KANSAS CITY, MO (CelebrityAccess) — Folk Alliance International announced that the 2021 edition of their annual conference has been canceled.
“FAI must be decisive, nimble, and innovative, and make responsible and proactive decisions. Consequently, in addition to suspending events for the remainder of the calendar year, we have determined that the best course of action at this time is to suspend our in-person conference next February 2021,” FAI executive director Aengus Finnan said.
“In place of producing the conference this coming fiscal year, FAI staff will immediately pivot to developing meaningful online tools and resources, mounting a world-class online showcase conference, securing financial support, and advocating for the folk community and industry,” Finnan added.
The conference was planned for February 17-21 in at the Westin Crown Center Hotel in Kansas City, Missouri.
FAI said that refunds will be processed for anyone who had already registered for the event.
The Folk Alliance also shared some troubling news about its finances, with the organization projecting its first deficit this year in over two decades. According to Folk Alliance, they believe they can weather the losses related to the canceled conference in 2021 but have been forced to initiate a round of layoffs at the organization.
“It’s our hope that by letting you know these things now, it will bring some clarity and relief, and that it might perhaps support others struggling to decide how to proceed,” Finned said
“We all look forward to a future time when we can gather again and simply sit in a room with a group of people and hear live music. Until then we invite you to reach out to us, stay engaged at folk.org and on social media, and look for detailed updates in our monthly e-news.”
