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.
Formed by a group of independent venue owners and operators in 2020, NIVA is the first-ever independent live entertainment trade association with more than 20 member-led chapters. NIVA offers a range of valuable member services designed to support and uplift its community of nearly 1,500 members across all 50 U.S. states. NIVA is committed to not only your sustainability, but also your growth. Through programs and initiatives that help you maximize your profits, expand your network, and participate in forging the future of the industry, NIVA is here to support you today and help you thrive tomorrow.
The challenges to our independent live entertainment industry continue to mount. When we stand together, we will overcome them. Independents are stronger together — join us today.
Independents Are Stronger Together.
For more information about NIVA membership, contact members@nivassoc.org.
Member Benefits
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Federal Advocacy & Policy
NIVA engages with Congress, the White House, and federal agencies on behalf of the independent live entertainment industry to uplift and protect the interests of our members. NIVA also champions its membership as the founding member of the Fix the Tix Coalition.
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State & Local Advocacy & Policy
NIVA empowers its chapters and members to engage with state and local officials and stakeholders throughout the country to uplift and advocate for independent live entertainment. NIVA’s state and local work provides resources and model advocacy strategies for live entertainment-friendly communities across the United States.
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State Policy Tracking
NIVA empowers its members to advocate on the local and state level for the policies that matter most to them. NIVA’s State Policy Tracking Program allows any member to search, track, and receive timely notifications about state legislation and regulations.
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NIVA Conference
As the leading conference for independent music and comedy venues, festivals, and the promoter industry, NIVA’s annual conference brings the live entertainment community together to support, educate, and connect industry leaders across the United States. Each year, NIVA members engage in invaluable networking, attend industry-focused programming, and tune in to unforgettable live music.
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Certified Live Independent
NIVA's "Certified Live Independent" program champions, unites and rewards the venues, promoters, festivals, and performing arts centers that are proud to be independently owned and operated. Becoming “Certified Live Independent” is a badge of honor that will amplify your business’s visibility among fans and solidify your credibility within the national independent live entertainment community.
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Building Community
NIVA provides a space for its members to connect, collaborate, and seek information through webinars, town halls, and more. The NIVA community is more than just a network of contacts. It’s a source of support, camaraderie, and the collective strength needed to overcome industry challenges and drive positive change.
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Free Membership to NIVA Chapters
NIVA empowers its chapters and members to engage with state and local officials and stakeholders throughout the country to uplift and advocate for independent live entertainment. NIVA’s state and local work provides resources and model advocacy strategies for live entertainment-friendly communities across the United States.
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Economic Impact Calculator
NIVA’s economic impact calculator allows members to calculate the overall economic impact and the number of jobs supported by their venues in their specific region. Understanding the economic impact of their venue empowers members to advocate for the ongoing development and growth of the live entertainment sector throughout the country.
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NIVA Savings: Group Discount Program
NIVA Savings is a group discount program that uses the collective buying power of our industry to save our members money on the items they buy every day. This program will generate significant cost savings for NIVA members participating in the program. Phase One of this program will offer NIVA members savings for food, barware, serving-ware, and cleaning supplies. The program delivers member discounts at wholesale between 10-35% on each invoice.
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Emergency Relief Fund
The NIVF Emergency Relief Fund (ERF), administered by the National Independent Venue Foundation (NIVF), a 501(c)(3) organization, provides economic relief to independent, live performance venues and promoters, both for-profit and nonprofit, experiencing a critically severe emergency due to circumstances beyond their control. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis and reviewed throughout the year.
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NIVA Care
NIVA Care is a one-of-a-kind health insurance program that allows members to provide healthcare for full, part-time, and 1099 contractors. NIVA Care was designed to fit all NIVA members, whether they already offer benefits, would like to offer benefits, or are a sole proprietor.
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End Overdose Training & Resources
As part of our partnership, End Overdose provides training on overdose response and prevention to NIVA members, as well as free naloxone (the life-saving overdose-reversal medication) and fentanyl test strips (a preventive tool that alerts users if their substance is laced with the often-fatal opioid).
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State Funding Resource Guide
The National Independent Venue Foundation is proud to partner with Drake University, to provide their State Funding Resource Guide. This database provides a critical repository of funding and workforce development opportunities designed to increase and support economic development and initiatives for independent venues and small businesses in the United States.
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Workforce Development Program
The Workforce Development Program, managed by the National Independent Venue Foundation (NIVF), is designed to advance and strengthen the training of current and future workers in independent live performance spaces. The program aims to foster community-building strategies that aid in developing local talent and removing barriers for entry, in particular for currently underrepresented communities, towards viable career paths within the industry. Currently, the program consists of Virtual Training Sessions and the 4-month Venue Operations Experience (VOX).
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Job Board
The Independent Venue Job Board, managed by the National Independent Venue Foundation (NIVF), provides exclusive jobs and hiring opportunities for independent venues, promoters, festivals, and more. NIVA members can hire from a broad pool of talent and job seekers can find specific and relevant experience in the independent live events sector. Salary transparency is required.
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The Live List
The Live List is an artist development initiative entirely curated by popular vote of the NIVA community. The list was compiled from the suggestions of 1,000+ NIVA members who each contributed to the names of as many as ten favorite up-and-coming live touring artists. This is not a “best of” list but a “most liked” list from the folks who live for live.
Membership Criteria
Programming by participating venues and promoters must primarily consist of original live music, comedy, and other similar programming as a primary driver of your business; factors to be considered in meeting this qualification will include the presence of at least 4 of the following at member venues or locations/festivals where promoters program performances:
(1) defined performance and audience space;
(2) mixing desk, PA system, and lighting rig;
(3) at least two of: sound engineer, booker, promoter, stage manager, security personnel, box office manager;
(4) there is a paid ticket or cover charge to attend most performances, artists are paid fairly and do not play for free or solely for tips, except for legitimate fundraisers or similar charitable events; and
(5) performances are marketed through gig listings in printed and/or electronic publications, websites, email blasts, and/or social media.
To be eligible for NIVA membership:
Venues and promoters must not be owned (in whole or in part), managed, or exclusively booked by an organization that has more than one of the following three attributes:
(1) “publicly-traded”
(2) multinational or
(3) owns, manages or books venues in more than one state
Venues and promoters can be for-profit, non-profit, or government-owned, and can be corporations, limited liability companies, partnerships, or individual sole proprietors.
To qualify as a “promoter” you must book and present musicians, comedians, or similar performing artists primarily in independent venues or at festivals and pay fees to those performers based on selling tickets to the public or other comparable means.
If you meet these criteria:
Submit a completed membership application form and/or annual renewal membership application form.
Designate a person to serve as the Member's primary representative.
Pay dues, if any, as established by the Board from time to time.
Abide by any code of ethics, rules of conduct, etc. established by the Board from time to time.
If your business is not a venue, promoter or festival and you wish to become an affiliate member, please email partnerships@nivassoc.org.
Our Members
The NIVA member community represents the small businesses, non-profits, and publicly-owned spaces that make up most of the independent live entertainment ecosystem. We are venues, promoters, festivals, and performing arts centers. Our stages are the center of live performance in every community across all 50 U.S. states, including music, comedy, theater, spoken word, and dance.
The National Independent Venue Association (NIVA) delivered the single largest U.S. investment in the arts through the Shuttered Venue Operators Grant. SVOG allocated $16.25 billion in federal emergency relief administered by the Small Business Administration, saving the industry from a complete collapse. NIVA created the first, and only, annual independent live entertainment industry conference that connects our community in person with essential business networks. NIVA also established the National Independent Venue Foundation (NIVF) as a non-profit 501(c)(3), which has distributed over $3.7 million to date in emergency relief to venues. Learn more about NIVA here.
The National Independent Venue Association (NIVA) and National Independent Venue Foundation (NIVF) are committed to equity in their support and advocacy for independent venues, and seek to create and encourage opportunities for venues, promoters, and festivals owned, operated, and staffed by people of color, women, non-binary, LGBTQ+, veterans, and people with disabilities. NIVA is committed to creating and upholding a safe space for its members where respectful conversations around diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility can continue to happen. NIVA and NIVF make an ongoing commitment to prioritize DEI initiatives and learn more about best practices and approaches to DEI in the live performance industry, and to provide resources and professional development opportunities to support NIVA’s members in doing the same for their individual businesses.