IAVM is thrilled to announce Seton Hawkins, Director of Public Programs at Jazz at Lincoln Center, as the keynote speaker for VenueConnect 2025, taking place in New Orleans, July 27-31.
Attendees will experience a keynote unlike any other – one that blends compelling presentation, dynamic discussion, and live performance into a customized event that bridges the worlds of music and business.
This exclusive session will dive deep into the essential elements of Jazz, Blues, Swing, and Improvisation. More than a concert, this interactive keynote will use the live interplay between musicians to explore how jazz principles mirror the building blocks of effective teams, visionary leadership, and vibrant workplace culture.
A Soundtrack for Leadership and Collaboration
This unique presentation will use the structure and freedom of a jazz ensemble to highlight critical workplace themes:
- Respectful communication and cultural civility
- Diversity and inclusion
- Active listening and collaboration
- Balancing individual expression with shared goals
Through the artform of jazz, attendees will see in real-time how high-performing teams thrive under pressure, make space for each other’s voices, and deliver a polished product-just like a world-class ensemble.
Jazz fans are in for a treat! Hawkins will be joined by a Jazz septet composed of members from the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra and local NOLA artists including: Walter Blanding (formerly of the Wynton Marsalis Quintet), Sisonke Xonti, one of Africa’s top saxophonists all the way from Johannesburg, South Africa, NOLA drummer Herlin Riley and the great NOLA clarinetist Doreen Ketchens! Together, they will demonstrate how the core concepts of jazz are more than music-they’re a blueprint for modern leadership and workplace excellence.
About the Speaker
Seton Hawkins serves as Director of Public Programs and Education Resources at Jazz at Lincoln Center, where he oversees Swing University, leads the Jazz Academy media library (the world’s largest free video library for jazz education), and designs corporate training workshops that merge music and management.
He is also a professor at the Juilliard School, the host of SiriusXM’s South African Jazz show on the Real Jazz channel, and a sought-after speaker on jazz, leadership, and cultural understanding. He holds an MBA from Babson College and a BA in Music from Columbia University.
