2016 Schedule
Thursday | 6:30 PM
Franklin Barbecue
Franklin Barbecue Feast
Skip the line and join us at the legendary Franklin Barbecue for an intimate dinner and lively discussion with Washington Post Executive Editor Martin Baron and Texas Tribune CEO Evan Smith. Tickets to this event are sold out and will not be available at the door.
Presented by The Monument Group
Friday | 4:00 PM
Cactus Cafe
Pre-Festival Student Summit
Enjoy a kickoff session with your fellow classmates, meet Tribune staff and find out how to get the most out of your Festival experience.
Learn more about the Festival student experience here.
Presented by AT&T, Okay to Say, the Annette Strauss Institute for Civic Life, the New Politics Forum and the Hatton W. Sumners Foundation
Friday | 5:00 PM
Texas Union Theater
Live TribCast Recording
Before the opening keynote, Festival attendees are invited to join us for a special pre-Festival live recording of the Texas Tribune TribCast and The Ticket 2016, featuring Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner; state Rep. Chris Paddie, R-Marshall; Sarah Isgur Flores, deputy manager for Carly Fiorina's presidential campaign; and Erick Erickson, conservative blogger and radio host, with music from the Bad Precedents. After the recording, walk over to the Hogg Memorial Auditorium for the opening keynote with Gov. John Kasich.
Supported by Pearson
Friday | 7:00 PM
Hogg Memorial Auditorium
One on One with John Kasich
Supported by Emerus
Friday | 8:00 PM
Main Mall
Opening Night Party
Join us for a welcome reception under the tower lights on the UT Main Mall directly after Friday’s opening keynote. Mingle with the Festival’s speakers and moderators and the Tribune’s staff while enjoying hors d’oeuvres and cocktails provided by an array of restaurants.
Bites provided by Capra Lamb, Liberty Kitchen, Natural Epicurean, Hillside Farmacy, Uchiko, Freedmen's and Maudies. Beverages provided by Messina Hof Winery, the Beer Alliance of Texas and Tito's Vodka.
Presented by Toyota
Saturday | 7:45 AM
AT&T Lounge
Morning Coffee
Grab a cup of coffee ahead of the day's first panels.
Hosted by Walmart
FAC Lounge
Morning Coffee
Grab a cup of coffee ahead of the day's first panels.
Hosted by ETS
Jessen Lounge
Morning Coffee
Grab a cup of coffee ahead of the day's first panels.
Hosted by UnitedHealthCare
Texas Union, Lone Star Lounge
Breakfast & Photo Gallery
Join us for breakfast, coffee and a portrait gallery from The Heart Gallery of Central Texas in the Lone Star Lounge before the day's first panels.
The Heart Gallery of Central Texas is a portrait exhibit and community education initiative featuring children in Central Texas who are waiting for adoption.
A larger Heart Gallery exhibition will be on display at the AT&T Lounge on Saturday, Sept. 24 from 8am-4pm.
Hosted by Partnerships for Children
Saturday | 8:00 AM
Texas Union, Lone Star Lounge
Lone Star Lounge — Student Headquarters
The Lone Star Lounge is your Festival headquarters. Network with other students, meet Festival speakers or sit back and enjoy refreshments before heading to the next panel.
Learn more about the Festival student experience here.
Presented by AT&T, Okay to Say, the Annette Strauss Institute for Civic Life and the Hatton W. Sumners Foundation
Saturday | 8:30 AM
AT&T Conference Center, Amphitheater 204
Race and Law Enforcement
AT&T Conference Center, Ballroom
The Remaking of the Alamo
AT&T Conference Center, Classroom 203
One on One with Glenn Hegar
Supported by IBC Bank
Calhoun Hall, Classroom 100
Energy Prices and the Economy
Supported by NRG Energy
Rainey Hall, Jessen Auditorium
One on One with Dan Patrick
Supported by Toyota
Flawn Academic Center, Auditorium 21
Grading the STAAR Test
Hogg Memorial Auditorium
A Cure for Cancer
Texas Union, Quadrangle Room
Ballpark Figures: Inside Big-Time College Sports
Texas Union, Santa Rita Room
Fixing Foster Care
Supported by Upbring
Saturday | 9:25 AM
FAC Lounge
Morning Coffee
Grab a cup of coffee ahead of the day's first panels.
