Four years ago, a group that included Pabst Theater Group president and CEO Gary Witt founded the National Independent Venue Association (NIVA) under the time-honored adage of “strength in numbers.” Having just wrapped up its third annual conference, NIVA has decided to show that strength in Milwaukee as it brings the meeting to Brew City.
“If NIVA gave birth to a baby, it most likely would look very much like Milwaukee,” Witt said in a release. “Milwaukee is a city filled with beautiful, historic independent live entertainment venues that have, without the assistance of the national players, helped to build community and loyalty and define the city’s soul and identity.”
The tangible benefits are there as well, with Visit Milwaukee reporting that live entertainment makes an estimated economic impact of $400 million on the city’s businesses every year. The NIVA conference will leave its own mark after drawing more than 1,300 of the organization’s members, partners and sponsors to New Orleans last week.
That event included three full days of live entertainment, panels, programming and the occasional party or two, including a conference-opening shindig the night before its “official” start. Like New Orleans, the various happenings will be spread across Milwaukee, with NIVA venues lined up to host programs, plus other activations around the city.
“We are so thrilled to welcome NIVA’s annual conference to Milwaukee next year,” Visit Milwaukee president and CEO Peggy Williams-Smith said in the release. “We know NIVA ‘25 attendees will find a supportive community rich in amenities, like world-class dining and museums, plus beautiful venues, a thriving Milwaukee Theater District, and so much more.”
The fourth annual conference is the latest example of NIVA’s progress since coming into existence in March of 2020 as a swift response to the impending challenges of the pandemic. At the time, the group drove a #SaveOurStages campaign that led to the Shuttered Venue Operators Grant program, which created a pool of $16 billion for live-entertainment businesses and individuals affected by COVID-19.
The national trade association now represents thousands of indie venues, festivals, promoters and more, providing tools to help them survive and thrive. According to the organization’s 2023 impact report, it arranged more than 275 meetings with Congress and the White House last year, and distributed $145,000 from its relief fund to seven venues hit by fire, flood, weather damage and acts of violence.
NIVA expects to make more announcements about the conference soon, including information on early bird ticket registration. You can find that info at the conference’s home on the NIVA website, and a star-studded video about NIVA ’25 in Milwaukee below.
