2026 NMEA Conference/In-Service ClinicNovember 18-20 (Wednesday-Friday)Each November NMEA provides professional development for music educators at its "Conference/In-Service Clinic." Our event features over 60 clinic sessions with some of the nation's greatest clinicians and music educators, along with over 15 performances from ensembles located throughout the state of Nebraska. Our event is attended by more than 2,000 people, including music educators from all levels, college students, exhibitors, and high school All-State participants. The 2026 event will be held November 18-20 (Wednesday-Friday) in Lincoln, Nebraska. Registration headquarters and Expo are at the Embassy Suites, 1040 P Street, with conference sessions across the street on UNL's main campus (Westbrook Music Building) and at the Lied Center for Performing Arts. The Cornhusker Marriott Hotel will also be used for sessions. PAGE QUICK LINKS
2026 KEYNOTE SPEAKERMarica Neel A veteran of 37 years in public school music education, Marcia Neel has directed successful music programs in Connecticut, Ohio, Massachusetts, and Nevada. For 14 years, she served as Coordinator of Secondary Fine Arts for the Clark County School District—the nation’s fourth largest—supervising the fastest growing Music Education Program in the country. Her expertise in recruitment and retention strategies is evidenced by the fact that she led the district’s elective Secondary Music Education Program to a total class count of over 55,000 in 56 middle and 38 high schools. Her greatest pride was in knowing that all of the students in each of the district’s secondary schools were provided with an equal opportunity to study a wide variety of curricular offerings in music, theatre, dance and the visual arts. She is a past recipient of Disney’s National Performing Arts Teacher of the Year Award. Marcia now serves as president of Music Education Consultants, Inc., a consortium of music education professionals which works with a variety of educational organizations, arts associations, and school districts to foster the growth and breadth of standards-based, articulated music education programs. In 2016, Neel was named Senior Director of Education for Yamaha Corporation of America and subsequently, a Yamaha Master Educator. In her role as Education Advisor to the Music Achievement Council, a 501(c)(6) organization whose sole purpose is to assist directors in recruiting and retaining students in instrumental music programs through effective professional development programs, Marcia has provided innovative and engaging sessions and in-services in 41 states. As part of the MFA family, she contributes articles on a regular basis to be shared in MFA and BOA publications. She is also highly regarded for her advocacy efforts at the local, state, and national levels via her participation in the NAMM Foundation’s annual D.C. Fly-in. In addition to past leadership positions within NAfME and ACDA, Marcia currently serves as a member of the Board of Directors of the Percussive Arts Society. 2026 CONFERENCE/IN-SERVICE REGISTRATION INFORMATIONRegistration for the 2026 NMEA Conference/In-Service Clinic will open on September 1. Registration fees are:
*PLEASE NOTE: This one-day fee for the FIRST day of the conference (Wednesday, November 18) is only open to teachers with students in the following groups: Orff Ensemble, Middle Level Chorus, and Middle Level String Orchestra. 2026 EXHIBIT INFORMATIONBecome an exhibitor for the 2026 NMEA Conference In-Service Clinic, November 18-20, 2026! The exhibit hall will be located in the Embassy Suites in downtown Lincoln, NE. Attendees for our 3-day conference come from across the state of Nebraska. Conference participants are music educators from all levels, including K-12 teachers, pre-service collegiate students, and higher education faculty in the fields of general music, band, chorus, jazz, orchestra, guitar, piano, popular music, and music technology. High school students who participate in our four All-State ensembles also have designated times in their schedule to peruse the exhibit hall. In 2023, NMEA hosted a total of 2,480 attendees at our Conference/In-Service Clinic. The attendance breakdown is listed below to give an idea of what type of reach to expect.
EXHIBITOR REGISTRATION Exhibitor registration will open in August. For questions or to be added to our Exhibitor Contact list to receive information about future conferences, please email Jen Orvis at [email protected]. Registration fees for exhibit booths for the 2025 NMEA Conference/In-Service Clinic were:
Exhibitors will receive 2 badges to the NMEA Conference for each booth purchased. For example, if you purchase two booths, you will receive 4 badges for your booth workers. Any additional badges needed beyond what is included with your booth(s) will be $45 per additional badge. NMEA will also need the names of all badge holders so that they can be printed prior to the conference. Exhibit spaces will be assigned on a first-come, first-served basis on order of registrations received. NMEA sponsors receive early access to registration as well as discounted booth prices:
For more information about sponsorship benefits, please visit our Sponsorship page. CONFERENCE POLICIESIMAGE CONSENT: NMEA records video and takes photographs during the Conference to use in our publications and broadcasts, such as the Nebraska Music Educator magazine, the NMEA website, etc. Submitting an application or registration requires consent to allow any images taken during the conference to be used by NMEA. RECORDINGS: Video or audio recording of any session, rehearsal, or performance is strictly prohibited unless it is NMEA authorized personnel. FUTURE CONFERENCE DATES
NMEA conference dates were chosen to take advantage of the availability of hotels and conference facilities. Please put the dates of the NMEA Conference on your school calendars and notify all necessary school officials; working several years ahead will help avoid conflicts with other school activities. *Dates may shift depending on the finalized Husker football schedules. |
