Independent Venue Week and the nation’s top independent music venues and promoters have joined together to announce the formation of National Independent Venue Association (NIVA) to fight for the survival of independent venues, their employees, artists, fans and their communities. Membership is at no cost to venues, and is accessible here: NIVA Membership. Center Stage – The Loft – Vinyl, The Masquerade and Smith’s Olde Bar here in Atlanta, Georgia have signed up and are supporting NIVA’s efforts. Until now, independent venues and promoters have inherently been islands unto themselves, fighting fiercely in brutal, individual marketplaces. But the pandemic has brought a crashing halt to business operations of small and mid-sized venues across the country and threatens their existence.

Independent venues and promoters play a vital role in their communities, influencing travel and tourism. They are a part of the fabric, foundation and pride of cities and towns across America. According to a 2016 IBISWorld study, the live music industry produced $23.5 billion in annual revenue. With the complete and sudden shutdown, all venues and their communities have been dealt a devastating blow with revenues totally halted, but the overhead has not.

“Independent venues and promoters have a unique set of circumstances that require specialized assistance, so we’ve banded together and secured a powerhouse lobbying firm,” said Gary Witt, CEO of Pabst Theater Group and founding member of NIVA. “Akin Gump has been tapped to represent us, and that telegraphs to Capitol Hill that our needs are serious. Most of us have gone from our best year ever to a dead stop in revenues, but our expenses and overhead are still real, and many will not make it without help. Our employees, the artists, and the fans need us to act. But we are also an important income generator for those around us, bringing revenue to area restaurants, bars, hotels and retail shops. Our contributions to the tax base far exceed our ticket sales.”

“If the number of venues and promoters that signed up for NIVA membership in the first three days is an indicator — 450 venues in 43 states and Washington, D.C. — we can say the independent venues and promoters might be in dire straits, but they’re motivated to fight for their survival,” said Rev. Moose, co-founder of NIVA and managing partner of Marauder which runs Independent Venue Week in the U.S. “In addition to going to Capitol Hill to seek funds, NIVA will also offer key survival tools to members by sharing resources, information and providing guidance on the Small Business Administration’s Payroll Protection Program.”

See Tickets and Lyte have made generous contributions to fund NIVA’s membership launch and initial lobbying effort.