Hey there does anybody have any recommendations for agent/manager showcases in the LA area?

I don't have a specific recommendation, but go to a place that you have to audition to get into the showcases.

Avoid places like AIA because they will take anyone, and even if YOU are great, an agent that comes to a showcase at a place that consistently has lots of bad actors is there for money, not to find new talent. I went there once, and the agent all but admitted this!

I haven't heard of many agent showcases worth the money. Better to work on getting into a show (theatre). Although LA agents don't usually go to shows either! LA is not a town where agents really go out to see stuff much. NY is better for that, in my experience. Here is an excerpt from an old column of mine on the topic. The examples are all in LA as you requested:

"As for showcases, I wouldn’t recommend you do anything that charges an up-front fee for the promise of representation. Some showcases are just plain rip-offs and it can be hard to know which are legitimate, so the better choice might be a situation from which you would benefit with or without forthcoming representation. There are several respected acting classes and groups in town where reps might look for clients. The Groundlings has great notoriety. Perhaps easier to get into are the numerous respected acting classes that hold showcases as part of a final project. The Beverly Hills Playhouse and acting teachers Gloria Gifford and Mark Sikes are a few of the many options out there. Some reps make a point to see Graduate School showcases and some School’s are willing to lend their name to showcases put on by their alumni. Lastly, never underestimate the power of appearing in a well-reviewed play or a indy film that gains notice on the festival circuit. When you are doing good work, people notice."