Arts Northwest

What Arts Northwest does

Arts Northwest is a 501(c)(3) non-profit regional service organization founded in 1981 and headquartered in Port Angeles, Washington. It serves performing arts presenters, individual artists and ensembles, agents, vendors, and associate members across the Pacific Northwest and beyond, with public-sector backing from the Arts Commissions of Washington, Oregon, and Idaho, WESTAF (now Creative West), and the National Endowment for the Arts.

The organization's core offerings center on the annual Northwest Booking Conference (44th edition held in Beaverton, Oregon in October 2025) and the Booking Connection platform — an artist profile directory with audio, video, and website links accessible to all website visitors. Supporting programs include Block Booking Services that coordinate multi-date tours across the membership, a Membership Directory with regional presenter maps, a mentor program for first-time conference attendees, juried showcases, and conference planning workgroups. The underlying technology stack is light: a website (artsnw.org) and member-login system rather than a proprietary technology product.

Arts Northwest funds operations through five membership tiers (Presenter, Individual Artist/Ensemble, Agency/Management, Associate, Approved Vendor) with annual dues ranging $145–$325 scaled to organizational revenue, plus annual conference registration and booth fees and tax-deductible donations. With a 6-employee staff and event-driven go-to-market centered on the annual conference, the organization operates as a community-and-network intermediary connecting performing artists with presenting venues across the region.

Name

Arts Northwest

Legal name

Arts Northwest

Website

https://artsnw.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1981

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Arts Northwest is a Pacific Northwest non-profit service organization that runs the annual Northwest Booking Conference and the Booking Connection artist directory, connecting performing arts presenters, artists, agents, and vendors across the region.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Performing Arts Services

NAICS

Convention and Trade Show Organizers (56192), Agents and Managers for Artists, Athletes, Entertainers, and Other Public Figures (7114), Performing Arts Companies (7111)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Artist Booking, Talent Buying & Agency Services (MPAGAAAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Performing Arts Centers & Presenters (Programming/Booking) (MPAGABAM), Live Music Booking (Bands, Soloists, DJs) (HSACAHAA)

Keywords

• Performing arts services
• Arts booking network
• Membership association
• Conference services
• Block booking facilitation

Headquarters

HQ city

Port Angeles

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership dues from five membership categories (Presenter, Individual Artist/Ensemble, Agency/Management, Associate, Approved Vendor). Dues range from $145 to $325 based on organization type and revenue/fee tiers.
2. Annual Conference Fees: Conference registration and booth fees from the annual Northwest Booking Conference, a major revenue source for the organization.
3. Donations: Tax-deductible charitable contributions from supporters. Arts Northwest is a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Arts Northwest is a regional service organization that connects performing arts presenters with touring artists and agents across the Pacific Northwest. Its core offerings are tiered memberships (Presenter, Individual Artist/Ensemble, Agency/Management, Associate, Approved Vendor), the annual Northwest Booking Conference featuring juried showcases and block booking meetings, and the Booking Connection online artist profile directory. The organization also facilitates block booking coordination between presenters and artists to streamline tour scheduling.

Product overview

Arts Northwest operates as a regional service organization offering a suite of interconnected programs centered around its annual Northwest Booking Conference and the Booking Connection platform. The core offerings include the annual conference (featuring juried showcases, workshops, block booking meetings, and networking), the Booking Connection artist profile system, and block booking services that help members coordinate tour dates. Additional services include a membership directory with regional presenter maps, a mentor program for first-time attendees, and conference planning participation opportunities. The organization serves performing arts presenters, artists, agents, vendors, and associates across the Pacific Northwest region.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Booking Connection: A platform where artists can create comprehensive profiles including audio, video and links to their websites and social media platforms to assist presenters in identifying artists for successful bookings.

