Performing & Exhibiting

Get ready for a new and improved NACA Conference experience incorporating the thoughts and ideas you have shared over the last few years.

A brand-new Conference Schedule!

Designed to be more compact and impactful. The conference will span 2+ days – primarily on Friday and Saturday – with some programming to occur Thursday night.

Enhanced Marketplaces!

Marketplaces will now allow unamplified singing, comedy, and juggling in your booth! And at no additional cost to you. Here’s a chance to show your talents to attendees without having to make it to the showcase stage. Demonstrations must be unamplified and no instruments are allowed.
Conversation-Friendly Marketplace. An exclusive time to promote better conversations and a more sensory-friendly experience. No demonstrations or interactives will be allowed during this hour.

Additional Sponsorship Opportunities!

Variety of opportunities at various price points to better position yourself in front of potential clients.
New Educational Tracks sponsorship offers you the opportunity to be the content expert on Marketing, Event Management, Leadership, DEIA, Student Government, or Fraternity & Sorority Life over several educational sessions.
Additional new opportunities include Sponsored Interactive Showcases, Snack Break Sponsor, Conference Photo Op Sponsor, and Scavenger Hunt Sponsor.

More Networking & Business Opportunities!

Look for more dedicated time to network with schools. Opportunities to generate new contacts, reconnect with old friends, share expertise, and more!
Newly designed Kickoff Session near the start and Action Planning Session that guides attendees through making the most of the conference experience and better positions school members to be eager to do business.
Enhanced Business Connections track focused on teaching school attendees the soft skills to do business during and after the conference.

2024-25 Conferences:

NACA Providence (RI) - Oct. 24-26, 2024
NACA Birmingham (AL) - Oct. 31-Nov. 2, 2024
NACA Lexington (KY) - Nov. 7-9, 2024
NACA Riverside (CA) - Nov. 14-16, 2024
NACA St. Paul (MN) - April 3-5, 2025

Looking for NACA Live? Visit the NACA Live website.

Review the 2024 Associate Conference Guide for information on registration, exhibiting, showcasing, deadlines, and event policies.

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.

NACA Providence

Oct. 24-26, 2024 in Providence, RI

NACA Birmingham

Oct. 31-Nov. 2, 2024 in Birmingham, AL

NACA Lexington

Nov. 7-9, 2024 in Lexington, KY

NACA Riverside

Nov. 14-16, 2024 in Riverside, CA

NACA St. Paul

April 3-5, 2025 in St. Paul, MN

Ed Session Proposals

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 2024-25 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: $395

All Booths are 10' x 10', except at Riverside 8' x 10'.
No Booth Demo Fees!
New for 2024-25: Singing, comedy, and juggling added to permissable booth demos! Demos must be unamplified and no instruments are allowed.
Providence and St. Paul have union requirements, but Birmingham, Lexington, & Riverside do not.

NACA will be using a new process and platform for booth selection. Booths will be purchased through event registration and then booth selection will occur in a new exhibitor platform. In the new 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:

July 8 – 20+ year members
July 10 – 10+ year members
July 12 – All members

Attraction space: $5 per sq. ft.

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

Marketplace Booth Floor Plans:

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: $180

Deadlines:

July 17, 2024 – NACA Providence, NACA Birmingham, NACA Lexington, and NACA Riverside
Dec. 12, 2024 – NACA St. Paul

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:

NACA Providence

Oct. 24-26, 2024 in Providence, RI

NACA Birmingham

Oct. 31-Nov. 2, 2024 in Birmingham, AL

NACA Lexington

Nov. 7-9, 2024 in Lexington, KY

NACA Riverside

Nov. 14-16, 2024 in Riverside, CA

NACA St. Paul

April 3-5, 2025 in St. Paul, MN

Ed Session Proposals

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.

Ed session proposal deadlines for 2024-25:

NACA Providence - July 18
NACA Birmingham - July 25
NACA Lexington - Aug. 1
NACA Riverside - Aug. 8
NACA St. Paul - Nov. 1

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. Learn about Sponsorships.

New Additions for 2024-2025:

Sponsored Educational Tracks
Sponsored Interactive Showcases
Snack Break Sponsor
Conference Photo Op Sponsor
Scavenger Hunt Sponsor
And more!

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 2024-25 Associate Guide includes further details on these fees, as well as important deadline, cancellation and refund information.

Spotlight Low/High - $440
Speaker/Variety - $530
Emcee - $675

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 2024-25 Associate Guide includes further details on these fees, as well as important deadline, cancellation and refund information.

Spotlight Low/High - $220
Speaker/Variety - $265
Emcee - $335

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.