Virtual training Sessions - frequently asked questions
NIVF/A Virtual Workforce Development Sessions are free, live online trainings for people working in or aspiring to work in independent venues, promoters, and festivals, with on-demand access through the NIVF Training Hub after each session. The FAQs below use updated 2026 language, data, and web presence to support your outreach, registration pages, and follow-up emails.
About the Virtual Sessions
What are the NIVF/A Virtual Workforce Development Sessions?
The Virtual Workforce Development Sessions are free, topic-focused trainings that support staff and future workers in independent venues and promoter businesses, covering operations, safety, inclusion, marketing, accessibility, and more. Sessions feature practitioners from venues, partner organizations, and under-recognized communities who share practical tools, case studies, and templates you can use right away.
Who are these sessions for?
Current employees, owners, and operators of independent venues, promoters, or festivals in the U.S.
Emerging professionals, students, and career changers exploring live entertainment careers, especially from underrepresented communities.
Community partners and arts/nonprofit staff who collaborate with independent venues on safety, inclusion, or workforce programs.
What do you mean by “independent venue or promoter”?
For workforce development purposes, “independent” means the business is not owned (in whole or in part), managed, or exclusively booked by a company that is: publicly traded, multinational, or owns/manages/books venues in more than one state. This definition helps NIVF prioritize the small and mid-sized venues and promoters that often have the fewest training resources and staff capacity.
Access, Registration, and Cost
All NIVF Workforce Development virtual sessions are free to attend live and free to watch later via the NIVF Training Hub. Sessions are underwritten by philanthropic partners and sponsors so cost is never a barrier to accessing training.
How much do the virtual sessions cost?
Visit the Event Registration page on our website – at nivf.org/event-registration.
Select the session you want and complete the quick registration form; you’ll receive a confirmation email with a Zoom link and calendar invite.
You can register as an individual and still use the same link to host a group watch with your team.
How do I register for an upcoming session?
No, sessions are open to any qualifying independent venue, promoter, festival, or worker, regardless of NIVA membership status. Many attendees first connect through NIVA member communications but share the link widely with staff, students, and local partners.
Do I need to be a NIVA member to attend?
Training Hub and Archived Sessions
What is the NIVF Training Hub?
The NIVF Training Hub is a password-protected library that houses the full archive of Workforce Development virtual training recordings plus supporting materials (slides, toolkits, discussion guides, and resource links). The Hub is designed so venues can integrate sessions into onboarding, ongoing staff development, and leadership training without having to build everything from scratch.
How do I get access to the Training Hub?
Go to the Training Hub page at nivf.org/training-hub-access.
Fill out the one-time access form; you’ll receive a link and password you can share with your entire staff for on-demand viewing.
Once you have the link, you can return to the Hub any time to watch past sessions or download materials.
Can I share the Training hub login with my team?
Yes, the Training Hub is designed for whole-venue use, and venues regularly use it to train teams across departments and shifts. Many organizations schedule group viewings with the built-in team discussion questions to support reflection and policy updates.
However, we strongly encourage individual registration for our virtual workforce development sessions and training hub sign-ups. Registering is vital for collecting accurate data on participation, demographics, and community interests. This information helps us understand attendee needs and priorities, allowing us to better tailor and enhance the content, format, and future scheduling of our sessions for maximum impact and relevance. Your registration directly contributes to the ongoing improvement of our program offerings.
What kinds of topics are available in the archive?
The archive includes more than 45 recorded free trainings on:
Health and wellness: mental health for live music, conflict resolution, stress management, MusiCares resources.
Inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility: disability inclusion, physical accessibility, microaggressions, bias, accessible and inclusive events, ASL best practices, and accessible marketing.
Marketing and digital skills: finding your audience post-pandemic, digital skills for everyday tasks, online safety, and small-venue marketing strategies.
Venue safety and preparedness: active attacker and threat detection, overdose prevention, sexual violence prevention, anti-harassment policy, de-escalation, and weather or disaster preparedness.
Format, Accessibility, and Impact
Most sessions run 60–90 minutes on Zoom and include a presentation, venue case studies, and live Q&A.
Many sessions include downloadable checklists, policies, and tools you can adapt to your venue.
NIVF encourages live attendance so participants can ask questions and share in-chat insights across the national network.
How are the live virtual sessions structured?
NIVF incorporates inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility into both content and delivery, including:
Captions for virtual sessions whenever possible and regular partnerships with disability-led organizations such as RAMPD and accessibility consultants.
Session topics dedicated to disability inclusion, physical accessibility, ASL, and accessible communications so venues can better serve the disability community.
What accessibility supports are available?
Around 70% or more of speakers in recent years come from under-recognized communities in the live entertainment industry. Programming intentionally integrates IDEA (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility) content rather than treating it as an add-on, with roughly one-third of sessions exclusively IDEA-focused in some years.
How are you centering under-recognized groups in these trainings?
Survey data show that over 90% of respondents say the information from virtual sessions is useful or that they are actively using it in their roles or venues. Attendees report using sessions for career advancement, improving job performance, and updating policies and procedures in their organizations.
Do people actually use what they learn?
Since launch, NIVF has produced more than 45 virtual training sessions with 5,000+ registered attendees from hundreds of independent venues, festivals, and promoters nationwide. Annual data show strong representation from venue owners/operators, staff, and students, with growing participation from BIPOC and women, gender-fluid, and non-binary attendees over time.
How many people participate in these trainings?
The virtual sessions and the Training Hub serve as a learning backbone for VOX participants, mentors, and host venues, offering foundational content on safety, marketing, and inclusive practices. VOX expands this learning into a 4‑month workforce development experience that includes gamified virtual workshops, a paid venue internship, and mentorship with industry professionals.
How do the virtual sessions connect to VOX (Venue Operations eXperience)?
Yes, VOX participants, mentors, and host venues are encouraged to use the Training Hub to deepen learning outside of VOX workshops and to support venue staff who are not directly in the cohort. Venues often integrate Hub sessions into pre-internship onboarding and staff training to align expectations and support early-career workers.
Can VOX participants and host venues use the Training Hub?
Getting Support and Staying Connected
Who do I contact with questions or partnership ideas?
For questions about specific sessions, access issues, or partnership opportunities related to Workforce Development and Virtual Trainings, email christy@nivf.org. For general NIVF questions, use the contact form at nivf.org/contact.
How will I hear about future trainings?
Subscribe to the NIVF and NIVA newsletters for upcoming session announcements and Training Hub highlights.
Follow @NIVFdotorg on social channels for new session drops, VOX updates, and application windows.
Check nivf.org/virtual-training regularly; upcoming and past sessions are listed and linked to registration and Training Hub access.