diallo, Artist)
Publications & Articles
Publications:
Doing Business with Canada (Handout & CD - 2009)
Working It! A Primer for Convention Exhibit Newbies (Pamphlet – 2008)
Articles:
"Wishes Won't Wash Dishes" (Arts Northwest Newsletter, Fall/Winter 2010)
"Wishes" (Arts Midwest Blog, Summer, 2010)
"Agents are from Saturn; Presenters are from Jupiter" (Arts Northwest Newsletter, Winter 2010)
"Marketing to the Hispanic Market" (Arts Northwest Newsletter, Summer, 2008)
"Hello, Young Artists, Wherever You Are – Advice from an Agent" (Arts Northwest Newsletter, Spring, 2008)
"Northern Neighbour: Land of Opportunity" (Arts Northwest Newsletter, Summer, 2006)
"Taking Advantage of the California-Canada Connection" (CA Presenters Newsletter, Spring, 2006)
