The roundtables never cease to provide a wide range of topics for CIC delegates and this year was no exception, with discussions that ranged from understanding the fine print of contracts to crazy stories from backstage.

Let's start with Elliott Lefko's "Tales From The Backstage" talk.

It was a simple idea: Do you have any stories? In your lifetime? Turns out, yes.

For instance, somebody recalled when an audience member claimed that somebody stole his wallet, only to find out later that it was somebody in the entourage.

At the "Contemporary Concerts With Orchestra" session, Johanna Rees, senior program manager at the Hollywood Bowl and Walt Disney Concert Hall, discussed her experiences establishing a concert series that matches rock bands with the Los Angeles Philharmonic.

While previous pairings have included indie acts Decemberists, Bright Eyes, Air, and Belle & Sebastian, Rees explained how the idea could translate in different markets with acts such as Elvis Costello, Counting Crows or Pat Benatar. And while the expenses for such shows could amass quickly, she said that by pairing artists with the orchestras, some costs could be split and grant opportunities could arise.

Maria Cooper Brunner had some interesting research to share during the "Marketing Without Radio" roundtable.

What is the way most people learn about upcoming concerts these days? According to Brunner's findings, it's not the Internet, nor print, nor television. In fact, 81 percent of people learn from good ol' word of mouth.

And the best way to get people talking, she's found, is through print advertising.

But at Jared Hoffman's "The Digital Venue" table, it was all about getting the word out through the Internet.

Hoffman explained that print media, while dropping in readership, generally charge more for advertising. Why pay the newspapers when show notices may actually increase their readership?

You can get the word out on Myspace and Facebook, but doing that requires a lot of time, Hoffman said, citing Knitting Factory Entertainment's employment of three full-time staffers who spend their days marketing online.

As for "Building Country Music Headliners," Kevin Neal explained that country acts could learn a few things from rock acts as far as touring goes.

"It would behoove country artists to lay off markets and not play some places year after year," Neal explained. But he prefaced by saying that one reason country acts tour North America so much is because the genre doesn't have an international market.

"Artists that go over to Europe - including Garth - spend way too much money marketing over there," Neal said.

Mathew Thomas of iv Management looked at "Hip Hop Tours Through Rock 'N' Roll Eyes," addressing the disconnect between artists who have hot radio play but cool ticket sales.

He explained the role one must play to get an artist's team on board with touring. "If you have a manager for hip hop artists who isn't business savvy, it's up to other people on the team to teach them," Thomas said.

Ghostface and the artists signed to Rhymesayers are on the road non-stop, and if other hip-hop acts followed suit, they wouldn't face as many financial problems keeping their entourages on the road with them, he said.

Michael Marion explained the ins and out of protection clauses during the "Date Protection Or Rejection" discussion, stressing the importance of keeping people informed as you lead up to a date.

He said he has, at times, told agents if others were sniffing around for dates if he thought they were serious. "I'm usually pretty transparent," he said.

Across the room, Tom Alexander discussed another hot topic - how to read contracts - with a crowd that yearned to know what was coming out of their fax machines.

Alexander stressed that promoters have "got to know what you're insuring. General liability or not? All parties need to have insurance."

Michael Martin's "Green Touring" talk addressed biodiesel, bioriders and communicating the green message from artists to fans. He also advised building owners about the importance of working with reputable companies when it comes to greening up venues.