Kevin Lyman And Talinda Bennington Announce 320 Conversations Event

Vans Warped Tour founder Kevin Lyman and 320 Changes Directions co-founder Talinda Bennington are teaming up to bring a special event focused on destigmatizing mental illness to University of Southern California’s Bovard Auditorium, with details to come about the debut 320 Festival at L.A. Live. 

320 Conversations is scheduled March 9 at 6:30 p.m. and will be hosted by comedian/actor Ken Jeong. The event will feature mental health experts and thought leaders discussing their personal experiences and challenges, along with a performance from Justin Furstenfeld of Blue October (who has been candid about his own journey with mental health). 

Panelists for the evening include Emo Nite LA Creative Director and Co-founder Morgan Freed, Rise Above The Disorder CEO Jason Docton, author and Juggling The Jenkins blogger Tiffany Jenkins, and Erin Raftery Ryan, Executive Director of NAMI Westside Los Angeles. 

Bennington spoke to Pollstar last year about co-founding 320 Changes Direction following the 2017 death of her husband, Chester Bennington of Linkin Park, and the work the initiative is doing to address the needs of those who are suffering with mental health concerns and addiction.  The mental health initiative is named in honor of Chester, whose birthday was March 20. At the time the May 2019 interview was published she also hinted at a new festival she’s working on with Lyman. 

This week’s announcement about 320 Conversations notes that more details about 320 Festival will be shared on March 9 and that Bennington and Lyman are working in partnership with a group of USC Thornton School of Music Students.  

“The idea for 320 was born out of my personal experience and the recognition that we can do better to address the needs of those who are suffering with mental health concerns and addiction,” Bennington said in a statement. “For 13 years I watched my husband Chester struggle with depression and substance use. I often felt scared and alone. I was uneducated about the challenges he faced and I wanted information – but finding answers to my questions and available help for our family was very difficult. We need to change the culture of mental health so that those in need – and their family members – are able to speak openly about their struggles so that they can seek the care they deserve.”

Following the final cross-country trek of Vans Warped Tour, Lyman announced in August 2018 that his company 4Fini was rebranding as Kevin Lyman Group to offer help to other up-and-coming brands, including events, bands, record companies or other emerging players in the music business with sponsorship acquisition and activation, marketing strategies and, in some cases, event production. That fall Lyman also began teaching at the USC Thornton School of Music and he is an associate professor of practice in the university’s Music Industry program. 

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