More than 3,400 people are expected to converge on New York City, Jan. 6-10, 2012, for the annual conference of the Association of Performing Arts Presenters (APAP). Now in its 55th year, the global performing arts marketplace and conference will feature daily plenary sessions and a wide array of professional development workshops and forums primarily focused on the theme of “Owning the Road Ahead,” which asks both speakers and attendees to reflect on new ways of facilitating community engagement. As in years past, exhibition halls will be teeming with booking agents and presenters eager to speak with them, and there’ll be a whole lot of networking opportunities. More than 1,200 artist showcases also are slated — including dozens by performers from the folk, roots and singer-songwriter communities in the U.S., Canada and several other countries. These will take place at the host hotel (Hilton New York) and at venues around the city.

Music festival impresario George Wein, founder of the Newport Jazz Festival and the Newport Folk Festival, will be among those honored during a Sunday afternoon awards luncheon recognizing individuals whose service to the performing arts has had a significant impact on the industry and on communities worldwide.

On Thursday, Jan. 5, prior to the official start of the conference, APAP will host a free day-long series of workshops produced in partnership with JazzTimes Magazine.

A Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit, APAP is a national service and advocacy organization dedicated to developing and supporting a robust performing arts presenters field and the professionals who work within it. More information on the association may be found online at www.apap365.org, while more information on the conference is available at www.apapnyc.org. AcousticMusicScene.com will be there and will report on select highlights in January.