International Foodservice Manufacturers Association

What International Foodservice Manufacturers Association does

The International Foodservice Manufacturers Association (IFMA), doing business as IFMA The Food Away from Home Association, is a 501(c)(6) non-profit trade association headquartered in Chicago, Illinois (180 N. Stetson Ave., Suite #2250). It serves as the industry hub for the $1.5 trillion U.S. food-away-from-home market, representing four membership categories — Manufacturers (food, beverage, equipment, packaging, ingredients, cleaning solutions), Supply Chain (broadline and specialty distributors, redistributors), Operators (commercial restaurants, non-commercial foodservice, convenience stores, grocery foodservice, and management companies), and Service Providers (technology, market research, consulting, marketing/sales agencies, financial services).

IFMA's core technology platform is IFMA Scope®, an operator landscape intelligence portal providing segment forecasts, operator and consumer spend data, dayparts, sourcing information, and market analysis across 211 designated market areas (DMAs). The association's product portfolio also includes Foodservice Fundamentals™ (foundational industry education delivered in-person and on-demand), major events (Go2MarketEdge Conference, Presidents Conference, COEX, Gold & Silver Plate Awards, Operator/Supplier Xchanges), industry research reports (Datassential 500 Report, Broadline Distributor Quarterly Performance Reports, Red Meat Market Insights Report), the Next Gen Execs leadership development program, the Consumer & Operator Research Group (CORG), FSMA 204 regulatory resources, and the Food CEO Xchange podcast. The learning management function is delivered through a partnership with PathLMS.

IFMA's business model is community-led and subscription-recurring, anchored by tiered annual membership dues. Service Provider tiers range from $4,950 (Tier I) to $8,950 (Tier III); Supply Chain Tier II is priced at $6,950; Manufacturer dues are scaled by company food-away-from-home sales via a Membership Calculator; Individual Operator dues are $450; and the Advocate operator tier is dues-free in exchange for service commitments (Presidents Conference attendance, COEX hosting, or active initiative participation). Revenue is supplemented by event registration (Presidents Conference, COEX, Go2MarketEdge, Gold & Silver Plate Awards, Foodservice Fundamentals training) and member-only digital subscriptions (IFMA Scope Basic and Advanced tiers). Go-to-market is executed through the foodaway.org and ifmaworld.com digital platforms, multi-channel content marketing (newsletter, podcast, webinars, LinkedIn/Facebook/X/Instagram), and a calendar of in-person industry events.

Name

International Foodservice Manufacturers Association

Legal name

International Foodservice Manufacturers Association

Website

https://ifmaworld.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1952

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

IFMA is a 501(c)(6) non-profit trade association serving the $1.5 trillion U.S. food-away-from-home industry through a tiered membership platform spanning manufacturers, operators, supply chain partners, and service providers, anchored by the IFMA Scope® intelligence portal, premier industry events, and education programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership dues from four categories: Manufacturers, Supply Chain, Operators, and Service Providers. Tiered membership structures within categories allow for flexibility and customization based on company size and benefit preferences.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

IFMA is a membership-based trade association that serves the $1.5 trillion food-away-from-home industry by bringing together manufacturers, operators, supply chain partners, and service providers. It offers tiered membership categories, market intelligence through the IFMA Scope portal, premier industry events (Go2MarketEdge, Presidents Conference, COEX, Gold & Silver Plate Awards), education programs (Foodservice Fundamentals), industry research, regulatory resources (FSMA 204), and professional development programs (Next Gen Execs, Consumer & Operator Research Group).

