DCI's annual winter business meetings will take place in downtown Indianapolis this weekend.
More than 100 World and Open Class directors, drum majors, presenters and other representatives of the drum corps activity, will head to Indianapolis Friday and Saturday, February 6-7, for Drum Corps International's annual winter business meetings.

World Class Voting Membership Meeting

The DCI annual meeting is one a limited number of times during the year that representatives of all 22 World Class corps come together in person to conduct general business. With Drum Corps International Tour scheduling handled during the fall session, the robust agenda for this winter meeting will focus on a number of business matters facing the organization and its participating groups for the coming year and beyond. DCI Executive Director and CEO Dan Acheson and Chief Financial Officer Wayne Leide will present the annual operating budget, which was approved by the DCI Board of Directors in November. Other agenda items include reports by various committees and subcommittees on a variety of topics related to the annual strategic business plan. Acheson will facilitate his annual "State of the Activity" discussion Friday evening which will cover the year in review and the season ahead for Drum Corps International. Saturday's session will conclude with annual elections for the nine-member DCI Board of Directors.

Open Class Directors Meeting

Open Class corps directors will start their sessions on Friday afternoon in a combined forum with World Class representatives before splitting off to begin their own discussions after dinner. Demonstrating tremendous growth over the last three years, key topics for the Open Class in 2015 include the evaluation process and support of new and reemerging drum corps. Those discussions will center in part on DCI's SoundSport® and DrumLine Battle?„? programs as pathways to the continued growth and sustainability of Open Class ensembles. Directors will also have the opportunity to participate in a professional development session with author and motivational speaker Fran Kick, who spearheads Drum Corps International's "Kick Start" program for students during the summer months. Elections for expiring seats on the Open Class Advisory Committee will take place on Saturday.

Drum Major Leadership Summit

Drum majors representing many World and Open Class corps have once again been invited to this year's annual meetings. Students will take part in a leadership seminar designed to better prepare them to be the face and voice of their respective organizations, while learning valuable lessons for enhancing their effectiveness as leaders and mentors. Coordinated by DCI Hall of Fame member Gene Monterastelli, sessions are led by a number of former DCI drum majors who will share their experiences with this year's group of student leaders. A special guest presenter will be DCI Hall of Fame member James Campbell. The longtime Director of Percussion Studies at the University of Kentucky, Campbell will lecture attendees on successful drum majoring from the perspective of his years as an arranger, composer and instructor for marching music ensembles. Related content: New campaign calls upon leaders of DCI's past

Rules Congress and Instructors Summit

2015 is an off-year for Drum Corps International's Rules Congress. The biennial process allows corps instructors and designers to come together for the exchange of ideas on the educational and competitive aspects of the drum corps activity, including rules changes. Potential modifications to the existing rules and system of adjudication will be entertained later this year in preparation for the 2016 gathering.