#IFEA2025

Location & Date for 2025 Annual Convention & Expo
To Be Announced Soon

We’re working hard to bring you the details of the location and date of our 2025 Annual Convention & Expo as soon as possible.

Responding to industry and attendee surveys, the IFEA is currently working to negotiate future convention locations that will provide more cost-effective lodging, travel and ground transportation alternatives for attendees, increasing access and encouraging participation by a greater number of industry professionals, volunteers, board members and others. We are also working to control the growing costs of convention facilities, meals and support functions, while directing more funding toward programming and speaker resources that will allow us to continue providing the highest quality, value and return-on-investment possible. As "The Premier Association Supporting and Enabling Festival & Event Professionals Worldwide", this is the IFEA's commitment to you.

Our annual convention dates will fall during the end of September to mid-November, between the end of the busy summer festival season and the beginning of the year-end holiday event, parade and Bowl Game season.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Watch this space for more details!

More Details

Complete details about the 2025 Annual Convention & Expo will be available soon. Until then, the following information about our 2024 Annual IFEA Convention, Expo & Retreat can be used as a valuable resource.

That's A Wrap on the 2024 IFEA Annual IFEA Convention & Expo in Pittsburgh!

That's a Wrap on the 2024 IFEA Annual Convention & Expo in Pittsburgh! We are thrilled to announce the resounding success of the 2024 IFEA Annual Convention & Expo, presented by atVenu, held at the Wyndham Grand Pittsburgh Downtown from September 29 to October 1. As our world and profession continue to evolve, we focused on the theme of "REFOCUS" — taking the time to refine our strategies, re-engage with our core mission, and reconnect with our industry’s visionaries. Together, we explored new ideas, discussed emerging trends, and reignited our commitment to innovation, creativity, and sustainability within the festivals and events industry.

The IFEA extends its deepest appreciation to atVenu, our presenting sponsor, and to each and every one of our attendees, presenters, participants, sponsors, exhibitors, and volunteers. Your invaluable time, resources, and unwavering efforts made this event truly exceptional. A special note of gratitude goes to the incredible team from the City of Pittsburgh and the Pittsburgh Irish Festival, whose dedication and support played an instrumental role in ensuring this year’s Convention was a triumph. Our collective efforts have undoubtedly led to a transformative "refocus" that will continue to influence and enhance the festivals and events industry for years to come.

We hope that you left Pittsburgh feeling inspired, motivated, and equipped to refocus your efforts on what matters most. Whether through networking, professional development sessions, or simply reconnecting with peers, we trust that the 2024 Convention has set the stage for your future success.

Thank you once again for making this event unforgettable! We look forward to seeing you all again next year. Stay tuned for more information on the 2025 IFEA Annual Convention & Expo — details will be announced soon.

Post Convention Details

The Convention May be Over - But Don't Stop the Networking!

Don't let the distance between you stop the networking! You traded business cards, you talked about great ideas, you discovered new vendors and suppliers . . . you said you'd be in touch . . . well, what are you waiting for? Pick up that phone, jot down an email, follow through and stay in touch! If you can't find where you put that business card or phone number, check out your convention attendee list. And if that doesn't work, give the IFEA a call. No matter what - if there's even one person you enjoyed chatting with at the convention this year, keep in touch . . . you never know where things will lead!

And don’t forget, many of the people you met at the Convention this year, are very active in the IFEA’s Virtual Affinity Groups offered on Zoom every Tuesday! If you haven’t popped in to any of the groups yet, stop by and say hello! They’re a great place to continue that networking and exchange ideas!

Photos from the 2024 IFEA Convention & Expo!

For those of you in attendance at the IFEA Convention and even for those who couldn’t make it but are curious to see some of the happenings at the Convention, the 2024 IFEA Convention & Expo Photos can be viewed on the page linked below.

VIEW PHOTOS HERE

(If you would like a high-resolution copy of any of the images, please copy the image you'd like and email it to nia@ifea.com to receive the higher resolution.)

To view the 2024 IFEA/Haas & Wilkerson Pinnacle Award Winner Photos - Click Here.
To view the 2024 IFEA World Festival & Event City Award Winner Photos - Click Here
To view the 2024 IFEA Hall of Fame Inductee Photos - Click Here
To view the 2024 IFEA Volunteer of the Year sponsored by SecurEvent Solutions Photos - Click Here

Congratulations to the 2024 IFEA CFEE Graduates:

The following festival and event industry professionals were recognized during the 2024 IFEA Convention & Expo presented by atVenu for graduating and receiving their Certified Festival & Event Executive Certification sponsored by Kaliff Insurance! Many congratulations to them all for making for taking this important step in their careers!

Laura Blake, Music for All, Indianapolis, IN
Ashley Bush, City of Baltimore, Baltimore, MD
Peggy Curtis, Oregon Jamboree, Sweet Home, OR
TaKeyia Dickens, National Cherry Blossom Festival, Traverse City, MI
Sean Fitzgerald, City of Oviedo, Oviedo, FL
Baylor Hendrickson, Birthplace of Country Music, Bristol, VA
Jonathan Herrera, City of McAllen, McAllen, TX
Erin Jackson, Gravina, Smith, Matte & Arnold Marketing and Public Relations, Fort Myers, FL
Erin Jenks, City of St. Cloud, St. Cloud, FL
Marcello Langoni, City of McAllen, McAllen, TX
Alex McNulty, Pasadena Tournament of Roses Association, Pasadena, CA
Denny A. Meline, City of McAllen, McAllen, TX
Charlotte Nicholson, City of Charlottetown, Charlottetown, PE, Canada
Mairin Petrone, Pittsburgh Irish Festival, Pittsburgh, PA
Sotero David Ramirez, TINT, San Antonio, TX
Traci Ridling, Pasadena Tournament of Roses Association, Pasadena, CA
Mark Sternberg, Music for All, Indianapolis, IN
Patrick Stewart, Visit Panama City Beach, Panama City Beach, FL
Azeneth A. Vasquez, City of McAllen, McAllen, TX
Casey Watts, Promo King San Antonio
Megan Zaranek, Saint Louis Art Fair, St. Louis, MO

Congratulations to our 2024 IFEA Award Winners

The IFEA made a big impact on the world of Festivals and Events on September 29, 2024 as we honored the recipients of our many awards programs. We would like to extend a huge congratulations to all of our recipients, winners and inductees! To find out who was recognized, just follow the links below:

To learn more about IFEA's Award Programs, Click Here.

Share Your Success with Others - Order Duplicate Awards Today!

Congratulations to all the 2024 IFEA Award winners! You are probably making arrangements this very second, to celebrate with your staff, volunteers, board, sponsors and community for all their hard work in putting on such a great event!! As you do so, why not take a moment to recognize their hard work and efforts by giving them their own Award. It's a great way to recognize all those that were involved and give them the pride of being affiliated with an award-winning event or city!

Order Duplicate 2024 IFEA/Haas & Wilkerson Pinnacle Award Plaques Here
Order Duplicate 2024 IFEA World Festival & Event City Awards Here

If you would like to place an order for a duplicate IFEA Hall of Fame Award, IFEA Volunteer of the Year Award or an IFEA/Haas & Wilkerson Gold Grand Pinnacle Trophy, please contact Nia Hovde, CFEE, Vice President/Director of Marketing & Communications at nia@ifea.com directly for pricing and ordering.

The Expo May be Over but the Show Goes On!

While the 2024 IFEA Expo may have come and gone, our 2024 Exhibitors are here for you year-round in the IFEA Virtual Trade Show.
We invite you to learn more about the exhibitors who joined us at our 2024 Expo, and who continue to support the IFEA and our industry through both good times and challenging ones.

Buy From Those Who Help Build Our Industry -- Those businesses who invest their time and resources to exhibit, play an important role in helping to make our convention and programs possible. Help us recognize their efforts to support our industry, by emailing one with a question or brief introduction and the chance to learn more about what they can do. You just may be surprised by the options and savings available!

Interested in exhibiting at the 2025 IFEA Expo? Details and registration links will be coming soon.

Questions? Contact Carrie Ring, CFEE Director of Partnerships & Programs, +1 208.433.0950 x8120 or carrie@ifea.com

Thank You To Our Association Endorsed Partners and Convention Sponsors:

Presenting sponsor of the IFEA Annual Convention & Expo!

Presenting sponsor of the IFEA Convention & Expo atVenu is a leading platform specializing in live event sales. They offer a range of comprehensive solutions, including point-of-sale, inventory management, real-time reporting, digital food vendor settlements, and more. With feature sets specifically designed to meet the unique needs of live events, it is a trusted partner for hundreds of festivals, sporting events, concert venues, fairs, and more. atVenu's point-of-sale system is quick and easy to set up, manage, and deploy, making it ideal for small teams and events big and small alike. The platform is built to save you time, ensure faster-moving lines, and be reliable when your connectivity isn’t so you never lose out on sales. LEARN MORE: info.atvenu.com/ifea

“As a not-for-profit 501(C)6 organization, the IFEA reserves the right to refuse or cancel the registration of any individual or organizational attendee, who, at its sole discretion, may represent/display unprofessional, unlawful, unethical, unsafe, or other actions/positions deemed contrary to the best interests of the IFEA and our global industry.”