Hosted by ATPE
Jessen Lounge
Breakfast Tacos & Coffee
Grab a breakfast taco & recharge with a cup of coffee between panels.
Hosted by Teladoc
Texas Union, Lone Star Lounge
Meet-and-Greet with Dr. Esteban Lopez, Chief Medical Officer for BCBSTX
Stop by the Lone Star Lounge for coffee and a meet-and-greet with Dr. Esteban Lopez, the new Chief Medical Officer for Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas.
Hosted by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas
Saturday | 9:30 AM
AT&T Lounge
Meet-and-Greet with Comptroller Glenn Hegar
Join us for refreshments & a meet-and-greet with Comptroller Glenn Hegar in the AT&T Lounge immediately following his panel.
Hosted by IBC Bank
Saturday | 9:50 AM
AT&T Conference Center, Amphitheater 204
Immigration and the Cities
AT&T Conference Center, Ballroom
One on One with Ken Starr
AT&T Conference Center, Classroom 203
Rideshare's Road Forward
Supported by The Monument Group
Calhoun Hall, Classroom 100
What We've Learned About Renewables
Rainey Hall, Jessen Auditorium
The Agency Agenda
Supported by Deloitte
Flawn Academic Center, Auditorium 21
Best Practices from the Best Charters
Supported by the Walton Family Foundation
Hogg Memorial Auditorium
Big Cities, Big Challenges
Supported by Houston First, Texas Central and United Healthcare
Texas Union Theater
The Future of Conservatism
Texas Union, Quadrangle Room
The Price of Admission: Higher Ed for a Diverse Texas
Supported by Pearson
Texas Union, Santa Rita Room
Why Are We Fighting About Vaccines?
Saturday | 10:45 AM
AT&T Lounge
Healthy Tips & Tricks
Stock up on water bottles, hand sanitizer and other tools and tips from Texas A&M Healthy Texas for a healthy Tribune Festival experience.
Hosted by Texas A&M Healthy Texas
Saturday | 10:50 AM
FAC Lounge
Meet-and-Greet with Best Practices from the Best Charters Panelists
Join us for refreshments & conversation with the panelists of Best Practices from the Best Charters in the Flawn Academic Center Lounge immediately following their panel.
Hosted by the Walton Family Foundation
Jessen Lounge
Meet-and-Greet with The Agency Agenda Panelists
Join us for refreshments & conversation with the panelists of The Agency Agenda in the Jessen Lounge immediately following their panel.
Hosted by Doctors Hospital at Renaissance
Texas Union, Lone Star Lounge
Meet-and-Greet with Mayor Sylvester Turner & Mayor Mike Rawlings
Join us for refreshments & a meet-and-greet with Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner in the Lone Star Lounge immediately following his panel, Big Cities, Big Challenges.
Hosted by HoustonFirst
Saturday | 11:10 AM
AT&T Conference Center, Amphitheater 204
Is the Death Penalty Working?
AT&T Conference Center, Ballroom
Is Texas Good for Women?
AT&T Conference Center, Classroom 203
The Best Budget for Texas
Supported by the Association of Texas Professional Educators (ATPE)
Calhoun Hall, Classroom 100
One on One with Boone Pickens
Supported by Oncor
Rainey Hall, Jessen Auditorium
The Senate Agenda
Supported by Gulf States Toyota
Flawn Academic Center, Auditorium 21
Paying for Higher Ed
Supported by H+K Strategies
Hogg Memorial Auditorium
Can the Center Hold?
