FAI 2027: Chicago, Illinois, United States
January 27-31, 2027
- FAI 2027
- Artists
- Attending
- partners
Host a Private Showcase
Create performance opportunities for incredible artists
Sawyer Fredericks Private ShowcaseWhy host a Private Showcase?
Private Showcase Hosts Terms & Conditions
FAI is one of the few music industry conferences that offers everyone in attendance the opportunity to present independent showcases in the host hotel. This also allows all artists to play self-presented sets for attending industry representatives.
Hosting a Private Showcase Room
Private Showcases are not open to the public. You must register for the conference to perform, attend, or host any Private Showcases. Any registrant can apply to become a Private Showcase Host (examples: labels, organizations, agents, artists, etc).
Private Showcases take place Wednesday through Saturday from 10:30 pm CT to 3 am CT, primarily in guest rooms and suites.
All hosts must first apply for a room. Then each individual room is assigned to the host, who in turn books and schedules performances of registered conference attendees.
Hosts must pay a $159 USD to apply for a standard/un-amplified room or $259 USD to apply for an amplified room (premium room or suite). The application fee is non-refundable; however, FAI will refund the $100 premium upgrade if placed in a regular room. This fee is separate from the cost of the room, chair rental, bed removal, hospitality, and conference registration.
Hosts are required to program a room for a minimum of three (3) nights. Please contact our Private Showcase Coordinator at privateshowcase@folk.org if you have any questions about the process as a host.
Artists are limited to six (6) Private Showcases. Every host is responsible for reiterating the private showcase limits to artists.
Room Fees
These room fees are separate from the application fees.
Room Type / Floors
Price per Night
Estimated Total
Standard Guest Room
Floors 5 & 6
$220 USD/night
$880 USD
Description: Standard Guest Rooms are sleeping rooms in the host hotel and have 1 or 2 beds. There is a fee of $200 if you’d like 1 or more of the beds removed. Chair rental is also an additional cost at $10/chair. The Standard Guest Room does not allow a PA and falls in the “Acoustic” category for sound. External food and beverages are allowed. Standard application fee required.
Premium Guest Room
Floors 5 & 6
$220 USD/night
$880 USD
Description: Premium Guest Rooms are sleeping rooms in the hotel and have 1 or 2 beds. There is a fee of $200 if you’d like 1 or more of the beds removed. Chair rental is also an additional cost at $10/chair. The Premium Guest Room allows for amplification using a small PA of 3 channels or less. External food and beverages are allowed. Premium application fee required.
Premium Guest Room Suite
Floors 5 & 6
$440 to $690 USD/night
$1760 to $2760 USD
Description: Premium Guest Room Suites are a sleeping room and an additional room. There is a fee of $200 if you’d like 1 or more of the beds removed. The Parlor has a fold up Murphy bed. Chair rental is also an additional cost at $10/chair. The Premium Guest Room Suite allows for amplification using a small PA of 3-channels or less or a full PA system. External food and beverages are allowed. Premium application fee required.
Meeting Room
Floors 4 & 5
$190 to $350 USD/night
$760 to $1400 USD
Description: Meeting Rooms have no amenities for sleeping. These rooms have no fee for bed removal or chair rental. Banquet chairs and a 6’ table are provided in each room at no additional cost. The Meeting Room does not allow amplification and falls in the “Acoustic” category for PA. All food and beverage must go through the hotel. FAI will provide a menu and pricing. Standard application fee required.
Premium Meeting Room
Floors 4 & 5
$230 to $845 USD/night
$920 to $3480 USD
Description: Premium Meeting Rooms have no amenities for sleeping. These rooms have no fee for bed removal or chair rental. Banquet chairs and a 6’ table are provided in each room at no additional cost. The Premium Meeting Room allows for amplification with a small PA of 3 channels or less. All food and beverage must go through the hotel. FAI will provide a menu and pricing. Premium application fee required.
Premium Meeting Room w/ full sound system
Floors 4 & 5
$1190 to $1350 USD/night
$4760 to $5400 USD
Description: Premium Meeting Rooms with full sound systems allow for a full-PA and requires the use of a union engineer. All other details are the same as the Premium Meeting Room.
* Suites and premium rooms are only available to hosts who have hosted a room in the past and are first offered to those who hosted the previous year. A waitlist is managed by the Private Showcase Coordinator.
Other Optional Fees
- Bed Removal – $200 USD (flat fee for each room)
- Chair Rental – $10 USD/chair
Meeting rooms do not require bed removal and chairs are included in the cost.
Sound Requirements in Union Hotel
The Hilton Chicago is a union hotel and must be involved in all aspects of sound in meeting rooms on the 4th & 5th floors. The rates listed above include all fees associated with hiring a union labor to oversee the rooms.
Acoustic Rooms: These rooms have no PA. Amps are allowed for instruments that do not make any sound otherwise. Volume levels should be kept to the level of the voice. These rooms do not require union labor oversight.
Small PA: These rooms allow for a modest PA: A small (8” typical) powered speaker with no more than 3 channels to support vocals will be allowed with a roving union engineer who will set up the system at the beginning of the night, then move from room to room as support. These systems should not require a mixing engineer and small adjustments can be made by the artists/hosts. Amps are still allowed for instruments that do not make any sound otherwise.
Full PA: Any system with 4 or more channels in use. This will require a full time union engineer to be represented to mix all performances.
Food and Beverage
External food and beverage is allowed in hotel guest rooms on the 5th and 6th floors. Meeting Rooms are not allowed to have external food and beverage, and must go through the hotel food and beverage for refreshments for their rooms. Folk Alliance International will facilitate this process with a menu and pricing.
Postering
- Only Private Showcase Hosts are permitted to hang posters on the Private Showcase floors.
- Postering is only allowed on the Private Showcase floors.
- FAI will designate sections of the hallway where postering is not permitted for safety and way-finding signage.
- Posters for individual artists will be removed.
- Posters in non-designated areas of the Private Showcase floors will be removed.
- Posters should be specific to their room, listing all artists, times, and room number.
- Promotional posters cannot be placed up until conference registration opens.
- Painters tape is the only permitted way of hanging posters. All others will be removed. Damage resulting from the use of non-approved tape will be documented and billed to the room host.
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