La Jolla Playhouse's Annual Innovation Night to Take Place Virtually, Featuring Christopher Ashley, Jeffrey Seller & More

La Jolla Playhouse has announced its 13th annual Innovation Night, taking place virtually on Wednesday, October 14, 2020 from 4pm to 6pm PDT.

Innovation Night is San Diego's premier networking event that brings together leaders from San Diego's biotech, life sciences, high tech, clean tech, defense, telecommunications and associated industries for an extraordinary event hosted by La Jolla Playhouse - a leader in creating the most cutting-edge and innovative theatre for San Diego and beyond. The San Diego region enjoys one of the largest innovation economies in the world, producing major medical, pharmaceutical, diagnostic, biologic and wireless products that have led to breakthroughs in healthcare, technology and more. Innovation Night has become one of the city's most highly-anticipated annual fundraisers, celebrating the ingenuity among the world's top tech companies. Proceeds from the event support La Jolla Playhouse's new play development and education programs.

This year's event, presented digitally, will recognize the efforts of the countless San Diego companies and organizations working on the front lines of the i??ght against COVID-19. The event will also include a welcome from San Diego Mayor Kevin L. Faulconer and Joseph Panetta, CEO of Biocom. Special invited guests include Admiral Brett Giroir, M.D., United States Assistant Secretary for Health.

Innovation Night 2020 will feature the keynote conversation, "Creating Art in the Time of COVID," with a panel including Dr. Cheryl A.M. Anderson, Professor and Founding Dean of The Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science at the University of California, San Diego; Christopher Ashley, The Rich Family Artistic Director of La Jolla Playhouse and Tony Award-winning director of the Playhouse-born Come From Away; Pradeep K. Khosla, Chancellor, University of California, San Diego; Jeffrey Seller, Tony Award-winning producer of Hamilton, Rent and many others; and Dr. Eric Topol, the Gary & Mary West Endowed Chair of Innovative Medicine and Professor of Molecular Medicine, Scripps Research. This prestigious panel will discuss how the arts have moved to digital programming, how they're adjusting to social distancing, and what future testing and vaccines might mean for a return to live theatre, on-campus education, sporting events, and other large public gatherings.

"As a leader in innovation on stage, La Jolla Playhouse is proud to host this extraordinary annual event, bringing San Diego's flourishing community of science and technology innovators together for creative exchange. And this year we're pleased to be able to offer Innovation Night in a virtual format, allowing us to welcome participants from all over the world," noted La Jolla Playhouse Managing Director Debby Buchholz. "Over the last thirteen years, Innovation Night has raised more than $2 million to help enhance the Playhouse's own 'R&D' efforts, such as our signature Without Walls (WOW) series of immersive, site-based and digital theatre, all while facilitating partnerships among artists and leaders in San Diego's life sciences, biotech, high-tech, clean-tech and telecommunication industries."

Once registered, Innovation Night participants will have access to the digital networking section, Mix and Mingle, to upload their contact information and begin reaching out to fellow attendees. On October 7, additional sections of the event will open, including access to peruse the Innovation Gallery spaces and the La Jolla Playhouse Behind-the-Scenes offerings. On October 13, La Jolla Playhouse Digital Without Walls (WOW) performances will become available for viewing. On October 14 at 3:30pm PST, participants can join Happy Hour with Seven Caves Spirits, followed by the keynote session, "Creating Art in the Time of COVID-19," at 4:00pm PST.

The event will once again feature a special Innovation Gallery, where companies can host an exhibit in the Playhouse's virtual gallery space, either as a Gallery Exhibitor ($5000 sponsorship) or as a Startup Exhibitor ($1000 sponsorship), each of which offers a host of benefits, including the opportunity to exhibit in the Innovation Night Gallery, free tickets to the event, recognition in Innovation Night materials, and more. These interactive spaces include the opportunity for companies to share videos, downloadable documents, and even host a live Zoom-like chat during the event, to interact in real time with attendees.

The event is hosted by the Innovation Night Planning Committee. Chaired by Tim Scott, Co-Founder and CEO, TEGA Therapeutics, the committee includes Denise Bevers, Co-Founder, KindredBio; Randy Clark, Chief Administration Officer and Chief Human Resources Officer, Sempra North American Infrastructure; Ed Dennis, Chancellor, Chair in Chemistry and Biochemistry and Distinguished Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry and Pharmacology, UC San Diego; Brian Dovey, Partner, Domain Associates; Susan Dubé, Founder and CFO, Sorriso Pharmaceuticals, Inc.; Mick Farrell, CEO, ResMed; Luke Gulley, Account Executive, Show Imaging, Inc.; Mike Krenn, President and CEO, The Beachhead and Connect with SD Venture Group; Joe Panetta, President, CEO, and Member, Board of Directors, Biocom; Don Rosenberg, Executive VP, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary, Qualcomm, Inc.; Ivor Royston, CEO and President, Viracta Therapeutics, Inc.; Susan Tousi, SVP, Chief Product Officer, Illumina; and Mary Walshok, Associate Vice Chancellor for Public Programs and Dean of Extension, UC San Diego.

Innovation Night Premier Sponsors include: Cooley LLP, Dowling & Yahnke and Qualcomm. Additional Sponsors: Biocom, Connect, Illumina, NuVasive, ResMed, SDG&E and Tega Therapeutics. In-Kind Sponsors: Show Imaging, Seven Caves Spirits and CEG Interactive.

To register for Innovation Night, please visit https://innovationnight.swoogo.com/2020. For more information on becoming an Innovation Night sponsor or securing space in the Innovation Gallery, please contact Rebecca Goodman at rgoodman@ljp.org. All proceeds from sponsorships and ticket sales benefit innovative theatre at La Jolla Playhouse.

La Jolla Playhouse's Without Walls (WOW) program is a dizzying array of interactive and site-inspired theatre that attracts energetic art lovers, thrill seekers and families. Full of diverse offerings, WOW shows have one thing in common - they are an invitation to rethink theatre in intriguing and playful experiences. The Playhouse's Digital Without Walls (WOW) series was created specifically for this moment when we're all sheltering in place, offering groundbreaking theatre that re-imagines the relationship between artist, audience and story in a virtual space. From intimate, one-on-one experiences to collective events, these brand new online WOW productions bring world-class artists directly into patrons' homes, fostering human connection and allowing art to flourish.