Midwest CMO Awards Show Weekend FAQ

Where and when is this being held?

Thursday, April 30 – Sunday, May 3, in La Crosse, WI.  All activities (except the Sunday brunch) will be held within about a ½-mile radius of any hotels in our hotel blocks (see below).  The award show itself will be in South Hall at the La Crosse Center the evening of May 2.

 

Why should I attend?

Our annual awards show weekend is the biggest event that the organization produces each year.  It costs us about $50K to produce the weekend and many of your peers put in a lot of work in order to celebrate you.  Whether you are a nominee or not (only about 15% of members will be nominated and only about 3% will win an award), you should attend!  Our awards weekend typically attracts about 70% of our members.  It is where you learn together, build relationships with peers for future writing sessions, plan shared performances or tours, meet studio engineers that could help with your sound, share your thoughts on the org with board members, perform your own songs for other members, and be inspired for another year of grinding in the music business.  You should plan to attend!

 

What happens during the awards show weekend?

A full itinerary will be released closer to the weekend, but following is what we have in various stages of planning…

• Thursday, April 30: Members arrive in town and check into hotels/AirBnB.  That evening, we will all participate in a “One Guitar Dive Bar Crawl” though downtown La Crosse, hosted by Jared Schutz, known as the Wisconsin Dive Bar Guy.
• Friday, May 1: On Friday each year, we host a members’ “summit”.  This is an opportunity to learn and discuss together, centered around topics most members are struggling with or curious about.  While still in the planning stage, you can probably expect a panel discussion on AI, some learnings around video creation, and other such topics.
  • Friday night is our annual members’ jam, held this year at Popcorn Tavern.  This will be your opportunity to share your songs with other members, and perhaps a chance to invite others to join you on those songs.  Last year, it was scheduled for 3 hours, and we cut it off after 5!  It’s a party, so you should be there!
• Saturday, May 2: For those performing, the morning and afternoon will be required, scheduled soundchecks.  Once again, we will have a rehearsal space available (at Popcorn Tavern, 1.5 blocks from the La Crosse Center) during the day.
  • For all members, this year, we are making the Parking Lot Party official!  We will have a small PA and presence on the veranda of the La Crosse Center and sign ups to perform for the community will be announced soon.  Also, that afternoon, we are working with Dave’s Guitar Shop and Drum Depot on an open house (including a food truck).
  • Saturday evening kicks off with our member/sponsor reception at 5PM and then the big show at 7PM.  Immediately after the show, the after party keeps things going at, again, Popcorn Tavern.
• Sunday, May 3: On your way out of town, stop by Alpine Inn for a Bloody Mary brunch and a music showcase to be determined.

 

Where should I stay in La Crosse?

We have hotel room blocks held at 3 downtown hotels (the furthest away is only 0.2 miles, so all are close).  You can find those hotels and rates here.

Note that these blocks/holds expire March 1, so reserve your room now.  There are also a number of AirBnB and VRBO apartments and homes around La Crosse that might work if you want to stay with your entire group.

 

How can I get tickets?

Members will be able to access tickets through La Crosse Center the morning of Wednesday, February 25, with a special presale code available via our members-only Backstage.  This will be the only day that members can get tickets before they go on sale to the public.  Nominees will be able to reserve their complimentary ticket and any additional paid tickets before the member on sale (you will receive a separate communication with the process).

The front row of the venue will be held for sponsors who are making the show happen for us.  Behind that will be 6 rows of 10-top tables, and those will be $68 (including a $3 facility charge) per seat, plus tax and cc fees.  Behind that will be single seat theatre seating, and those will be $43 (including a $3 facility charge) plus tax and cc fees.  New this year, the side of the venue will be our “party pit”.  This will be a standing room only area (but with some couches and cocktails tables).  Those tickets will be $33 (including a $3 facility charge) plus tax and cc fees.

Yes, tickets are through TicketMaster this year.  No, we did not have a choice.

 

What about complimentary tickets?

If you are a nominee, you will receive one complimentary ticket (as long as your membership is active).  If a band is nominated, only those band members who are individual members will receive one complimentary ticket.  The exception to that is if the whole band is performing.  Any musician performing on stage will receive one complimentary ticket.

For nominees, if you plan to buy additional tickets, there will be a form for that this year that you must fill out.  For example, if you are nominated and want to attend with your spouse and kid, you will need to use the form provided to you (once nominations are announced) to note for the La Crosse Center how many additional tickets you’d like to purchase together (2 additional in this case).  Those forms will need to be to Eric Salisbury no later than noon on Friday, February 20.  After that time, you can still get your complimentary ticket, but we will not be able to reserve you seating close to the stage (you will just be in line with the public who will be purchasing tickets at that point).

 

How were nominees/winners determined?

This award show, while in 2026, is for material produced and/or released in 2025 by those who were members in 2025.  During the month of December, the nomination committee solicited feedback from all members on what they released and what they would like to be considered for.  Similarly, into January, we solicited public nominations (and we had approximately 4,000 public nomination forms submitted this year!).  Throughout January, the nomination committee meets almost every three days, to listen, discuss, debate, and determine nominees.  The nomination committee consists of about 12-15 members each year, and includes festival directors, radio station owners and personalities, booking agents, and a couple of artist members.  These committee members spend around 60-70 hours, together and individually listening to material during January to determine the 5 nominees in each category.

In March, it is you (our members) who vote to determine the winners.  We all hope that you spend time checking out each nominee and not just vote for those you are familiar with.  This is an opportunity to hear new members and then come to the awards and meet them in person, expanding your own network.

 

Do you need additional help?

Oh, heck, yeah!  We will be releasing a list of volunteer opportunities soon.  If you’d like to sign up for something now, contact Eric Salisbury (see below).

 

Who do I contact with questions?

This year’s event planning team includes…

• Eric Salisbury, Event Director (ecsalisbury@gmail.com) – Eric can handle your questions regarding ticketing, schedules, volunteer coordination, etc.
• Chance Ficher, Performance Coordinator (bestchancebooking@gmail.com) – Chance is organizing our performances and performers questions should be directed to him.
• Gregg Hall, Production Coordinator (deecemusicgregg@gmail.com) – Gregg is working with the production team at La Crosse Center and can answer any of your technical questions (he’s also the king of La Crosse, so can answer questions about the city and things to do).
• PT, founder and board chair (paulhohag@gmail.com), is also available.