About Me
NERFA 2008 | Northeast Regional Folk Alliance ConferenceNovember 13-16, 2008 Hudson Valley Resort | Kerhonkson, NY 12446 | HudsonValleyResort.com 215-546-7766Welcome to the NorthEast Regional Folk Alliance Conference. The conference includes: workshops, panel discussions, seminars, an exhibit hall, formal showcases in the nightclub, and private and guerilla showcases in one large designated area. On this website you will find all the forms you need for conference registration, hotel reservations, showcase applications, workshop proposals, exhibit hall rental as well as answers to many questions.Those of us who have worked on this conference since 1994 take pride in what we have accomplished, but we are also constantly striving to create an event to better serve the needs of the Folk Music community, both professional and volunteer. We have carefully examined your evaluation forms and have made changes we hope will improve an already wonderful gathering.Those of you who have attended the conference over the past couple of years are familiar with Kutsher's. Although it is somewhat spread out, everything is under one roof. No walking or driving a half-mile to get to the main building. There are many rooms available for our use, plus we are able to devote several areas of the resort to showcasing and all night jamming.Some of the other amenities offered include: a year round ice skating rink, fully equipped health club, ultra fast internet access available in every room, indoor and outdoor pools, whirlpool baths, racquetball, tennis, yoga, biking, boating, hiking trails, miniature golf, horseback riding, tubing, arts and crafts, a shopping arcade and, in the winter, snowmobiling, sleigh rides and skiing. Of course, there is much more. But, we should really try to get some serious business done. Look what you get: There is a welcoming cocktail party with delicious hors d'oeuvres on Friday afternoon plus dinner on Friday evening, brunch and dinner on Saturday and Lunch on Sunday. All meals are buffet style with many selections from which to choose. In fact, Kutsher's is renowned for their wonderful kosher cooking. This year we promise all the food will be properly labeled. We actually had an abundance of Vegetarian food last year but, since it was not mark, many were not aware of this.In past years, many of us arrived on Thursday. We had a wonderful, relaxed evening and spent some quality time together before the conference officially began. This past year there were some very successful guerilla showcases on Thursday evening. There were so few of them that they were almost guaranteed a captive audience. If you plan to have a table in the exhibit hall, think you might be interested in a Friday morning Half-Day Intensive, would like to join us for a relaxing Thursday evening get together or if you have any other reason to be in your room early, it would be a good idea to plan on a Thursday evening arrival. Kutsher's is quite convenient to public transportation from New York City. Driving directions will be included with your confirmation letter. If you need immediate information to make plane reservations, we suggest you check out their website. Check-in time is 4pm and check-out time is 2pm! However, since we have the entire place to ourselves and they are opening just for us, I have been told there should not be a problem checking in earlier than 4pm. How you can get involved? Those working on the programming and showcase committees include members from the entire region. If you have time to serve on any committee (showcasing, programming, registration), please let us know. If you are willing to volunteer some of your time (and possibly work off some of your registration fee) to be a workshop monitor, badge checker, tech support, etc., please fill out the enclosed volunteer form. If you have friends who are involved in ANY way in the business of folk music but have not as yet joined the Folk Alliance, Please encourage them to come with you to this conference.We are specifically focused on finding new sources for reaching out to PRESENTERS. Anyone who books talent from Private Parties to Folk Festivals, from Ski Resorts to Art Centers, from Labor Rallies to House Concerts, falls into this category. We need YOUR help in finding even more untapped markets. If you have any ideas, please contact us.Once again, we are offering Presenters Incentives for NERFA Money to presenters who have not yet been to NERFA. If you know some first-time presenters who may qualify, please have them give our office a call (215-546-7766) and leave a message. A PRESENTER is the person who hires the talent and puts together a concert or a series of concerts - Anything from a house concert to a large festival. There has been some misunderstanding in the past with the meaning of the term ?presenter.? We thought it would be best to clarify.
