“It’s kind of like a game of chess,” says McVicar, director of communications for the nation’s largest nonprofit speaker series, The Richmond Forum. “We want to build a balanced season both in point of view and subject matter, along with having some bigger names and then some folks you may not have heard of.”
Since 1986, the Forum has brought speakers from around the world to Altria Theater’s stage for unique, one-night events five times a year. From ideation to execution, McVicar is constantly on the hunt for connection. She works with the featured speakers — who range from astrophysicists to world leaders — to stage the event, which can look like a presentation, moderated discussion or even a debate. She also engages with community members to determine what piques their interest. “When you go to the Forum, you’re opting into curiosity,” says McVicar. “You’re joining a community of lifelong learners.”
For those interested, there are three levels of subscriptions: online, theater and the simulcast room, with more casual viewing and no assigned seats. The online option was born during the pandemic, McVicar says, but has become a popular option with a much lower barrier to access. Those who purchase the online subscription can watch all five speakers live or on-demand and access the ticket marketplace (when folks with theater subscriptions can’t attend an event, they donate their tickets back to the Forum).
Importantly, McVicar is also helping build the young leaders of tomorrow. She’s heavily involved with the Richmond Forum’s speech and debate initiative, launched in 2018 with the goal of having debate and speech teams at every Richmond area public middle and high school by 2025, the 250th anniversary of Patrick Henry’s famous “Give me Liberty” speech. While they didn’t meet this goal, they’re getting closer, with an 86% success rate for high schools and 40% for middle schools. The initiative will partner with the National Speech and Debate Association to host the 2026 tournament, which will bring more than 10,000 student contestants to Richmond. The six-day event, held on the East Coast only a half-dozen times since 1931, will conclude with a final round at the Altria Theater.
McVicar, who is a tournament judge for the initiative, is excited to see what this next generation of orators brings to the city: “It takes the audacity of a teenager to own that vulnerability,” she says. More good news? As of press time, she says there are still tickets left for the Forum’s 40th anniversary season.
