NIVA '26

@NIVA

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About NIVA '26
https://www.nivassoc.org/conference


*Please note that replay coverage is limited to programming at Pantages Theatre and on the 2nd Floor of Dudley Riggs Theatre, with a few exceptions.

PANELS
JUNE 8, 2026
  • STATE OF LIVE 
  • NIVA Visionary Award Recipient: Jackie Nalpant, Presented by Sonia
  • Let’s Get Into the Weeds with Meta 
  • A Generational Sound: Jimmy Jam and Cornbread Harris 
  • Dave Shapiro Spirit of Independence Award presented by Tim Borror 
  • When Radius Clauses are Weaponized: Stopping Anti Competitive Practices 
  • Latin Music Isn’t One Sound — It’s a Universe
  • What Does Grassroots Marketing Look Like in 2026? 
  • Accessibility is Hospitality 


JUNE 9,2026
  • A Discussion: Artist and Agent 
  • Your Venue Is Already a Content Studio - Livestream It 
  • Fireside Chat with Bryan Perez & Dayna Frank 
  • Precision Over Volume: New Rules of Email Engagement 
  • PAC & Nonprofit Marketing: Selling the Show, Serving the Mission
  • PROs, Policy and the Live Music Economy 
  • Fan Fair Pricing: Inside the State Fight on Ticket Resale
  • Funny Business: Comedy, Culture & the Metrics That Matter 
  • Protecting and Advocating for Indies at the Local Level 
  • Blayne Tucker Award(s) 

JUNE 10, 2026
  • Finally: Real Google Answers for Independent Venues 
  • Fireside Chat with Justin Kalifowitz and Fabrice Sergent 
  • Fireside Chat: A Conversation with Patrick Carney of The Black Keys 
  • NIVA CON 2027 Announcement 
  • Turning Dark Nights into Bright Opportunities 
  • End Overdose Workshop | 10:00 AM
  • AI Amplified: How Venues, Promoters & Festivals Can Win the Next Era of Discovery 
  • *Artist Talk* Andrea Swensson In Conversation with Lori Barbero, Tommy Stinson, Dessa, Tommy Stinson and Lori Barbero
  • An introduction to the Association of Music Offices 
  • Merch: Why Do We Treat It Like the Redheaded Stepchild? 
  • The Live List: Artist Development in the Indie Ecosystem 


As the leading conference for independent music and comedy venues, festivals and the promoter industry, NIVA brings the live entertainment community together to support, educate, and connect industry leaders across the United States.

The NIVA Conference is a place for NIVA members, agents, managers, affiliate members and interested partners to discuss the state of the industry and topics including safety, technology, inclusion, diversity, equality, accessibility, insurance, the economic impact of live entertainment, booking, artist development, ticketing, marketing, and the role of live entertainment in policymaking. Each keynote panel features prominent industry leaders, members of the media, recording artists, and NIVA members.

As the nation’s live entertainment association, the National Independent Venue Association’s mission is to cultivate, elevate, and advocate for an equitable and sustainable ecosystem of independent performance venues, festivals, and promoters.