Performing & Exhibiting

Get ready for a new year of NACA Conferences. Details will be available in early June!

2025-26 Conference Sites:

NACA Savannah (GA) - Oct. 2-4, 2025
NACA Hartford (CT) - Oct. 16-18, 2025
NACA Riverside (CA) - Nov. 20-22, 2025
NACA Milwaukee (WI) - Apr. 9-11, 2026

Looking for information on 2026 NACA Live in Columbus, OH? Visit the NACA Live website.

Conference Participation:

National associate members can exhibit and submit to showcase at all NACA Conferences, as well as NACA Live.
Regional associate members can only exhibit and submit to showcase at one (1) NACA conference per the membership year (May 1-April 30) and are not eligible to participate in NACA Live.

So How Does This Work? And How Much Will it Cost?

The process and costs associated with exhibiting and/or performing at NACA Conferences will depend on several factors. Let's walk through them step by step!

Step 1: Be an active NACA Associate Member in good standing.

If you wish to attend one or more conferences for any reason, you must be a regional or national associate member for the 2025-26 membership year. Visit our membership site to find out which membership is best for you.

New to NACA Conferences and need some tips & tricks? Watch this video:

Step 2: Purchase exhibit space.

Whether you're planning to submit material for showcase consideration or promote your goods & services to the college market (or both), you must secure at least one exhibit booth in the Campus Activities Marketplace for each conference you wish to attend. If you are submitting to showcase, your material will not be reviewed by the selection committee if you have not completed this step.

Exhibit booth: $TBD

Booths are 10' x 10'
No Booth Demo Fees!

Booths will be purchased through event registration and then booth selection will occur in our exhibitor platform. In the exhibitor platform, you’ll be able to view available booths, potential neighboring exhibitors, confirm exhibitor details, and more. More information on Booth Purchasing & Selection here.

Booth sales open on:

TBD – 20+ year members
TBD – 10+ year members
TBD – All members

Attraction space: $TBD per sq. ft.

If you'd like to purchase Attraction Space, contact Member Relations.

Marketplace Booth Floor Plans:

Coming soon

Step 3: Gather information for your act(s).

For each act you submit, you will need a bio, photo, pricing and other important information.

Use this Showcase Application Prep Resource to prepare this information.

Not planning to showcase? You can skip ahead to Step 5!

Step 4: Submit your showcase application(s).

This is where you specify the performance material you'd like the selection committee to review, which conferences you're submitting for, and which types of showcases you'd like to be considered for. Be sure to review our updated showcase categories before submitting.

Application Fee: $TBD

Deadlines:

Coming soon

Need some tips & tricks for submitting your showcase application video? Watch this:

Step 5: Register.

A minimum of one full registration is required for each company exhibiting in the Campus Activities Marketplace for each conference. Day passes are also available.

Click on the conference below to visit the conference page to register:

Step 6: Consider submitting an education session proposal.

Presenting is an excellent opportunity, as you share expertise and demonstrate knowledge on topics relevant to students, school staff, and associates. Associate members cannot showcase or be an alternate in any showcase category and present educational sessions marketed to school members, professional staff, and/or students during the same NACA event.

Upcoming ed session proposal deadlines for 2024-25:

All conference submission deadlines have now passed.

Step 7: Consider sponsorship opportunities.

We are excited to roll out various conference sponsorship opportunities for associate members. These opportunities are designed to be highly visible and intentional to assist associate members with growing their business and exposure to NACA school members.

Updates for 2025-2026:

Coming soon

Great! All Done. What's Next?

That all depends. If you didn't submit to showcase, all you have left to do is design your exhibit booth(s)! Make sure you've read the rules of the marketplace to understand what is and isn't permitted. If you're planning to do demonstrations of any kind (close-up magic, etc.), you'll indicate that on the booth information form you'll receive in your booth purchase confirmation email and need to ensure you have the proper insurance and permissions, if needed. Questions about this? Contact Toire Vince at the NACA Office.

Once selections have been announced, you will fall into one of the three categories below:

I got selected to showcase!

Congratulations! You're well on your way to performing in front of hundreds of students and advisors who make the decisions regarding entertainment and programming on their campuses. You will receive a letter of intent, which will need to be returned to NACA along with your showcase fee, to secure your spot on stage.

Conference Showcase Fees
The 2025-26 Associate Guide includes further details on these fees, as well as important deadline, cancellation and refund information.

Spotlight Low/High - $TBD
Speaker/Variety - $TBD
Emcee - $TBD

I'm an alternate.

Hey, not bad! While a showcase slot is not guaranteed, there is still a chance that you can end up on stage.

Alternates are listed in order and sorted by showcase category. If a selected act declines their slot or cancels for any reason before the conference, the first alternate in that category will be contacted and offered that slot. If they accept, then all remaining alternates will move up one spot in the order. In other words, the second alternate becomes the first, the third becomes the second, and so on. If any alternates ahead of you cancel, you will also move up the list accordingly.

To secure your alternate slot, you will need to return your letter of intent along with the alternate fee. If you get offered a showcase slot, this money will count toward the showcase fee.

Conference Alternate Showcase Fees
The 2025-26 Associate Guide includes further details on these fees, as well as important deadline, cancellation and refund information.

Spotlight Low/High - $TBD
Speaker/Variety - $TBD
Emcee - $TBD

I didn't get selected this time.

You may not be performing live at the conference, but you can still make great connections and even book gigs in the Campus Activities Marketplace! Introduce yourself to campus decision makers, provide examples of your work, and even discuss potential dates during the conference. You may be just what a campus is looking for, even if they don't get to see you perform live.