IDC Hosts Inaugural Intimacy Professional Summit in Minneapolis, MN

Minneapolis, MN, October 29, 2024 --(PR.com)-- Intimacy Directors and Coordinators (IDC) is thrilled to announce the Inaugural Intimacy Professional Summit, scheduled for April 11-13, 2025.

This premier event will gather Intimacy Professionals, Directors, Producers, and other Entertainment Professionals from around the globe to advance the way the TV/film and live performance industries handle intimate stories.

Who/What:
Intimacy Directors and Coordinators (IDC) is hosting its inaugural Intimacy Professional Summit, gathering experts and leaders from the TV, film, and theatre industries. Supported by Hennepin Theatre Arts, this will be the largest U.S. event focused on advancing how the entertainment industry handles intimate stories.

Since Tarana Burke’s #MeToo movement sparked global change, the entertainment industry has rapidly embraced the role of Intimacy Professionals — now one of the fastest-growing roles. Despite its recent emergence, this role is now considered an industry standard, ensuring that intimate scenes are handled safely and respectfully. On the heels of Intimacy Coordinators working to unionize with SAG-AFTRA, the Intimacy Professional Summit is a pivotal moment for the industry to deeply engage with this critical shift, offering the much-needed space to advance the production of intimate scenes.

The Summit features interactive workshops, expert panels, product demos, and networking opportunities to foster a community of changemakers. Speakers include Alicia Rodis, Head of Intimacy Coordination at HBO; Claire Warden, Broadway’s First Intimacy Director; and Dr. Jessica Steinrock, Intimacy Coordination Influencer with over 1.3M followers.

Prior to the Summit, IDC will be hosting a Certification Intensive, where the next generation of industry leaders will become certified as Intimacy Professionals.

Intimacy Directors and Coordinators (IDC) is the leading and largest organization training and certifying intimacy professionals worldwide. Our community members have impacted every level of the industry, including HBO, Hulu, Amazon Prime, Netflix, and Broadway.

Intimacy Professionals are choreographers, actor advocates, and liaisons between actors and production for scenes that involve nudity/hyper-exposed work, simulated sex acts, and intimate/sexualized physical contact in TV, film, and live performance.

Why:
The entertainment industry has long grappled with issues of sexual harassment, which were thrust into the spotlight during the Harvey Weinstein trials. As Tarana Burke’s #MeToo movement went viral, Hollywood responded with its own #TimesUp movement, focusing on the industry-specific challenges of sexual misconduct. The industry's response drove a necessary reckoning regarding intimate scenes, creating the demand for Intimacy Coordinators, a role dedicated to safeguarding and supporting actors during these vulnerable moments.

The role of the Intimacy Coordinator has rapidly become one of the fastest-growing
professions in the entertainment industry. Hit shows like Bridgerton have demonstrated the value of this role in creating groundbreaking storytelling that captivates audiences. Actors and Actresses like Nicola Coughlan, Ewan McGregor, and Kate Winslet, among others, have praised the role as essential. As giants in the industry, major networks such as HBO continue to lead by mandating the presence of intimacy coordinators on any set involving intimate scenes, and Intimacy professionals are now utilized in live performances from Broadaway to the West End.

Intimacy Professionals represent a significant leap forward in addressing one of the
entertainment industry's biggest challenges: preventing sexual misconduct while giving actors autonomy during high-risk, intimate scenes.

The Intimacy Professional Summit provides an unprecedented opportunity for intimacy professionals and entertainment professionals from around the world and across all levels of the industry to connect, inspire, and learn from one another. This event aims to cultivate an unstoppable force for positive change within the entertainment industry, ensuring safe, consensual, and dynamic intimacy choreography in live performance, film, and television.

Media Coverage:
We invite members of the media to cover this impactful event. Our team will be available for interviews and to provide further insights into the global significance of this event in advancing the entertainment industry. Press passes will be available at a later date.