Supported by the LBJ School of Public Affairs
Texas Union Theater
2016: Brought to You By Donors
Texas Union, Quadrangle Room
Bordering on Insecurity: How Safe are We, Really?
Texas Union, Santa Rita Room
Getting Out Ahead of Your Health
Supported by Texas A&M Healthy Texas and The Texas A&M University System
Saturday | 12:00 PM
Main Mall
Innovation Showcase
During the Food Truck Lunch, check out hands-on demonstrations of the latest research and technology on campus at the UT Innovation Showcase, happening on the Tower plaza.
Hosted by The University of Texas at Austin
Saturday | 12:15 PM
Main Mall
Food Truck Lunch
Austin may be known as the live music capital of the world, but it’s also known for its diverse and gourmet food trucks. The Texas Tribune Festival is providing the adventure of eating at a food truck court. Be sure to bring cash for lunch and dessert from some of Austin’s most iconic food trucks at this special lunch curated by Austin’s own Tiffany Harelik, author of the Trailer Food Diaries Cookbook series.
During the lunch, check out hands-on demonstrations of the latest research and technology on campus at the UT Innovation Showcase, happening on the Tower plaza!
Presented by The University of Texas at Austin
Saturday | 1:45 PM
AT&T Conference Center, Amphitheater 204
Texas vs. the Feds
AT&T Conference Center, Ballroom
What's the Matter with Congress?
Supported by Emerus
AT&T Conference Center, Classroom 203
The Republic of Taxes
Supported by The Boeing Company
Calhoun Hall, Classroom 100
The Future of the Grid
Supported by CPS Energy
Rainey Hall, Jessen Auditorium
One on One with Tim Dunn
Flawn Academic Center, Auditorium 21
Community College Pathways
Supported by ETS HiSET and the Gulf Coast Community Colleges Consortium
Hogg Memorial Auditorium
The State of Black America
Texas Union Theater
Latinos and the Presidential Race
Supported by Doctors Hospital at Renaissance
Texas Union, Quadrangle Room
The Politics of Prevention: The Abortion Battle, Cont’d
Texas Union, Santa Rita Room
The Battle Over Bathrooms
Saturday | 2:40 PM
Texas Union, Lone Star Lounge
Meet-and-Greet with David Weigel and Lawrence Wright
Join us for a meet-and-greet with The Washington Post's David Weigel and The New Yorker's Lawrence Wright.
Hosted by Texas Tribune Membership
Texas Union, Lone Star Lounge
Yogurt Parfait Snack Break
Join Texas A&M’s Healthy Texas for a yogurt parfait snack break and learn how they're improving the health of Texans.
Hosted by Texas A&M Healthy Texas
Saturday | 2:45 PM
AT&T Lounge
Meet-and-Greet with What's the Matter with Congress? Panelists
Join us for refreshments & conversation with the panelists of What's the Matter with Congress? in the AT&T Center Lounge immediately following their panel.
Hosted by Emerus
FAC Lounge
Meet-and-Greet with Community College Pathways Panelists
Join us for refreshments & conversation with the panelists of Community College Pathways in the Flawn Academic Center Lounge immediately following their panel.
Hosted by ETS HiSET
Saturday | 3:05 PM
AT&T Conference Center, Amphitheater 204
Supreme Court Confidential
AT&T Conference Center, Ballroom
The LGBTQ Agenda
AT&T Conference Center, Classroom 203
Taking Care of Our Veterans
Supported by Lockheed Martin and Walmart
Calhoun Hall, Classroom 100
One on One with Katharine Hayhoe
Rainey Hall, Jessen Auditorium
The House Agenda
Supported by Uber
Flawn Academic Center, Auditorium 21
Lessons from Urban Public Ed
Supported by Raise Your Hand Texas
Texas Union Theater
The Trumping of the Republican Primary
Texas Union, Quadrangle Room
Mental Health Matters: What More Should We Do?
