Frequently Asked Questions

Who do I contact with questions?
First check out the FAQ below. If you’re still stuck try these folks:

Registration – Sue Bell, Member Services MemberServices@GalaChoruses.org
Scholarships – Sue Bell, Member Services MemberServices@GalaChoruses.org
Housing – Robin Godfrey, Executive Director ExecutiveDirector@GalaChoruses.org
Workshops – Robin Godfrey, Executive Director ExecutiveDirector@GalaChoruses.org

Programming my set – Kathleen Hansen, 411 Artistic Advisor  ArtisticAdvisor@GalaChoruses.org
Chorus collaborations – Jane Ramseyer Miller, GALA Artistic Director  AD@GalaChorusues.org
Chorus Schedule & Tech – Jane Ramseyer Miller, GALA Artistic Director  AD@GalaChorusues.org
Festival Programming – Jane Ramseyer Miller, GALA Artistic Director  AD@GalaChorusues.org
Blockbuster Concerts – Jane Ramseyer Miller, GALA Artistic Director  AD@GalaChorusues.org

What are the dates of GALA Festival 2024?
Festival performances will begin July 10, 2024 and will end the evening of July 14, 2024. There may be an event scheduled for those arriving a day early. Choruses scheduled to perform on July 10 should plan for tech rehearsal on July 9^th.
Three main venues will be used for Festival performances: Orchestra Hall, the Minneapolis Convention Center Stage, and Central Lutheran Stage. All have excellent acoustics.

Who needs to register for Festival?

Each performing chorus member, including directors and accompanists, must register as a delegate through the Integra Planner system. Delegate Registration grants access to all Festival concerts and events. Delegate Registration will open on July 10, 2023.

Non-singing companions and supporters who want to attend most of the concerts or any of the special events (receptions, etc) should also register as a delegate in Integra with their own email address and password. Those guests who only wish to see a few concerts may choose to purchase tickets to individual performances when they go on sale in Spring of 2024.

To register, go to https://galachoruses.integraplanner.net/

What information is needed to register?
Because of data privacy regulations, each person needs to register their self in the Integra Planner system, although payment can be made by anyone. All delegate registrations require a valid personal and unique email address (myname@internet.com, for example, and not director@gaychorus.org). You’ll also need to provide contact information and the name of your chorus.

The Integra registration form has both required and optional information fields. Chorus Administrators will be asked to provide general information about your choir. Delegates are required to input your first and last name, a personal email address (one that is uniquely yours and not a generic chorus address), a password with at least 8 alpha-numeric characters, a phone number and home address. You will also have a short DELEGATE QUESTIONNAIRE, asking whether you will be performing, your chorus affiliation and voice part. Details will be provided to chorus Festival Liaisons before registration opens.  Everyone registering for Festival must also agree to the possibility of appearing on a video, as we’re planning to stream concerts over the internet.

Will my personal information be private?
GALA Choruses will never share your personal information with anyone outside of staff, and only as required to perform administrative tasks.

What does registration cost?
The Chorus Registration fee is $450 and goes toward the cost of hall rental.

If you are performing on-stage, you are required to register as a delegate. The standard Delegate Registration fee for individuals is $425. There are several discounts available. We are offering a 30% discount to delegates who register before October 31, 2023 and an 18% discount if you register between November 1 and December 31, 2023.

There are also discounts for Youth (21 and younger), Seniors (65 and older), and Disabled (if you receive government benefits) delegates. See the pricing table below.

*Festival in Style Package includes a suite in a Festival Village hotel, limo transportation to and from Festival, 2 reserved seat passes, 2 tickets to the Pinnacle reception with a special guest, a bag of Festival merchandise and a bottle of bubbly.

What is included with my registration?
Each registered delegate will receive a neck-wallet badge which gives you access to all performances and public events throughout Festival. Non-performing companions who do not wish to attend more than a few events do not need to register as delegates; they will have the opportunity to buy single performance tickets in Spring 2024.

There is also a “reserved seating” option available for purchase, which permits delegates to enter concert halls before the general admission doors open, up until 10 minutes before the start of each concert.

What are the qualifications for discounted rates?
The Senior rate is available to delegates who will be 65 before July 1, 2024. The Youth rate is available to delegates who are 21 or under at the time of registration. The “Disabled” category is self-determined (generally applicable to anyone receiving government disability benefits). There is also a new “Senior Assistance” rate for seniors who are unable to afford the regular Senior rate.

Are there scholarships available?
GALA Choruses offers the choruses one free delegate registration for every 20 paid.  It is up to each chorus to determine how to distribute the complimentary registrations.

