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FAQs for new APCA Associates and Artists
- Where is the Conference?
- How do I book my Room for the Conference?
- Where is Registration?
- When is Registration?
- When is my Showcase?
- How long is my Showcase?
- When is my soundcheck time?
- What happens if I miss my soundcheck?
- Does APCA provide equipment for my showcase?
- Do I have to provide a stage plot before I showcase?
- What is Exhibit Hall?
- How long is an Exhibit Hall?
- What can I give away in Exhibit Hall?
- How big is the Booth Space in Exhibit Hall?
- Do I have to buy a booth to come to the Conference?
- What is an Ed Session?
- When is my Ed Session?
- How long is my Ed Session?
- Do you provide the equipment for the ed sessions?
- What is a FTE Discount?
- What is an Onsite Discount?
- What is Co-op Buying?
- Do I have to go to Co-op?
- Can I bring extra people to the Conference?
- Will there be anyone to help me at the conference?
- How do you do follow-up?
- ALWAYS OFFER MORE! What do I mean by that?
- Does APCA provide backline?
- Can the sound engineer drop tracks for my showcase?
- Can I drop my own tracks from stage?
- Can I show a video or power-point during my showcase?
- Does APCA provide video screens and projectors?
- Does APCA provide loadin/loadout labor?
- Can I bring my own audio engineer or mix my audio from stage?
1. Where is the Conference?
Conference locations are posted on the website and in your registration forms. Please go to www.apca.com to download the conference pdf's.
2. How do I book my Room for the Conference?
Just call the hotel listed on www.apca.com and tell them
you attending the APCA conference to get the APCA rate. ALL REGISTERED ARTISTS AND AGENTS MUST BE A REGISTERED QUEST AT THE HOTEL LOCATION.
3. Where is Registration?
APCA registrations are usually set up near the general session ballrooms. Look for the signs that point to the
registration area, or any APCA staff personnel can point it out for you.
4. When is Registration?
An early registration desk usually opens the evening before the start of the conference. Normal registration begins at 8
am everyday and ends when the conference activities are over for the day.
5. When is my Showcase?
Please refer to the Conference Program or email Phil at phil@apca.com to determine the time of your showcase.
6. How long is my Showcase?
All Showcases are 10 minutes in length.
7. When is my soundcheck time?
Your soundcheck time is sent to your via email upon confirmation of your showcase acceptance and given out to your
agent or representative at registration. If you are not advised of your soundcheck time, please ask one of our registration team for that time.
8. What happens if I miss my soundcheck?
Acts who miss a soundcheck will forfeit their showcase unless prior arrangements have been made and approved in writing by the APCA Executive Director.
9. Does APCA provide equipment for my showcase?
APCA provides sound and lighting and labor for those services. Any additional staging, sound
equipment, lighting, or any special effects, etc. must be approved by APCA in writing in advance of the conference. APCA stage manager retains control of all sound, lighting and staging, etc. aspects of the show. Any
decisions made by the APCA stage manager are final. Any backline equipment, instruments, etc. must be arranged for by artist.
10. Do I have to provide a stage plot before I showcase?
YES! It also has to be filled out in its entirety with reachable cell phone and office
numbers. Whatever act is on the stage plot and/or showcased on stage must be offered in its totality for the price listed in the conference program (ie if a band with six performers are on stage then the price should be for the
entire band, and not just for the singer as a solo act.)
11. What is Exhibit Hall?
The APCA Exhibit Hall features associates (APCA member agencies, artists, speakers etc.) representing the showcasing
attractions and other APCA members. All exhibiting associates must be APCA members and bound by APCA ethics and sensitivity guidelines. APCA exhibit halls will also feature novelty showcases and an APCA resource desk for
cooperative buying information, programming resource articles, job opportunities and other resource references.
12. How long is an Exhibit Hall?
Exhibit halls usually run one hour in length a few times a day. Please refer to your conference program for these times.