Products and services

• Booking Connection A membership-based artist profile platform enabling artists to create comprehensive profiles with audio, video, and website links, visible to all website visitors as long as membership remains active. Selected profiles are featured weekly on the website and through email.
• Northwest Booking Conference Annual performing arts booking conference featuring juried showcases, workshops, keynotes, exhibits, block booking meetings, and networking opportunities for presenters, artists, agents, and vendors across the Pacific Northwest.
• Block Booking Services Block booking opportunity service where members submit tour dates featured in email blasts to the full membership, with options for dedicated e-blasts (Option A, 3+ dates) or monthly e-blast inclusion (Option B, 1-2 dates), plus bi-monthly Zoom meetings to discuss artist interest and bookings.
• Membership Directory Extensive membership directory including regional presenter maps with valuable contact information for connecting presenters and artists/management, available as a benefit of membership.
• Mentor Program Conference mentoring program matching first-time attendees with seasoned colleagues, including a New Colleagues/First Timers Orientation and ongoing support throughout the conference.
• Juried Showcase Annual performance showcase program selecting and featuring artist profiles on the website and through email, with applications opening annually in February and juried selection process.
• Conference Planning Groups Volunteer opportunities for members to participate in conference workgroups, showcase selection panels, and educational content planning committees.

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Arts IdahocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState arts commission providing support and funding to Arts Northwest as one of three regional arts commissions backing the organization.
• Washington State Arts CommissioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState arts commission providing support and funding to Arts Northwest as one of three regional arts commissions backing the organization.
• Oregon Arts CommissioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState arts commission providing support and funding to Arts Northwest as one of three regional arts commissions backing the organization.
• WESTAF (Western States Arts Federation)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional arts federation providing support and funding to Arts Northwest's operations and programs.
• National Endowment for the Arts (NEA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFederal arts agency providing funding support to Arts Northwest as a major backer of the organization's regional arts service programs.
• Americans for the ArtsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerArts advocacy organization providing complimentary membership in the Americans for the Arts Action Fund to Arts Northwest members as a benefit of membership.
• Creative WestcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional arts organization supporting arts organizations across the western United States, partnering with Arts Northwest on regional arts initiatives.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Fractured Atlas: Fractured Atlas is a national arts service organization offering membership, fiscal sponsorship, and digital tools to performing artists and presenters, partially overlapping Arts Northwest's artist profile and booking-support role.

Direct peers

• Mid-America Arts Alliance: Mid-America Arts Alliance provides regional presenting, booking, and touring support to arts organizations across the central US, mirroring Arts Northwest's regional service organization model with conference and block-touring components.
• National Performance Network (NPN): NPN is a national network of performing arts presenters and artists facilitating touring, booking, and community engagement, operating a membership-plus-showcase structure similar to Arts Northwest but at national scale.
• South Arts: South Arts is a regional arts organization supporting presenting, touring, and professional development across the southeastern US, with comparable membership tiers and showcase programming to Arts Northwest.
• Arts Midwest: Arts Midwest is a regional service organization that convenes presenters and artists through touring programs and conferences, structurally analogous to Arts Northwest but operating in the upper Midwest.
• Western Arts Alliance (WAA): Western Arts Alliance operates a comparable annual booking conference and membership model for performing arts presenters, artists, and agents across the western United States, directly overlapping Arts Northwest's Pacific Northwest footprint.
• New England Foundation for the Arts (NEFA): NEFA is a regional arts service and grantmaking organization in New England that supports touring artists and presenters, paralleling Arts Northwest's combination of funding partnerships, networking, and booking support.
• Performing Arts Exchange (PAE): Run by the Southeastern Presenters network, PAE is the southeastern counterpart to Arts Northwest's booking conference, offering juried showcases, block booking, and presenter-agent-artist networking in a parallel format.

Broad incumbents

• Association of Performing Arts Professionals (APAP): APAP is the largest US association for performing arts presenters and managers, running a national conference and resources that subsume the functions Arts Northwest offers regionally.

Regional players

• Creative West (formerly WESTAF): Creative West is the western regional arts federation that directly funds and partners with Arts Northwest; it provides overlapping grantmaking and field-building services to western US arts organizations.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/arts-northwest

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Arts Northwest