Founded in 1956 as the Festival Manager's Association, the International Festivals & Events Association (IFEA World) today is ‘The Premier Association Supporting and Enabling Festival & Event Professionals Worldwide.’ In partnership with global affiliates under the umbrellas of IFEA Africa, IFEA Asia, IFEA Australia / New Zealand, IFEA Europe, IFEA Latin America, IFEA Middle East, and IFEA North America, the organization's common vision is for "A Globally United Industry that Touches Lives in a Positive Way through Celebration." Toward that end, we now also count “IFEA Academia,” providing a common home for students, faculty and institutions around the world who share a festival and event management focus and a common goal of preparing future industry leaders; a forum for important industry-related research and discussions; and an effective junction of the academic and professional pathways of our industry.
With a target audience that includes all those who produce and support quality celebrations for the benefit of their respective "communities", the IFEA's primary focus is identifying and providing access to the professional resources and networks that will, as stated in our mission, inspire and enable those in our industry to realize their dreams, build community and sustain success through celebration.
The IFEA exists to serve the needs of our entire industry, all those who share our core values of excellence & quality; the sharing of experience, knowledge, creativity and best practices; and the importance of "community" building both locally and globally. Our success lies in the success of those we serve through professional education, programming, products and resources, networking and representation.
The IFEA enjoys the active support of over 3000 Premier Members, a self-selected group of industry leading professionals and organizations who continue to set and raise the bar for themselves and everyone in our industry with regard to creativity, quality, professionalism, experience, and success. These members (including all event categories, budget and attendance levels), while representing only a part of the festivals and events industry as a whole, have learned the value of active and continued involvement with their professional peers at the highest levels and have set themselves apart from the pack. They represent the very best of our industry brand and through their involvement the IFEA is able to build a stronger foundation for our common industry.
The IFEA is headquartered in
Boise, Idaho, in the northwestern United States. The organization's offices are located in the historic
Boise Train Depot.