2025 CONFERENCE 
October 23–26, 2025
Elgin, Illinois

New/Young Fringe Orientation
 

Fringe in 2025 and Beyond

• Re-thinking how and why we Fringe

• Supporting artists without burnout

• Being a good Fringe to your performers

• Year-round programming

• Artist resources and survey best practices
   

Marketing, Audience & Community

• Pricing strategies

• Marketing tactics that work

• Audience development and engagement

• Sponsorship outreach

• Public and street art integration
   

Tech & Operations

• Box office systems

• Volunteer coordination

• Festival tech and digital tools

• Production workflows

• Tech-focused peer sessions
   

Leadership & Organizational Health

• Team models and staffing

• Financial sustainability

• Politics and public visibility in fringe work

• Artist support and career development
   

Creative Risk & Culture

• “Holy Shit—How Did We Get Away With That?” idea jam

• Case studies and programming highlights

• Advice sessions
   

USAFF Community Development

• Membership, Communication, and Conference Planning Committees

• Year-round USAFF collaboration and strategy

• Sharing tools and templates across festivals
  
   

Please shoot any requests to Erin at erin@sidestreetstudioarts.org, and we’ll be reaching out in the next couple months to get those interested in speaking, leading discussions, etc. on board.