Panels
Workshops build skills. Panels build perspective. These are the conversations that don't fit neatly into a class description — the ones where community leaders, organizers, and lived-experience voices sit down together and talk through the things that actually shape our spaces. No scripts. Real questions. The kind of dialogue that moves a community forward.
AKW 2026 features five panel discussions spanning community accountability, regional organizing, identity, representation, and contest preparation.
Restorative Kink
Conflict happens in every community. How we handle it is what defines us. This panel tackles conflict resolution, restorative justice, accountability, repair, and mental health in kink and leather spaces — moving beyond drama cycles, callout culture, and "Facebook court" toward real tools for communication, boundaries, harm reduction, and healing.
Whether you're an organizer navigating a difficult situation, a titleholder holding space for others, or someone trying to work through a messy experience with more care and clarity — this conversation is built for you.
Panelists: Vince Andrews, Jeffrey Payne, Empress Jessica, Jeff Tucker, Nunca Sola
When: Sunday, April 19
Kink Events in Red States
Creating, protecting, and growing kink spaces is harder in some places than others. This panel brings together event producers from across the South and Southeast to talk about what it takes to sustain community in red and purple states — the political pressures, the logistical realities, and the strategies that keep events alive when the environment pushes back.
These aren't theoretical conversations. Every panelist runs an event in a state where visibility carries risk, and they're here to share what they've learned.
Panelists:
- Jacob Duncan — Austin Kink Weekend
- Robert Bess — NC Triangle Leather
- David Elsea — Kink Down South
- Sir Alice — Beyond Vanilla
- Mr. Ramrod 2026 — Pig Week Fort Lauderdale
Beyond Pronouns: Real Support, Real Sensitivity for Trans Folks
Support goes far beyond language. This panel features trans and gender-diverse community members sharing lived experiences, insights, and real conversations about what meaningful allyship looks like in leather, kink, and queer spaces. It's a chance to listen, to challenge assumptions, and to build a stronger, more intentional community.
Panelists: Simone, Billy Lane, Zephyr, Mx Rebel, Thaddy Kewal
Leading in Leather: The Black Experience
Black leadership has always been a driving force in leather culture — shaping its history, challenging its boundaries, and defining its future. This panel brings together voices to share their journeys, their struggles, their victories, and their vision for what leather leadership looks like today and tomorrow.
This is about legacy. Representation. Truth. And the leaders who've carried this community forward — often without the recognition they've earned.
Panelists: Master Tebias, Al Reid, Jay Balcom, Madame Navia, Pusckatt Onyx
Mock Interview Panel
Thinking about running for a title? Already committed? Either way, the interview round is where contests are won and lost — and the only way to get better at it is practice. The Mock Interview Panel puts you in the hot seat with experienced judges, past titleholders, and community leaders who know exactly what a judging panel is looking for.
This isn't just for title contestants. Anyone stepping into leadership, public speaking, or community-facing roles will walk away sharper.
Panelists: Ralph Bruneau, Master Tebias, Jeff Tucker, Jamal, Goddess, LTHR Edge
All panels are included with your Weekend Pass or VIP ticket. Specific panel times and locations will be available through Eventeny closer to the event.