IFEA 71st Annual Convention & Expo: Full Schedule

This premier gathering of festival and event professionals, suppliers, and industry partners from around the world offers unparalleled opportunities for education, inspiration, and meaningful connection. From those taking their first steps toward a new event, to those advancing long-standing, globally recognized experiences, there is something for everyone as we explore emerging trends, address real-world challenges, and identify new opportunities.
Mark your calendar. Step Forward. The future of festivals and events starts here.

10:45am PDT

Building a Culture of Success, with Legacy Results

Monday October 5, 2026 10:45am - 11:45am PDT

Room - Joshua Tree

Working in the festival and event business is deeply meaningful. As rewarding as your days can be, they can also be demanding, emotional and exhausting. Even the most dedicated professionals can feel stretched thin.
In this energizing and deeply relatable session, you will be inspired to reconnect with why you do what you do, rediscover your personal and professional purpose and re-ignite the positivity that fuels outstanding care!
Through relatable stories, practical mindset shifts and uplifting insights, you will be reminded that how YOU show up everyday matters - to your customers, families and colleagues. The bottom line? When YOU lead with purpose, manage your energy with intention, and choose positivity – you build a culture of success, and leave a legacy of results.

Speakers

Gail Lowney Alofsin

Author, Speaker, Professor, University of Rhode Island

Gail Lowney Alofsin is the Associate Director Corporate Partnerships for the Office of Strategic Initiatives at the University of Rhode Island. Gail has been speaking at the IFEA Conference for over 25 years and also serves on the IFEA's Presidents Council.
Gail is a national keyn... Read More →

Monday October 5, 2026 10:45am - 11:45am PDT
Room - Joshua Tree

Education, CFEE Elective

2:00pm PDT

Planning for a Crisis and Managing One

Monday October 5, 2026 2:00pm - 3:00pm PDT

Room - Joshua Tree

From increasingly harsh weather to major equipment failures to criminal acts, we're forced to confront the risks of holding our festivals and events. You'll learn how to identify the risks to your events, how to make a plan for dealing with them, what to do when a crisis occurs, and how to recover quickly. You'll walk away with a checklist of actions you can take as soon as you get home.

Speakers

Dave Bullard, CFEE

Owner, FanFirst

Monday October 5, 2026 2:00pm - 3:00pm PDT
Room - Joshua Tree

Education, CFEE Elective

3:15pm PDT

Building Sustainable Events: Practical Steps | Common Challenges | Telling Your Story

Monday October 5, 2026 3:15pm - 4:15pm PDT

Room - Joshua Tree

Sustainability can feel overwhelming, but it doesn't have to be. This interactive session explores what sustainability is - and what it isn't - through the lens of real-world event operations. We'll discuss practical, achievable steps that events of any size can take, common challenges organizers face, and simple ways to measure and communicate results.

Speakers

Jen Marhenke

Director of Sustainability, Rico Solutions

With more than 25 years of experience in event production, Jen Marhenke brings deep operational expertise and a practical, boots-on-the-ground approach to sustainability in sports and live events. Over the past decade, she has led efforts to integrate environmental responsibility... Read More →

Monday October 5, 2026 3:15pm - 4:15pm PDT
Room - Joshua Tree

Education, CFEE Elective

9:15am PDT

Volunteer Management Affinity Group

Tuesday October 6, 2026 9:15am - 10:45am PDT

Room - Joshua Tree

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.

Moderators

TaKeyia Dickens, MBA, CFEE

Community Curator and Community Partnerships Specialist, The Connector's Lab

TaKeyia M. Dickens, MBA, CFEE, is a dynamic community engagement strategist, speaker, and founder of The Connector’s Lab, a creative think space focused on designing community-first strategies, volunteer programs, and partnerships that create real connection and measurable impact... Read More →

Samantha Mulvihill

Volunteers Specialist, Shows, The Pennsylvania Horticulture Sociaty

Tuesday October 6, 2026 9:15am - 10:45am PDT
Room - Joshua Tree

Education, CFEE Elective

11:00am PDT

From Forklifts to Fireworks: How CLARK Gave Thunder Over Louisville a Lift—and Became Part of the Show

Tuesday October 6, 2026 11:00am - 12:00pm PDT

Room - Joshua Tree

When a major logistical challenge threatened Thunder Over Louisville, the Kentucky Derby Festival and CLARK Material Handling Company found an unexpected solution—and turned it into a unique sponsorship opportunity. This session tells the story of how CLARK went from providing the equipment that helped make Thunder possible to building a sponsorship activation around the partnership through customer and employee engagement, hospitality, media and social content. It’s a real-world example of what can happen when a sponsor becomes more than a logo and becomes part of the event itself.

