THE NATIONAL INDEPENDENT TALENT ORGANIZATION (NITO) is a non-profit group initially formed by like-minded independent music talent agencies for the purpose of promoting the welfare and prosperity of its members and their represented artists, as well as for the indirect benefit of those associated with them. NITO welcomes a broader coalition of the live music ecosystem beyond independent talent agencies including U.S.-based small businesses and majority owner-operated independent management companies (NAICS Code 711410). In addition, NITO has invited U.S.-based artists, crew, and other live touring entities to join as non-dues paying associate members.
“We need and want to be assured that our voices are heard in Congress and Washington,” according to NITO.
From its inception, NITO has been working tirelessly to advocate for the survival of the live music community as the nation and economy slowly recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. See below for quotes on their efforts from NITO’s founding members and allies.
Talent agents represent artists and negotiate the live performance aspect of their careers. In the live music ecosystem, the agent is the initial and perpetual conduit between countless people whose livelihoods depend on each other: Managers and their staff, Publicists, Social Media Managers, Promoters and their staff, Travel Agents, Record Companies, Tour and Production Managers, Sound, Lighting and Backline Technicians, Riggers, Gaffers, Truck and Bus Drivers, Freight Companies, Venue Staff (Box Office, Ticket Takers, Ushers, Security, Concessionaires, Caterers, Marketers, Stagehands, Loaders, Hospitality, Runners, Local Transport, Janitorial), Accounting, Airlines, Hotels, Rental Vehicles, and Ticketing Companies.
NITO’s 14 founding small independent businesses (listed below) alone currently represent approximately 2,000 artists. In 2019, collectively, more than 40,000 concerts were booked by NITO’s members across the U.S. with over 12.5 million tickets sold, generating in excess of half a billion dollars in gross ticket sales annually. The additional financial impact of these performances on surrounding communities is over $1 billion. As of press time, NITO’s total membership is over 65 members and consistently growing.
While it is still unknown when it will be safe to experience the thrill of a concert in person again, NITO will continue their efforts on behalf of the artists they represent and their role as the engine that helps to employ and support all of those who depend on their work. NITO will fight to keep this community alive until it’s safe again to gather with friends and other fans to share these experiences that are some of the best moments of our lives.
Learn more: https://nitolive.org/
NITO FOUNDING MEMBERS (as of June 2020)
Entourage Talent / Wayne Forte
Ground Control Touring / Eric Dimenstein
High Road Touring / Frank Riley
Leave Home Booking / Stormy Shepherd
Madison House / Nadia Prescher
Mongrel Music / Brad Madison
New Frontier Touring / Paul Lohr
Panache Booking / Michelle Cable
Partisan Arts / Tom Chauncey, Hank Sacks
Pinnacle Entertainment / Scott Sokol
Sound Talent Group / Dave Shapiro
Skyline Artists Agency / Mark Lourie, Bruce Houghton
TKO / Steve Schenck
The Kurland Agency / Ted Kurland, Jack Randall
