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Visit the conference site, or click the buttons below  to fill out the Registration form and purchase your tickets to this year’s conference! This year, NERFA will be held in Albany, NY. While you’re there, you can also find the information of registering your room, applying for showcases, and more! Register Tickets Prices If you are a Presenter or DJ, please email us at [email protected] for a discounted rate. EARLY BIRD – Folk Alliance Members ONLY (now-June 30th at 11:59pm) $300 EARLY BIRD – Non-Members (now until June 30th at 11:59pm EST) $350 STANDARD – Folk Alliance Members ONLY (July 1st-Sept. 30th at 11:59pm EST) $350 STANDARD – Non-Members (July 1st – Sept. 30th at 11:59pm EST) $400 LAST-MINUTE – Folk Alliance Member (Oct. 1st onward) $400 LAST-MINUTE – Non-Members (Oct. 1st onward) $450

NERFA 2025 PRIVATE SHOWCASE INFORMATION Private Showcases take place in hotel rooms after the Official Showcases end on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights. Private Showcase hours are 10:30PM to 2:30AM. Private Showcase Hosts MUST register for the NERFA conference before applying to be a host May choose whether or not to share their contact information and accept submissions May schedule showcases ONLY during Private Showcase hours. Private Showcase Artists MUST register for the NERFA conference before booking any Private Showcases May submit to any showcase hosts who provide contact information May schedule no more than 4 showcases IN TOTAL, including Official, Curator, and Private Showcases Private Showcases will be limited to 20 rooms per night, with the hope of distributing listeners more evenly and avoiding the dreaded empty room syndrome. Please understand there will likely be more host applicants than we can accommodate, so be sure to apply well in advance of the August 1 deadline. You will receive notice of confirmation or denial by August 15th. Please DO NOT book artists until you receive a notice of confirmation. PRO TIP: Showcase hosts who wish to present only one night often team up to share a room and host on different nights. You may contact our Private Showcase Wrangler (info below) for help with that. Each artist or band will be limited to 4 showcases IN TOTAL, including Official, Curator, and Private Showcases, to help ensure ample showcase opportunities for all. Please Contact our Private Showcase Wrangler (info below) for assistance. NERFA will also sponsor a Private Showcase for NERFA first-timers. If you’re a NERFA first-timer, you automatically qualify to submit. Contact our Private Showcase Wrangler (info below)  to express interest. Details on how to submit for all Private Showcases, including the NERFA First-Timers’ Room, will be made public once all rooms have been finalized and Private Showcase hosts are announced. Important Dates: July 1:  Private Showcase host applications open. Host applicants must be registered for the NERFA conference before applying. August 1: Private Showcase host applications close. August 15: Private Showcase hosts are announced, and hosts may begin booking. Artists must be registered for the NERFA conference before booking any Private Showcases. All performers, including bandmates and accompanists, MUST be registered for the conference. September 1: Deadline for hosts to pay for a Private Showcase room ($100 per night or $200 for all 3 nights). October 1: Deadline for hosts to submit final showcase lineup. Private Showcase Info & Etiquette Private Showcases take place between 10:30PM and 2:30AM Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights. 20 showcase rooms will be in operation each night. Sometimes the same room will be hosted by different folks on different nights. Hosts may have their own rules in addition to these, but here are a few reminders: PLEASE BE COURTEOUS! Be mindful about volume: We certainly want you to be enthusiastic but remember that there are performances happening in the surrounding rooms, and we want everyone to have the best opportunity to be heard. Be mindful about time: This may seem obvious, but please arrive on time, end on time and get out of the way for the next performer. We ask that you do your pre- and post-set networking and socializing as quietly as possible or better yet, out in the hallway. Plan ahead: Prepare your set in advance and time it so you know how long it will take and then pad it for talking or tuning. PLEASE BE RESPECTFUL! Hosts are responsible for the condition of their rooms. Snacks and beverages are allowed, though no hot plates or crock pots are permitted – finger foods only. If you partake in a room’s offerings, not only do we expect you to clean up after yourself, we hope you’ll stay for at least one showcase! NO AMPLIFIED INSTRUMENTS! Private Showcases are all-acoustic performances – no PAs, mics, or amplifiers allowed. Exceptions can be made on a case-by-case basis for instruments like keyboards and electric guitars. Also, drums and percussion must be played with hands or brushes. Please contact our Private Showcase Wrangler (info below) with questions or concerns. ADVERTISE YOUR SHOWCASE! We encourage you to spread the word about your showcases. It’s appropriate to make small handouts with your showcase schedule but don’t make so many that you waste a lot of paper. Get creative!! HAVE FUN!! Whether you’re a performer, presenter, listener, or some combination of those, we hope you’ll get around to a bunch of rooms to find old friends and discover new favorites. We trust you’ll have a hard time deciding where to go, but make sure you schedule in some acts you’ve never heard before. Discovery is the best part of any conference! Questions? Concerns? Matchmaking assistance? Please contact NERFA’s Private Showcase Wrangler, Carolann Solebello at [email protected] / 718.809.7421.

Visit the conference site, or use the information below to reserve your hotel room! NERFA Hotel Room Block Crowne Plaza Albany – The Desmond Hotel ‌660 Albany Shaker Road,‌‌Albany,‌‌ NY‌ 12211 United StatesGroup Room Rate: $169Book Hotel Reservations by: October 14, 2025Book Online: LinkBook by Phone: 1-518-869-8100 (mention NERFA) Book Online

Do you feel ready to fill one of the 14 artist showcase slots at the 2025 NERFA Formal Showcase this coming November? If the answer is yes, submission applications for the formal showcase are now open! NERFA’s Formal Showcase offers an opportunity for artists to perform live in front of our NERFA Conference attendees. By participating in the Formal Showcase, artists will have the chance to showcase their talents in front of industry professionals, presenters, and an appreciative audience. The Formal Showcases will take place on the evenings of Friday November 7th and Saturday November 8th. The fee for submissions is $25 and is due upon submission for the Formal Showcase. (Follow the link to submit your application and to make payment) Apply! Applicants are asked to provide a link to a live performance video (no audience required). The video must be the configuration (band or solo) you intend to perform with should you be chosen. (In other words – if you are selected and plan to perform solo, do not submit a video with a band.) Your performance video could be a live streamed performance or in-venue show. Videos must be a minimum of 10 minutes, a minimum of two songs, and should be less than 24 months old. An edited video submission (compiled from different live performances) is acceptable. Judges’ assessments are always subjective, but they will be looking at your performance, songwriting/arrangement, and musicality. In addition to submitting a video link, our submission form will ask for a link or upload of a bio as well as your website information. Your application for the Formal Showcase will also serve as an application for theCurator’s Showcase. The fine print: Artists previously selected for a NERFA Formal Showcase in the past 5 years are not eligible. Selected artists and all band members or backup musicians MUST be registered for the full conference. No exceptions. In the event a selected showcase artist or alternate is unable to attend the conference, or all members of the act are not registered by September 1, an alternate artist will be selected. By submitting and being selected for a showcase, you agree that NERFA may use your photo, video and songs in advertising for the conference. Your performance in the Formal Showcase will also be archived and NERFA reserves the right to use in post-conference promotion for NERFA. NERFA Board members are not eligible to submit applications for a Formal Showcase By submitting showcase entries, you indicate your understanding and agreement to the terms listed above. IMPORTANT DATES Formal Showcase Submissions Open Now! June 23, 2025: Showcase Submissions Close at end of day (11:59 Eastern time) July 14-20, 2025: Showcase artists and alternates notified and confirmed privately July 21, 2025: Showcase artists and alternates announced publicly, after all submitting artists are notified of their final status November 6-9, 2025: NERFA conference in Albany, New York at the Desmond Hotel