Events > Past Events > NACA 2000

CMA TAKES COUNTRY MUSIC TO COLLEGE

CMA took artists, insight and Country Music to the National Association for Campus Activities’ (NACA) annual convention held in Boston on February 16 - 20, 2000.

Hundreds of college students stopped by CMA’s booth at the Marketplace in the Hynes Convention Center to get first-hand knowledge about booking Country artists on their campuses as well as available promotional support for the event. CMA offered suggestions on how to market and convince their fellow decision-makers to utilize Country Music for campus activities. There continues to be a great interest from college campuses across the country, but in particular, throughout the Midwest, the Northeast, Florida and California. The challenge is for the buyers to convince the program board on campus that Country is cool. Among the items students gathered, were artist contact information, Country Music CD’s, a compilation video and complete artist booking information featuring some of today’s hottest Country artists.

CMA’s educational session "Presenting Country Music on Campus" was attended by campus programmers from across the country. Two of Country Music’s most exciting artists, RCA Label Group recording artist Jason Sellers and Eminent Records recording artist Jon Randall were panelist participants. During the session, the panel discussed a variety of topics ranging from touring on the road with a band to giving lectures and playing acoustically in a coffee house environment. Both Jason and Jon, along with the help of Steve Sellers (Jason’s brother) closed the session with an acoustic sampling of their songwriting and performing talents, demonstrating the diversity of Country Music.

CMA hosted a guitar pull for the opening kickoff of NACA 1999 in Nashville with John Berry, Lari White and Billy Dean. Based on consumer interests from that show, Creative Artist Agency (CAA) is packaging a tour with John Berry, Suzy Bogguss and Billy Dean.

The good news for Country is that more and more campuses are looking to diversify the entertainment they present on campus, and Country Music is popping up all over the radar screen!

Curtis Baker, Murray State University: "Awesome job. The artists playing was a wonderful hands on visual aid for the students."

Jason LeFeber, Central Michigan University: "This is my third NACA conference, and this, quite possibly, has been the most informative and entertaining session I have seen."

Jeff Gregg, Creative Artist Agency: "The consolidations of concert buyers, coupled with club closings, has made it increasingly difficult to find places for artists to play. We need to begin thinking differently about breaking artists and winning new fans. I was encouraged by the response at NACA this year. The students and advisors were receptive to promoting newer, non-traditional forms of Country Music shows. The college market is untapped and with the continued excitement and support of the students has great potential for growth."

Jason Sellers, Artist: "Obviously, Country Music is a big part of my life, so it’s very special to me to be a part of broadening our audience. It even makes me feel better to know that for some of these college students, we were their first introduction to Country Music. I’m thankful that CMA has this program, and I had a blast in Boston."

Jon Randall, Artist: "NACA was enlightening and I felt extremely positive about the response the students have towards Country Music."

Alan B. Davis, Executive Director, NACA:

"This year's NACA National Convention in Boston was one of our best. More than 2,200 school delegates attended, breaking our previous attendance record. 540 schools were represented, marking our fourth highest school count for a National Convention. Attendance from the entertainment industry was also strong--more than 370 representatives from 150-plus entertainment, lecture and products-oriented agencies and firms exhibited in more than 200 booths.

"NACA's goal is to link education and entertainment, providing an exciting, thought-provoking forum for students, professional staff and entertainment industry representatives to learn from one another while also previewing some of the best entertainment available to college campuses today. This year's panel on Presenting Country Music on Campus, organized by CMA and featuring Jon Randall and Jason Sellers as panelists, was a prime example of how NACA accomplishes this goal. We are definately looking foward to next year's Convention in Nashville, Feb. 24-28, 2001."

NACA is a member-based, not for profit association composed of colleges and universities, talent firms and artist/performers, student programmers and leaders, and professional campus activities staff. NACA is a clearinghouse and catalyst for information, ideas and programs promoting a variety of college and university activities, from leadership development to student programming. CMA has been involved with NACA for approximately eight (8) years and is positioned as a leader/facilitator between college buyers and the Country Music industry.