The Montana Performing Arts Consortium (MPAC) will hold its next Annual Showcase and Conference on October 13-15, 2023 at the Mansfield Center for Performing Arts in Great Falls, Montana. MPAC is now accepting showcase applications and performing artists of all genres are encouraged to apply. Conference registration for all attendees will be available in April, 2023.
MPAC’s Annual Showcase and Conference is a 3-day event where over a hundred performing arts professionals gather to plan performances, network, learn, and develop lasting relationships that extend into communities around the state. Each year, the event is attended by artists, agents, arts advocacy and service organizations, as well as presenting organizations from throughout Montana, from as far as Sidney to Libby and Eureka to Gardiner. MPAC's annual conference features juried showcase performances by 17 different artists, a trade-show style exhibit hall, networking events, and professional development workshops.
The showcases are the main event of the conference as they give artists the opportunity to promote their programs to a large number of presenters. Likewise, the showcases give presenters the chance to sample a wide variety of live performances to consider booking for future concerts and live events. The conference also facilitates block-booking meetings so that presenters can coordinate tour dates, saving time and money for both venues and artists.
Performers interested in touring Montana are encouraged to apply for a showcase performance or register for a booth in the exhibit hall. The showcases are juried by a selection panel of both presenters and artists (or an artist agent). The panel chooses showcasing acts based on quality of performance, promotional materials, and marketability in Montana. The deadline to apply is April 30, 2023.