2025 NMEA Conference/In-Service ClinicNovember 20-22 (Thursday-Saturday)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 2025 event will be held November 20-22 (Thursday-Saturday) 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
2025 KEYNOTE SPEAKERKIM BRUGUIER Kim Bruguier teaches elementary general music and beginning band at LB Williams Elementary in Mitchell, SD. She also directs a middle school show choir and is color guard instructor for the High School Marching Band. Mrs. Bruguier is the director for the Mitchell Area Children’s Choir, is vice president of the Sioux Valley Orff Chapter, is the Immediate Past President and conference manager for the South Dakota Music Education Association and is an adjunct professor in the education department for Dakota Wesleyan University. In that position she teaches a class on using music, movement, and art for elementary education majors. Mrs. Bruguier has been a clinician across the midwest, presenting at multiple state music conferences, as well as the NAfME National conference in Dallas, the South Dakota Technology In Education conference, the SD Arts Education Institute, and for the Sioux Valley Orff Chapter. She has also led professional development sessions for school districts on a range of technology and music topics. Mrs. Bruguier has been an adjudicator multiple times for middle school music contests and has been the guest director for the 4th-6th grade SDMEA Festival Choir in the spring of 2018, the Brookings Festival of Voices for middle school singers in 2019, and this fall the Northwestern Music Festival for Middle School Voices. In 2011 she was awarded the South Dakota Outstanding Young Music Educator Award and in 2017 was selected as both the LB Williams Elementary and Mitchell School District Teacher of the Year. 2025 CONFERENCE/IN-SERVICE REGISTRATION INFORMATIONRegistration for the 2025 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 (Thursday, November 20) is only open to teachers with students in the following groups: Children's Choir and Middle Level String Orchestra. CONFERENCE BUDDY PROGRAMMaximize your conference experience with our new and improved Conference Buddy Program! The Conference Buddy program is designed to enhance your conference experience by fostering connections and building relationships between newer and experienced teachers. Our goal is to support music educators and, in turn, advance the field of music education through these meaningful interactions. By partnering a new conference attendee with a buddy, we aim to help them learn how to efficiently maximize their conference experience and develop a connection with a peer that can extend beyond the event. REQUEST A BUDDY The Conference Buddy Program is FREE and is open to ANY NMEA member who would like to make a connection with a veteran teacher, but teachers in the following categories are highly encouraged to participate:
To participate, check the “I need a buddy” box in the conference registration online form by November 1st. BE A BUDDY As a seasoned conference attendee, you are invited to help new teachers by volunteering to be the “buddy” in our Conference Buddy Program! This is an exciting opportunity for you to meet a new teacher or first-time attendee, help them determin relevant sessions to attend, and introduce them to other conference attendees. If you are interested, please check the “I would like to volunteer to be a buddy” box in the conference registration online form by November 1st. An email with your assigned attendee’s name and contact information will arrive in your inbox prior to the conference. MORE INFORMATION Click the link below to learn more about the different roles and responsibilities of the Conference Buddy Program. Conference Buddy Program Information2025 AWARDS DINNERThe annual Awards Dinner will take place on Friday, November 21 at the Cornhusker Hotel Atrium and Grand Ballroom. Social hour will take place from 5:15 pm with live music. The dinner will begin at 6:00 pm. Advance ticket purchase is required to attend the Awards Dinner. Online sales for Awards Dinner tickets Open September 1 at the early bird rate of $40. On November 1, the ticket price increases to $50. Meal choices for the 2025 Awards Dinner are:
*Any tickets not purchased in advance will be the default meal of pork loin. Collegiate Members' tickets are included with their conference registration. 2025 EXHIBIT INFORMATIONBecome an exhibitor for the 2025 NMEA Conference In-Service Clinic November 20-22, 2025! 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 to below to give an idea of what type of reach to expect.
EXHIBITOR REGISTRATION Exhibitor registration is open now through October 3 at 11:59 pm Central. Click the link below to register. Exhibitor RegistrationFor 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. |