13. What can I give away in Exhibit Hall?
You can give away almost anything. We do not allow any live animals, unless they are part of your
agency programming (ie animal rental companies) or assistance animals.
Make your booth attractive. Remember, you have about 4 seconds to capture your buyer's attention so MARKET YOURSELF! If you choose to have a TV or a boom box you must bring headphones. We recommend you read the Guerilla Trade Show Selling to set your self a part from all other exhibitors in the hall. Bring a banner, brochures, CD's. Your banner should tell people what you do. If you're an independent artist/comic, do something like clean comedy by John Doe. Have a sign in sheet so you can get all of their contact information to follow up on after the conference. Talk to these people that come to your booth. What do you book, how much do you spend on a band or comic? Come and check me out at my showcase. Take the list provided to you before the conference and call them and invite them to check you out at booth number for a free drawing. Advertise in the program!
14. How big is the Booth Space in Exhibit Hall?
Booths are usually 6' x 8' pipe and drape, include one 6' covered table, 1 chair, a wastebasket,
1 free electrical outlet (110v, 5 amp) and an identification sign. Exhibit hall booths assigned on first fees received, first choice of booth basis.
15. Do I have to buy a booth to come to the Conference?
Yes. You must also pay for a delegate fee for each person attending the conference
(unless it is a showcasing artist) and an exhibit hall booth must be bought for each showcasing artist.
16. What is an Ed Session?
Educational sessions relating to campus activities and student leadership are presented at APCA Leadership Workshops, Fall Conferences and the National Convention.
Topics include:
- Publicity & Promotion
- Cooperative Buying
- Diversity
- Production
- Negotiating Skills
- Commuter / Community Activities Programming
- Student Leadership Board Member Recruitment and Retention Personal Development
- Creativity
17. When is my Ed Session?
Please refer to your Conference Program to get the specific day, time and room. Or email Phil at phil@apca.com.
18. How long is my Ed Session?
The Educational Sessions are 50 minutes in length. Please do not let yours run over, as it will affect the start time for the next presenter in your meeting room.
19. Do you provide the equipment for the ed sessions?
APCA provides flip charts, screens and markers. APCA does not provide data projectors or rent any DVDs, laptops, etc. needed for associates presenting ed sessions.
20. What is a FTE Discount?
To encourage smaller school programming, the APCA has also begun the voluntary "FTE" (full-time
enrollment) discount card program. Based on the full-time enrollment status of the campus, a school may receive between 3% to 7% off the listed price of a participating artist or other attraction. This discount is in addition
to any other cooperative or onsite discounts, but the attraction must be booked onsite. The breakdown of the school population full-time enrollment (FTE) discounts are as follows:
- 9,900 - 5,000 FTE Discount 3%
- 5,000 - 3,000 FTE Discount 5%
- Below 3,000 FTE Discount 7%
21. What is an Onsite Discount?
Participating associates will offer a 10% discount on any published price (isolated or block) to any schools who
book onsite by using either a "request contract" or "commitment to block" form. This discount is in addition to any block discounts available. Associates offering this discount will have a "cost
cutters" sign displayed in their booth.
22. What is Co-op Buying?
APCA Cooperative Buying is a program that gives the schools attending the conference the ability to merge their buying
power, offering associates a block of engagement dates in a specified time period in exchange for a lower price and sharing of travel costs with other schools. Travel and lodging costs may often be agreed to onsite by filling
out a cooperative buying form and detailing the arrangements in the co-op travel rider section.
Any cooperative riders attached to a commitment to block or onsite contract become part of the agreement and may not be changed without the consent of both parties.
The time periods that schools can agree to set up a block are:
- Isolated - A single date, usually not including travel and lodging
- 2 of 3 days, 3 of 5 days, and 5 of 7 days
- (x shows within a y day time period, travel and lodging are often shared evenly by the schools booking the attraction).
