Thursday May 5th 2005:

12-4pm  Registration, advance discount tickets in the Akoben Hospitality Suite @ The Radisson Host Hotel Monticello Avenue down Norfolk, VA

5-7pm    $100 Haiku Slam @ Prince Books 109 E. Main St. Free

    Back @ the host hotel the downtown Norfolk Radisson

7-830pm   Open Mic @ The French Quarters Room in the Radisson

845-915pm Musical Feature Live Band Suzy Gilmont Registered Midem Participant

930-10pm   Poetry Feature Jahipster from Baltimore MD

1015-12m   Round I - 30 poets from around the world start the competition

Friday May 6th 2005:

3-630pm Word-Shops and Panel Discussions in Salon Rooms A&B @ The Radisson

3-430pm  Neo Soul Artist, Phd candidate, and accredited author Jahipster & ODU Creative Writing Professor Tim Seibles -The generation gap in writing

5-630pm   The Norfolk Chapter of the Zulu Nation Present Representations of Women in Hip-Hop, Art, and Culture." Panel discussion with women and men in Hip-Hop and Spoken Word

630-800pm  Dinner on your own

8pm-2am The White Party! FEATURING HIP - HOP SENSATION DMP!!! Wear white

 tonight and get in for the discount!

8pm-830pm  Poetry Feature Tim Seibles short Open Mic @ The French Quarters Room in the Radisson

8:30-10pm  Round II - 30 poets will compete for the 2nd round to make finals Saturday!

10:15-11:30 $200 Erotic Poetry Slam by the pool! Bring your suits! 15 poets only

12m-2am   After Party! With Sensational Hip-Hop Group DMP! Performing live!!

& $100 Free Style Slam poet vs. emcee BATTLE!

Saturday May 7th 2005:

9am-2pm Word-Shops and Panel Discussions in Salon Rooms A&B @ The Radisson

10am-2noon  Nuyorican Poet Shaggy Flores presents: Cause being broke ain’t cute. The art of marketing and promotions 

12n-2pm International Slam Champion Taalam Acey, Largest Poetry Website owner Soul ''Toms'' Evans and Millionaire Dwayne Reiner present: Fusing art with business

AND

12-2pm Akoben: A Call to Action in the Spoken Word Community. This session will explore the role and responsibility of the spoken word artist in Nation building, with a focus on responsibility. We will share and discover ways to make our words match our works.  Facilitated by Asali DeVan and Queen Sheba.

430pm-600pm Round I of the Youth Slam in Salon Rooms A or B check day of featuring Ngoma from Ncy Multi Instrumentalist

6pm-8pm Time to get super cute for Finals Night! Relax, time & dinner on your own

8pm-12pm Finals Night in the Radisson Ballroom featuring: Live Bands Yamam Nym from DC! & headlining Sunni from New Orleans! Poetry features by Shaggy Flores and Taalam Acey. Finals of the Youth and Adult slams! And sacrificial by Soul Evans

Hosted by: Queen Sheba, Asali DeVan, godchild the Omen and our volunteers!

Music by: Dan Tres Omi of the Norfolk Chapter of the Zulu Nation

Art and Ambiance by: Clayton Jerome Singleton

Price: $8 for Thurs & Fri on line and cons, $10 @ the door general admission.  $15 for Saturday on line and cons, $20 general admission $30 weekend pass on line! All prices include entire days events! Including After parties!

Extras: The hotel will be providing food each night, there will door prizes and games!

Attire: You can always wear whatever you want, I’d be cute if I were you! Photo opps, magazines, TV, and DVD taping will be in progress!

FMI:  http://www.akobenpoetryfestival.com  or http://www.worduppoetryfestival.com  or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it  or 757.449.0068 or 504.410.0108

Special Guest Artists:

Hip Hop Group - DMP Hit Single "I just can''t give that up!"

Taalam Acey - International Slam Champion and Trail Blazer

Soul Evans - Largest Successful Poetry Website Owner and Operator

Dwayne Reiner - Inner city youth worker teaches young adults to invest

Shaggy Flores - Nuyorican Poet, Publisher, and Activist

Norfolk Zulu Nation featuring DJ Dan Tres Omi and David Nason

Suzy Gilmont - Registered Midem Music Festival Participant in France Jan 2005

Tim Seibles - Award winning author and loved Old Dominion Professor

Jahipster -Neo Soul Artist and award winning author and Spoken Word artist

Asali DeVan -Innovator and Activist

Ngoma - Nyc multi-instrumentalist Activist

Clayton Jerome Singleton - Artist, Poet, Activist

Yama Nym - Dope azz live band from Washington, DC

godchild the Omen - host emcee extraordinaire

Queen Sheba - ask somebody