Frequently Asked Questions

By  Sue Bell 

 June 27, 2023 

  

You’ve got Festival questions. We’ve got Festival answers!

A stylized line drawing of a bird made from a treble clef, and staff paper

 

What are the dates of GALA Festival 2024 and when should my chorus arrive?
Festival performances will begin July 10, 2024 and end the evening of July 14, 2024. Be sure to review the Festival schedule. Note that most choirs have a tech rehearsal on July 10 and opening day will be full of Festival Chorus rehearsals and outdoor performances in Peavey Plaza.

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 opens July 10, 2023.  People may also register onsite, but please do register online if at all possible.

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 and record all concerts.

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, 2023 and March 31, 2024.

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.

30% Discount (Jun-Oct 2023)$299
18% Discount (Nov 2023 – Mar 2024)$350
Full Price Delegate (Apr-July 2024)$425
Youth (21 and under)$175
Disabled  (receiving govt. assistance)$175
Senior Regular  (65 and over)$239
Senior Assisted$175
Festival in Style Package for Two *SOLD OUT

What is included with my registration?
Each registered delegate will receive a neck-wallet name 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 limited number of “reserved seating” upgrades 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. Reserved seats are currently SOLD OUT.

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 scholarship registration for every 20 paid.  It is up to each chorus to determine how to distribute the complimentary registrations.  To apply a comp to an open registration, chorus leaders should contact Sue at memberservices@galachoruses.org.

How do I pay for registration?
You can pay online with a credit card or PayPal account, or offline by mailing 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 have been provided to your chorus Festival Liaison.

What is the deadline for payment of offline delegate registrations?
To qualify for the 30% discount, payment 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 March 31, 2023 will be converted to the full registration cost of $425. 

May I bring my children?
The Festival does not offer any on-site child care. 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 the discounted rate.  Youth ages 14-18 may participate in special Youth Festival programming, with parental permission, and may register to sing in the GenZ Youth Chorus.  Contact Nicky Manlove for information on youth programming.

Will there be opportunities for individuals to sing with a mass chorus?
Yes!  Evening Blockbusters feature a variety of Festival Choruses. Each delegate may register for ONE mass chorus; the “Multae Voces” chorus is intended for individuals attending Festival without their home chorus. Note that voice parts are limited to keep sections balanced.  There is a $10 fee to cover costs of scores and rehearsal tracks.  When the repertoire has been selected for the Festival Choruses, the producer of that chorus will send you a link to download the music and rehearsal tracks. Sign up for a Festival Chorus now!

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.

General Housing Registration for hotels within the Festival Village will open on February 7, 2024. Details for room reservations have been sent to your chorus’ Festival Liaison. We currently have 15 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 find more information about each property on the Festival Housing page.

*** 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 fee. ***

Is there any dormitory housing available?
No. Unfortunately, the educational institutions downtown do not have residences.

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. The Integra Marketplace will open in March.

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 and we can’t guarantee that checks would be issued before August.  Delegate cancellations are subject to a $20 processing fee, except in cases where the chorus cancels.

What is the COVID-19 policy? Will participants need to be vaccinated?
At this point (Spring 2024), 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 large city; it’s a bustling area with lots of restaurants, bars, theaters churches and Minnesotans. The culture is generally polite and welcoming of LGBTQ+ individuals. 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.

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 smartphone 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. The details of the Festival schedule and performers will be added to the app in the Spring. 

Is there a Social Media hashtag we can use?
Yes! We’ve launched an official hashtag for all social media platforms, so please use #GALA2024 in all your social media posts for Festival. We encourage choruses to post photos and stories of how you’re preparing 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.

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