More than 130 acts, from solo artists to full bands, will be selected to showcase at various venues over two nights during the fourth annual Singer-Songwriter Cape May music business conference set for March 25-26 in the historic Victorian-lined New Jersey seaside resort community. The deadline for singer-songwriters in all genres to submit showcase applications via Sonicbids, U.S. Mail or a social networking site using Acteva.com has been extended until Jan.28. Some 50 showcase slots have already been determined.

Contemporary folk singer-songwriter Lucy Kaplansky and Pat Dinizio, front man for The Smithereens, are this year’s keynote speakers. Both also are slated to perform. SS Cape May also will feature two afternoons of panel discussions, workshops, mentoring and demo-listening sessions, and exhibits at historic Congress Hall & Harrison Conference Center. The conference also will afford plenty of opportunities for networking with other singer-songwriters, musicians and music industry professionals.

All emerging and established artists who submit applications are automatically registered to attend the conference even if they don’t get a conference slot, says John Harris, who coordinates SS Cape May. Non-performers and non-applying performing artists may register for a small fee. Evening showcase performances will be free and open to the public.

For more information, visit www.sscapemay.com.

Editor’s Note: I participated as a panelist on “Music Marketing, Publicity and Press: The New Media Revolution” during last year’s SS Cape May conference and was impressed with the caliber of the other panels that I observed, as well as with a number of the showcasing artists. I’ve since enjoyed several of them in concert and have helped to secure gigs for a couple.