How do I pay for registration?
You can pay online with a credit card or PayPal account, or mail in a check. In the Integra Planner, click on the ‘Pay Online’ option for any credit card payment, or the ‘Offline Cash’ option to pay by check. Our online transactions are processed by PayPal, but you do not need a PayPal account. Note that the Integra system will not consider you to be registered until payment has been processed. Our mailing address is GALA Choruses, PO Box 99998, Pittsburgh PA 15233.
Detailed instructions for registration in Integra will be provided to your chorus Festival Liaison before registration opens.

What is the deadline for payment of offline delegate registrations?
To qualify for the 30% discount, payment not made online must be received by October 31, 2023. Registrations for which payment is not received by that date will be converted to the $350 rate. Registrations that are unpaid by December 31, 2023 will be converted to the full registration cost of $425. 

Can I bring my children?

Children under 12 years old are welcome in all venues provided they are accompanied by a paying adult.  Minors between 12 and 18 years of age should register as a Youth delegate at a discounted rate.  While we will be planning for some family-friendly activities, we are not in a financial position to offer any on-site child care, unfortunately.

Will there be opportunities for individuals to sing with a mass chorus?

Yes!  The evening Blockbusters will have various mass choruses that you can opt to sing in.  There will also be community concerts happening throughout the city.  Mass Festival Chorus options will be available at a later date.

When can we make housing arrangements?
Hotel reservations will be handled by Convention Housing Partners through a dedicated web link to be posted on the GALA website and distributed to our emailing list. The GALA discounted rates are guaranteed to be the lowest available and will not be available to anyone making reservations by any other means.

Housing Registration will open in January 2024; details will be emailed to all registered delegates and given to your chorus’ Festival Liaison. We currently have 12 hotels in our housing block, all of which are within walking distance of the performance halls and all of which are holding aside rooms for exclusive GALA use. The City of Minneapolis provides a free bus line that goes up and down Nicollet Mall downtown.

Check with your chorus’ Festival Liaison to see whether you need to make hotel reservations on your own, or whether they will book a block of rooms for the whole chorus. You can preview the hotels in the block and get more information on the Festival page of the GALA website.

It is important to GALA that you make housing arrangements within the hotel block, as we are bound by certain minimum room night requirements; if we do not meet those requirements, GALA pays a hefty fine.

Is there any dormitory housing available?

No. Unfortunately, the only educational institutions downtown do not have residential properties.

What is the refund policy?

Our preference is that the registration be transferred or sold through the Integra Marketplace, which functions much like eBay. The seller sets a price and chooses which buyer to deal with; payment arrangements are to be made between buyer and seller.

Otherwise, we can do credit card refunds within 60 days of registration.  Cash refund requests will be handled as staff time allows (it’s a labor-intensive process).  Delegate cancellations are subject to a processing fee, except in cases where the chorus cancels.

What is the COVID-19 policy? Will participants need to be vaccinated?

At this point (June 2023), we are not expecting to require vaccinations, although masks are generally encouraged.  Should the pandemic situation change, we will revisit the policy and notify all choruses and delegates.

Is downtown Minneapolis safe? What security measures will be in place? 

Downtown Minneapolis is as safe as any city; it’s a bustling area with lots of restaurants, bars, theaters churches and Minnesotans.  The culture is generally polite and accepting. Each performance venue and hotel has its own security team, and they will be briefed on the fact that this is an LGBTQ+ group.  In addition, we’re working with both public and private law & security professionals to circulate through the Festival Village from 8 am to 11 pm.  The Twin Cities Pride event will take place just before GALA Festival, so we’ll have a good sense of what to expect and can make any adjustments.  We certainly understand how important it is for all of us to feel safe.

When does my chorus need to arrive in Minneapolis?
It depends on what activities your chorus is involved in. Most tech rehearsals will occur the day prior to a performance. Check the GALA website for the program schedule. Please understand that the schedule will continue to evolve as additional programming details gel. Choruses will be notified of concert block schedules as soon as possible.

Is there a smartphone app for Festival 2024?  

Yes!  If you have an iPhone or an Android phone, you can download the Integra Scheduler app from the Apple Store or the Google Play Store.  The app is a great tool for navigating Festival, and will show you all your own events as well as the full schedule and information about all the choruses.  You can even make notations on the concerts & individual songs, and complete workshop evaluations in the app.

Is there a Social Media hashtag we can use?
Yes! We’ve launched an official hashtag for all social media platforms, so please use #GALAFEST2024 in all your social media posts for Festival.

What if I have more questions?
Check with your chorus’ Festival Liaison. They can contact Sue in Member Services for any needed information.