Folk Alliance International


Folk Alliance International is a non-profit organization that produces an annual conference that is the world's largest gathering of the folk music industry and community. Founded in 1989, FAI is an advocacy, professional development and networking organization, and is one of the five largest music conferences in North America. As of 2016, FAI has a membership of approximately 3,000, and a budget of $1,000,000 USD.
Members include record companies, publishers, presenters, agents, managers, music support services, manufacturers and artists that work in the folk music industry.
Aengus Finnan is the current executive director, who joined the organization in July 2014. FAI currently has 7 full time staff members, and 8 contract staff members who work for the organization from various international locations.

Folk Alliance International

Folk Alliance International is now the official name of the former North American Folk Music & Dance Alliance. Their headquarters are currently in Kansas City, Missouri. The conference has been in Kansas City since 2014 and will remain there through 2018.
Folk Alliance International has five regional affiliates that provide conferences in their respective markets: Southwest Regional Folk Alliance, Folk Alliance Region Midwest, Southeast Regional Folk Alliance, Folk Alliance Region West, and Northeast Regional Folk Alliance. FAI defines 'folk' as "anything rooted in tradition, indigenous to one's culture. The organization consists of a large variety of songwriters, storytellers, bluegrass, blues, soul, old-time, traditional, global roots and world music, spoken word, Celtic, cajun," etc.
In addition to the conference, FAI provides a range of member benefits, including a non-profit group exemption program for U.S.-based organizations, an FAI/PRO House Concert Agreement Program, and Visa Writing Services. They also offer to their membership special discounts with various companies covering insurance, publications, travel, and manufacturers.

Annual conference

The annual conference is an event that draws together music industry professionals from throughout the world to share ideas, network, and showcase emerging, mid-career, and legendary artists. Held over five days, the conference includes a keynote speaker, awards shows, over 2,400 registered attendees from 18 countries, 75 exhibitors, 150 panels & workshops, 200 juried official showcases, and over 2,800 private showcases held late at night. The conference is always held at a local hotel, and while in Kansas City has been at The Westin Kansas City at Crown Center.
Each conference typically has a theme. The 2017 theme is Forbidden Folk, and is meant to "celebrate activism in art and look at the ways folk music has, in the past and currently, played a role in labor movements, the civil movements, environmental movements, pacifist movements and political movements as the voice of the people".

List of conferences

List of past and future conferences.
YearCityVenue
1989Malibu, CaliforniaCamp Hess Kramer
1990Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaHoward Johnson North
1991Chicago, IllinoisHoliday Inn, O'Hare
1992Calgary, AlbertaMarlborough Inn
1993Tucson, ArizonaRamada, Downtown
1994Boston, Massachusetts57 Park Plaza
1995Portland, OregonRed Lion, Lloyd Center
1996Washington, D.C.Renaissance Hotel
1997TorontoWestin Harbour, Castle Hotel
1998Memphis, TennesseeCook Convention Center/Crowne Plaza
1999Albuquerque, New MexicoAlbuquerque Convention Center/Hyatt
2000Cleveland, OhioCleveland Convention Center/Sheraton
2001Vancouver, British ColumbiaHyatt Regency, Vancouver
2002Jacksonville, FloridaAdam's Mark Jacksonville
2003Nashville, TennesseeRenaissance Hotel
2004San Diego, CaliforniaTown & Country Resort
2005Montreal, QuebecHyatt Regency Hotel
2006Austin, TexasHilton Hotel
2007–2012Memphis, TennesseeMemphis Marriott Hotel
2013TorontoDelta Chelsea Hotel
2014–2018Kansas City, MissouriWestin Hotel Crown Center
2019Montreal, QuebecQueen Elizabeth Hotel
2020–2025TBDTBD

Conference themes