Interested in Performing an Official Showcase?
Official Showcases at the 2023 conference will be performed in person at the Westin Crown Center Hotel in Kansas City, MO.
Please note that at this time (and SUBJECT TO CHANGE as we monitor CDC guidelines regarding pandemic to endemic status) all 2023 conference attendees, including Official Showcase artists, are required to wear face masks. The only exception is artists while they are performing or panelists while speaking. Vaccinations are not required, but highly recommended.
Deadlines
June 8, 2022: Official Showcase applications open
July 25, 2022: Purchase of Official Showcase applications close at 5 pm CT
July 26, 2022: Completed application by 5 pm CT
August 30, 2022: Official Showcase artists notified
September 12, 2022: Official Showcase artists announced publicly
Eligibility
Membership is not required to submit an application. All selected artists and accompanying musicians are required to be paid registrants of the conference.
All non-US artists must be legally able to enter the United States and are responsible for acquiring all necessary travel permits including visas when necessary.
INELIGIBLE: Artists are not allowed to showcase as an Official Showcase artist for more than two consecutive years without a gap year. This policy ensures turnover and access to Official Showcases for our wide community of established and emerging artists. Due to the pandemic and the cancellation of an in-person conference in 2021, all artists are eligible to apply for an Official Showcase for the 2023 edition.
Radius Clause
In order not to compete with Folk Alliance International Official Showcases, and to maximize the community and career impact of presenter and industry attendance on-site, artists selected for an Official Showcase are not permitted to perform concerts within a 15 mile (24 kilometer) radius of the conference hotel between the hours of 4pm – 3am, Feb 1-5, 2023.
- This clause does not restrict Private Showcases at the conference, radio performances, media interviews, or in-store signings.
- Off-site events (within the above conference dates/times/distance) cannot be promoted in any advance communication to the FAI delegate list or in any on-site branding, advertising, announcements, or activity.
- Any use of the Folk Alliance International name or logo (in relation to an off-site event) must be approved in writing by FAI in advance of all events and promotion.
Official Showcase Application Fee
June 8 – July 25, 2022 (due by 5pm CT)
FAI members $20, non-members $40
Official Showcase application fees are non-refundable.
What You’ll Need to Complete the Application
- Credit card for application fee
- Contact information for the artist and all representation
- 50-word bio (3rd-person)
- Two different artist/band headshot photos (300dpi, color)
- Link to 1-2 audio files (note: the jury cannot review downloads, Dropbox or Google Drive files)
- Link to 1 video of a live performance of the proposed showcase format
- Links to the most recent highest profile media reviews
- The most significant nominations or awards the artist has won
- Names/roles of all band members
- Stage plot (.pdf)
You can view a PDF of the Official Showcase application here.
Disclaimers
If accepted for a showcase, artists are required to post that they are an Official Showcase artist on social media using the FAI provided badge. This action is part of the artist’s contract.
Official Showcases are “festival style” performances, meaning that there are no sound checks and the lighting is set. The performances are 30 minutes long with a 15 minute change over. All performances take place in hotel ballrooms. There is no guaranteed use of in-ear-monitors.
Official Showcase performances are not open to the public. There are no public tickets or guest passes available. All attendees of the Official Showcases must be registered delegates of the conference.
Discounted Registration Fee for Official Showcase Applicants
Artist Rates – FAI Members
June 1 – October 31, 2022: $200
November 1, 2022 – January 31, 2023: $300
February 1-5, 2023: $375
Artist Rates – Non-Members
August 2 – October 31, 2022: $300
November 1, 2022 – January 31, 2023: $400
February 1-5, 2023: $475
Registration is capped at $700 for bands who are Official Showcase artists or on standby, which will not be known until September 2022. If you have four or more people in your band who will all be attending, please contact Folk Alliance International at fai@folk.org to receive a code for your registration. DO NOT REGISTER UNTIL YOU GET YOUR CODE.