Summerfest may be currently catching its breath and cooling off, but another big-ticket Milwaukee event is just getting started.

The NIVA ’25 Conference—a.k.a. the fourth annual gathering of the National Independent Venue Association—runs from Monday, June 23 through Wednesday, June 25. The conference features roughly 2,000 professionals from the national live music industry participating in a host of panels, workshops, and events. Discussions include things like “How Global Music Industry Economics Are Impacting Independent Stages,” “All Things Bandsintown” (moderated by Milwaukee Record‘s own Matt Wild, a.k.a. me), and “Subsidizing A Monopoly: How Cities Hurt Artists & Venues By Investing In Live Nation.” That last one should give you a pretty good idea of where NIVA stands in the tumultuous world of live music.

The majority of NIVA ’25 events take place at the Miller High Life Theatre and Turner Hall Ballroom, and are open only to conference attendees and badge-holders. (An opening party featuring My Morning Jacket’s Jim James took place Sunday night.) But there are plenty of affiliated shows and events taking place in other Milwaukee venues that are open to the public, per usual. If you’re not a NIVA ’25 badge-holder but still want a little NIVA ’25 action, here are some things to check out: