IFEA 71st Annual Convention & Expo

More festivals are bringing food and beverage operations in-house, but what does that actually involve? Hear from operators who’ve made the shift as they walk through planning, vendor management, execution, and settlements. Learn where the revenue upside is and how to evaluate if it’s the right move.

Your email list is one of your most valuable assets. Discover how leading events use email marketing to sell more tickets, encourage repeat attendance, promote upgrades and add-ons, and build year-round loyalty. We'll explore campaign strategies, automation, segmentation, subject lines that get opened, and performance metrics that matter—so you can turn more subscribers into paying attendees.

IFEA convention attendees have a unique opportunity to share "common ground” with professional peers while discussing current trends and issues during our popular "Affinity Group” Sessions, which many of you have been participating in virtually throughout the year. Now come meet your professional friends in person! Bring your questions and input to these valuable open-topic exchange sessions and let the conversation begin. Each Affinity Group has been assigned a Moderator(s) to help keep the discussions flowing smoothly.

IFEA convention attendees have a unique opportunity to share "common ground” with professional peers while discussing current trends and issues during our popular "Affinity Group” Sessions, which many of you have been participating in virtually throughout the year. Now come meet your professional friends in person! Bring your questions and input to these valuable open-topic exchange sessions and let the conversation begin. Each Affinity Group has been assigned a Moderator(s) to help keep the discussions flowing smoothly.

Where location data comes from, what it can tell you about your audience, and how to use it to sell tickets and buy talent. No technical background required.

In today’s competitive environment, sponsorships are no longer about logos, signage, or one-time visibility — they are about relationships, relevance, and results. Organizations that retain sponsors successfully understand that partnership stewardship must happen all year long, not just during renewal season.
This engaging and action-oriented session explores practical strategies to strengthen sponsor loyalty, deepen communication, increase value, and create experiences that sponsors remember. Participants will learn how to move from transactional conversations to trusted partnerships that inspire long-term commitment and mutual growth.
Join us for this valuable session and learn to:
• Identify the key drivers that influence sponsor retention and renewal decisions.
• Develop strategies to create meaningful, year-round sponsor engagement.
• Communicate measurable value and partnership impact effectively.
• Discover techniques to strengthen trust, visibility, and long-term loyalty.

Marketing tools evolve quickly, and AI is at the center of it. You can generate a dozen posts in seconds, but are they good or just adequate? This session is for festival and event pros who want to build better content faster while still holding onto their brand voice. Don't be another "AI Slop" post or email. Be better. We'll explore specific settings and nuances of tools like ChatGPT and Gemini that make your content feel real and human. We'll look at popular tools with built-in AI and discuss when to use them and when to use an external tool. We'll also talk about the biggest tells that you're using AI and how simple tweaks can make your content sound more like you.