A typical cooperative pricing schedule in the conference program might be:
- John Doe: Comedian Represented by ABC Agency
Isolated: $1200* 2 of 3: $100** 3 of 5: $1050** 5 of 7: $950**
* (Plus travel & lodging) **(Plus shared travel & lodging)
23. Do I have to go to Co-op?
A representative of your showcasing artist must be present in all cooperative buying sessions. Schools expressing
interest in bringing your artists to their campus may have questions, need cooperative buying forms filled out, etc. If you are not there, your cooperative booking could be seriously affected.
24. Can I bring extra people to the Conference?
Yes, but you will have to pay a delegate fee or a day pass depending on the situation.
25. Will there be anyone to help me at the conference?
Of Course! A friendly member of the APCA staff will always be on hand during the
conference. Just look for a smiling face and an APCA badge! Also, registration will be open whenever the events are open.
26. How do you do follow-up?
Call the interested parties that signed in at your booth. You can say something like this: "Hey, it was
great meeting you last week at the APCA conference, I'm working on a block in your area in the fall. I'm offering the 2of 3 block price. Are you interested in piggy backing?"
For the advisors that you didn't meet, you can try something like this: "Hey, Joe I met one of your students at the APCA conference, I'm sorry I wasn't able to personally
meet you but I'd love to work for you. I'm working on a block in your area are you interested?"
27. ALWAYS OFFER MORE! What do I mean by that?
If you're going to work in this market you need to have posters & headshots.
If you're a speaker offer multiple lectures one for faculty and one for students for the same price. Arrive early to the show and shake hands after. Tell them your available for teasers, maybe in the cafeteria or campus radio station. After the show send the advisor and board a simple thank you note. "It was a pleasure meeting everyone enjoy the candies." These simple steps taken could mean a re-booking the following year!
28. Does APCA provide backline?
No. APCA provides sound and lighting for showcases. All instruments, amps, instrument stands etc must be provided by the artist.
Artists must also provide all instrument and power cables for Artist owned equipment. If an Artist is flying to a conference and needs assistance with rental of backline gear please contact Imagine Design and Production at
(336) 299-2962.
29. Can the sound engineer drop tracks for my showcase?
Yes. Artists must provide their own music. Tracks must be provided at soundcheck on AUDIO CD's. If Artist
provides a burned CD then it must be formatted to play in a standard CD player. APCA engineers will not drop tracks from I-Pods, I-Phones, MP3 players, laptops or any source other than an AUDIO CD. If Artists needs more than 3
tracks for their showcase then a typed cue sheet must be provided to the sound engineer at soundcheck.
30. Can I drop my own tracks from stage?
Yes. Artists may use their own audio playback device to drop tracks on stage. The device must output XLR, RCA, 1/4" or 1/8".
31. Can I show a video or power-point during my showcase?
Yes. Artists must provide a laptop, dvd player or other video playback device. All devices must output
VGA. If the devices does not output VGA then the Artist must provide adapters to get to a VGA output Any video or power point presentation will count as part of the showcase time. Please verify the availability of a screen and
projector with APCA before deciding to include video in the showcase. APCA does not warrant that the projector provided will work with your equipment, and any such use of data projection is at the risk of the artist/presenter,
and no refunds of fees, adjustments to time, etc. can be made in the event of technical problems.
32. Does APCA provide video screens and projectors?
APCA provides a single screen and projector for all Campus Speaker showcases. The screen's size is determined by
APCA based on the logistics of the performance space and all Artists must share the provided screen and projector. For other showcases a screen and projector MAY be provide but is NOT guaranteed. Please contact APCA to see if
this equipment will be available.
33. Does APCA provide loadin/loadout labor?
No. APCA provides sound engineers, lighting technicians and stage managers. The production staff will be on hand to
assist Artists during soundcheck but will not load and unload equipment from Artist vehicles.
34. Can I bring my own audio engineer or mix my audio from stage?
APCA does now allow anyone other than APCA audio engineers to mix audio on the provided sound
system. Any exceptions to this policy must be approved by APCA prior to the conference.
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