Speakers

Jeff English, CFEE

General Counsel, CLARK Material Handling Company

Jeff English, CFEE is General Counsel for CLARK Material Handling Company and previously spent 13 years as Senior Vice President of Administration and General Counsel for the Kentucky Derby Festival. Having worked on both the festival and corporate sides of major sponsorships and... Read More →

Tuesday October 6, 2026 11:00am - 12:00pm PDT
Room - Joshua Tree

Education, CFEE Elective

3:30pm PDT

Parades Affinity Group

Tuesday October 6, 2026 3:30pm - 5:00pm PDT

Room - Joshua Tree

Moderators

Ed Bautista, CFEE

Chief Creative and Strategic Officer, Bautista Event Specialists Team

Ed Bautista has been in the festival and events industry for over 25 years in various capacities. A long-time employee of the city of San Jose, Ed is also a member of the Chicago Festival Association's Board of Directors and the Chief Creative & Strategic Officer with the Bautista... Read More →

Tuesday October 6, 2026 3:30pm - 5:00pm PDT
Room - Joshua Tree

Education, CFEE Elective

9:45am PDT

How to Know When Your Event Is Under Attack by Resellers

Wednesday October 7, 2026 9:45am - 10:45am PDT

Room - Joshua Tree

In the festivals and events world, resale activity is becoming a broader industry issue across the board. Come join us for this important session as we share warning signs, practical controls, and best practices used across different industries, along with lessons learned from tested methods, including what has worked, what may create too much friction, and what (definitely) isn't feasible to scale.

Speakers

Lucas McCarthy

CEO & Founder, Showpass

In a field dominated by a small number of big players, Lucas McCarthy has built one of North America’s fastest-growing ticketing and event technology companies out of Calgary, Alberta. A major player in Western Canada and growing across the country, Showpass handles thousands of... Read More →

Wednesday October 7, 2026 9:45am - 10:45am PDT
Room - Joshua Tree

Education, CFEE Elective

11:00am PDT

Adaptive Sports & Community Inclusion: A Blueprint for Integration

Wednesday October 7, 2026 11:00am - 12:00pm PDT

Room - Joshua Tree

Sport unites communities across age, race, & ability, yet adaptive athletes are too often excluded from mainstream events. This session highlights how Team Access creates partnerships with nonprofits like Southern Arizona Adaptive Sports, businesses, donors, and community event leaders to build a blueprint for inclusion. Using our collaboration with El Tour de Tucson - an iconic event with 10,000 cyclists - we'll share strategies for integrating adaptive athletes into existing events through intentional engagement. Participants will leave with these tools: a barrier-identification checklist, a solution-based partnership model, and a framework for lasting cultural shifts toward inclusive community sports and events.

Speakers

Mia Hansen

Executive Director, Southern Arizona Adaptive Sports

Mia Hansen brings 30 years of passion and experience in festival & event management, cultural exchange initiatives and non-profit management to every project. She is a director/producer/consultant with a degree in Dance / Recreation & Park Management from the University of Oregon... Read More →

TJ Juskiewicz

Executive Director, El Tour de Tucson

Amber Russell

Vice President, Team Access

Amber channels her passion for people, purpose, and possibility into meaningful action. At AGM Container Controls, she serves as Community Development Lead, driving strategic initiatives and operational excellence across the organization.A relationship-driven leader, Amber is dedicated... Read More →

Paul Davis

Division Manager, Access & Mobility, AGM Container Controls / Team Access

Paul Davis serves as the Director of Access and Mobility at AGM Container Controls, where he oversees the Ascension Wheelchair Lifts and Omeo America product groups. Before stepping into his current role, Paul led AGM’s marketing organization as Marketing Director, helping shape the company’s... Read More →

Wednesday October 7, 2026 11:00am - 12:00pm PDT
Room - Joshua Tree

Education, CFEE Elective