Product overview

IFMA The Food Away from Home Association operates as a unified platform offering multiple interconnected programs and resources for the $1.5 trillion food-away-from-home industry. The core offering centers on IFMA Scope®, a comprehensive membership portal providing operator landscape data and market intelligence, complemented by premier events (Go2MarketEdge Conference, Presidents Conference, COEX, Gold & Silver Plate Awards), education programs (Foodservice Fundamentals™), industry research reports, and professional development initiatives (Next Gen Execs, Consumer & Operator Research Group). The association serves four membership categories: Manufacturers, Supply Chain (distributors), Operators, and Service Providers, providing tiered benefits including webinars, regulatory resources (FSMA 204), operator guidebooks, and market insights.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• IFMA Scope A comprehensive membership portal providing access to operator landscape data, segment forecasts, operator and consumer spend analytics, dayparts, sourcing information, and influencers across 211 designated market areas (DMAs). Available to IFMA members with Basic and Advanced tier access.
• Foodservice Fundamentals A foundational education course on the foodservice industry delivered in-person and as a live online/on-demand course for professionals new to foodservice or needing a refresher. Hosted on PathLMS.
• Go2MarketEdge Conference Annual go-to-market conference scheduled August 4-6 bringing together manufacturers, operators, distributors and allied partners across the food-away-from-home industry.
• Presidents Conference Premier IFMA conference held in November each year bringing together senior industry executives from across the food-away-from-home ecosystem.
• COEX COEX (Chain Operator Exchange) event scheduled for March 2027, focused on operator-supplier exchange across the foodservice industry.
• Gold & Silver Plate Awards Annual awards celebration recognizing outstanding foodservice operators and industry excellence, with the 73rd Annual event scheduled for May 22, 2027 at Chicago's Union Station. Includes Gold Plate, Silver Plate, Legends Award, and Minah Award.
• Next Gen Execs Program Nomination-based program providing executive leaders opportunities to identify and engage high-potential leaders in the food-away-from-home industry.
• Consumer & Operator Research Group (CORG) Research program providing consumer and operator insights including protein demand reports and menu trend forecasting.
• Industry Research Reports Industry research including the Datassential 500 Report, Broadline Distributor Quarterly Performance Reports, and Red Meat Market Insights Report, providing market intelligence to IFMA members.
• Operator Guidebooks Comprehensive segment guidebooks created by Foodservice Leadership Councils (FLCs) covering Restaurant Chains, Healthcare, K-12, College & University, and Business & Industry segments.
• FSMA 204 Compliance Resources Food Safety Modernization Act Section 204 compliance resources, including partnership with Starfish for traceability and compliance acceleration support for foodservice members.

Quantifiable outcome

• Access to the $1.5 trillion food-away-from-home industry
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• StarfishcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Strategic partnership with Starfish, the leading neutral data-sharing network for global food supply-chain traceability, to accelerate Food Traceability Rule (FSMA 204) compliance for foodservice members.
• ExpanacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration providing IFMA members exclusive access to the Red Meat Market Insights Report, a weekly publication delivering essential commodity data and analysis.
• NetSuiteminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership offering IFMA members preferred pricing on NetSuite ERP/Financials products across starter, standard, and premium editions.
• DatassentialcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership providing top-tier and select IFMA members complimentary access to the annual Datassential 500 Report ranking the largest U.S. restaurant chains.
• PathLMScoreTechnology or IntegrationLearning management system partner hosting IFMA's Education Center and Foodservice Fundamentals courses.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• National Restaurant Association: The largest U.S. foodservice trade association, representing restaurant operators and the broader industry. It is the most direct peer in terms of membership model, industry focus, advocacy, and event programming (including the flagship NRA Show).
• Food Marketing Institute (FMI): Trade association serving food retailers and wholesalers, operating a similar membership-plus-event model. Overlap with IFMA in manufacturer-distributor content and shared audiences across the food supply chain.
• International Franchise Association (IFA): Trade association for franchising across foodservice and other verticals. Closely comparable convening and advocacy model, with significant foodservice operator and manufacturer membership intersection.
• International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA): Trade association representing dairy manufacturers, processors, and marketers. Shares IFMA's manufacturer-side membership model and engages in foodservice regulatory and supply-chain issues.
• North American Meat Institute (NAMI): Trade association for meat and poultry packers and processors with foodservice sales channels. Comparable membership, regulatory, and research model, with direct overlap with IFMA's manufacturer base.
• American Frozen Food Institute (AFFI): National trade association for frozen food makers and distributors. Shares IFMA's manufacturer-distributor audience and operates a similar events, research, and advocacy model.
• SNAC International: International trade association for the snack industry, representing snack manufacturers and suppliers. Comparable membership model and foodservice industry overlap with IFMA's manufacturer base.
• American Beverage Association (ABA): National trade association for the non-alcoholic beverage industry. Operates a similar membership, advocacy, and event model serving beverage manufacturers that sell into the food-away-from-home channel.

Broad incumbents

• Consumer Brands Association: Trade association for consumer packaged goods (CPG) manufacturers with a broad food and beverage remit. Larger and broader in scope than IFMA, but overlapping significantly on manufacturer representation and foodservice-related advocacy.

Regional players

• National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS): Trade association for the U.S. convenience and fuel retailing industry, with a growing foodservice focus. Overlaps with IFMA's operator and supply-chain constituencies.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/IFMAWORLD
• Facebookfacebook.com/ifmaworldcom
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/international-foodservice-manufacturers-association
• Instagraminstagram.com/ifmaworld

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about International Foodservice Manufacturers Association