Supported by Methodist Healthcare Ministries of South Texas
Texas Union, Santa Rita Room
Obamacare After Obama
Supported by Legacy Community Health
Saturday | 3:10 PM
AT&T Lounge
Signing of Maureen Dowd's The Year of Voting Dangerously
Join us for a signing of Maureen Dowd's newest book, The Year of Voting Dangerously.
Hosted by BookPeople
Saturday | 4:00 PM
Texas Union, Lone Star Lounge
Meet-and-Greet with Alex Wagner and Abby Livingston
Join us for a meet-and-greet with The Atlantic's Alex Wagner and The Texas Tribune's Abby Livingston.
Hosted by Texas Tribune Membership
Saturday | 4:05 PM
Jessen Lounge
Meet-and-Greet with The House Agenda Panelists
Join us for refreshments & conversation with the panelists of The House Agenda in the Jessen Lounge immediately following their panel.
Hosted by Uber
Saturday | 4:25 PM
AT&T Conference Center, Amphitheater 204
Voting Rights and Wrongs
AT&T Conference Center, Classroom 203
A Plan for Congestion
Supported by General Motors
Calhoun Hall, Classroom 100
What's Next on Water?
Supported by the Meadows Center for Water and the Environment
Rainey Hall, Jessen Auditorium
Local Control – or Control the Locals?
Flawn Academic Center, Auditorium 21
Campus Carry is the Law. Now What?
Hogg Memorial Auditorium
The View from Elsewhere
Texas Union Theater
A National Security Agenda for the 45th President
Supported by The Texas A&M University System
Texas Union, Quadrangle Room
God & Governing: Should Faith Inform Politics?
Texas Union, Santa Rita Room
Texas and Zika
Supported by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas and Quest Diagnostics
Saturday | 5:30 PM
AT&T Center Courtyard
Courtyard Reception
Join your fellow Festival attendees directly after Saturday’s last session in the garden courtyard of the AT&T Center. Discuss the day and enjoy light hors d’oeuvres and a cash bar. This special reception is open to all Festival attendees.
Presented by The Boeing Company
AT&T Tejas Dining Hall
Signing of Gov. John Hickenlooper's The Opposite of Woe: My Life in Beer and Politics
Join us for a signing of Gov. John Hickenlooper's newest book, The Opposite of Woe: My Life in Beer and Politics.
Hosted by BookPeople
Saturday | 7:30 PM
Etter-Harbin Alumni Center
TribFeast: A Dinner To Support Nonprofit Journalism
We’re excited to announce our first-ever TribFeast, headlined by Pulitzer Prize winner Maureen Dowd! This great evening will bring together thought leaders and philanthropists from around the state, including several of the elected officials, policymakers and big-brand journalists on the Festival program. Join us for what should be of one of the best parties of the year.
This event is not included in the regular Festival badge and requires an extra ticket. There will not be tickets available for purchase at the door.
Scholz Garten
The Washington Post's Politics & Pints with Chris Cillizza: TTF Edition
After a full day of programming at the Festival, you are invited to join The Washington Post’s Chris Cillizza as he hosts the wildly popular trivia night Politics & Pints. Bring your friends and test your knowledge on everything from current events to politics. Teams of up to six will compete for first- and second-place prizes, as well as special prizes for best team names.
Doors to the event will open at 7:30 p.m. at Scholz Garten on Saturday, September 24. Tickets are free with a Texas Tribune Festival pass and $10 at the door for the public.
Politics & Pints is supported by the LBJ School of Public Affairs. Prizes are generously provided by The W Hotel, Uchi, Freedmen's, Independence Brewing Company and SXSW Eco.
Sunday | 9:00 AM
Hogg Memorial Auditorium
2016 WTF?
Supported by AT&T
Sunday | 10:15 AM
Hogg Memorial Auditorium
