The Greater Coachella Valley Chamber of Commerce (GCVCC) has confirmed its continued patron sponsorship of the Desert Town Hall. The 2024 series is set to commence in January and extend through April, featuring four distinguished speakers.
As stated on the Desert Town Hall website, the speaker series will be held at the Renaissance Esmeralda Resort and Spa in Indian Wells. The inaugural lecture will be delivered by NATO's 16th Supreme Allied Commander Admiral James Stavridis on January 21. Subsequent speakers include New York Times technology columnist David Pogue on February 8; statesman, historian, soldier and author Michael Oren on March 4; and conservative commentator and strategist Karl Rove on April 1.
The Desert Town Hall website also reveals that ticket prices for the series range from $425 to $2,500 per person. A ticket inclusive of dinner costs $1,400, offering a three-course meal along with preferred seating, a hosted wine reception and a moderated question-and-answer session. All lectures are scheduled to start promptly at 6 p.m.
According to information from the City of Indian Wells website, the Desert Town Hall series was launched in 1993. It is managed by Desert Forum, a non-profit organization. The board of directors of Desert Forum—comprising local business leaders, civic leaders and active citizens—collaborates with forum staff to select speakers.
As per the Desert Town Hall website, since its inception, the series has hosted over 100 world-class speakers including Mike Pompeo, Ron Howard and Clint Howard, Bill O’Reilly, Caroline Kennedy, Neil deGrasse Tyson, Henry Kissinger, George W. Bush, Desmond Tutu and Margaret Thatcher.
In addition to GCVCC's sponsorship as reported by the Desert Town Hall website other sponsors include the City of Indian Wells, Foster-Gardner Inc., Renaissance Esmeralda Resort & Spa, three local media outlets and others. The series is presented by the H.N. and Frances C. Berger Foundation.