FDIC

What FDIC does

FDIC International is an annual training conference and exhibition for the fire and rescue industry, held each spring at the Indiana Convention Center and Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. Founded in 1998 and operated by Clarion Events, Inc. (a Clarion Events Ltd portfolio company headquartered in Rochelle Park, New Jersey), the event combines 300+ classroom and hands-on training sessions, 230+ CAPCE-accredited continuing education hours, and a 800+ exhibitor showcase. It is positioned as North America's largest firefighter training event and is integrated with sub-brands including The Stadium, Outside @ FDIC, IGNITE (a startup pavilion), Women in Fire Conference, and JEMS @ FDIC (EMS programming including Cadaver Labs and the EMS Innovation Summit).

The underlying technology stack is conventional event-management infrastructure: an official iOS/Android mobile app for session planning and floorplan navigation, a digital conference program with filtering by speaker, certification, and topic, FDIC TV video streaming, and the FDIC Podcast Studio. No proprietary AI/ML, data flywheels, or differentiated platform IP are disclosed. Revenue is generated from three streams: attendee registration fees, exhibitor booth rentals and sponsorships, and conference program sponsorship for specialized summits. Go-to-market is event-driven, anchored in a single annual cycle, with multi-channel marketing across the event website, email, organic social, FDIC TV, and partnerships with industry organizations (IAFC, NFFF, FCSN, Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation).

Customer segments span municipal fire departments, volunteer and career firefighters, EMS agencies and professionals, industrial fire and safety buyers, and fire department leadership. Distribution is primarily on-site, extended through virtual content (FDIC TV, YouTube, podcast platforms) and channel partnerships with industry associations that promote attendance to their members. Customer concentration is structurally low given the two-sided marketplace and hundreds of exhibitor accounts.

Name

FDIC

Legal name

Clarion Events, Inc.

Website

https://fdic.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

FDIC International is North America's largest annual training conference for the fire and rescue industry, operated by Clarion Events. It combines 300+ educational sessions, CAPCE-accredited training, and an 800+ exhibitor showcase at Lucas Oil Stadium for municipal, EMS, and industrial safety professionals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Fire and Rescue Trade Show and Conference

NAICS

Convention and Trade Show Organizers (561920), Convention and Trade Show Organizers (56192)

akta.pro primary industry

Professional & Certification Expos Organizers (THAHABAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Virtual/Hybrid Conference Production & Platform Management (THAHACAM), Training, Enablement & Talent Development Summits (THAHAMAH)

Keywords

• Firefighter training conference
• Fire rescue exhibition
• Emergency medical education
• Public safety events
• Professional development training

Headquarters

HQ city

Indianapolis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Attendee Registration: Revenue generated from fire and rescue professionals attending the conference through registration fees. Registration includes access to classroom sessions, hands-on training, exhibits, and networking events.
2. Exhibition and Sponsorship: Revenue from exhibitors renting booth space at the event, with over 800 exhibitors showcasing products and services. Additional sponsorship opportunities for various event activations, stages, and programs.
3. Conference Program Sponsorship: Sponsorship of specific conference tracks, summits, and educational programming including the Women in Fire Conference, EMS Innovation Summit, and specialized training workshops.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

FDIC International operates an annual fire and rescue training conference and exhibition in Indianapolis featuring 300+ classroom and hands-on sessions, 230+ hours of CAPCE-accredited continuing education, and 800+ exhibitor booths. The event includes specialized summits (Women in Fire, EMS Innovation, NextGen Fire Rescue Tech, Industrial Fire, Metro Fire Officers, ARFF), immersive zones such as The Stadium and IGNITE, cadaver labs, and a podcast studio. Supporting digital products include the official iOS/Android mobile app and streamed video content via FDIC TV.

Product overview

FDIC International is a single unified conference product — North America's leading annual training event for the fire and rescue industry — that combines multiple integrated components. The core offering centers on the main conference held at Indiana Convention Center and Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, featuring hundreds of classroom sessions, hands-on training evolutions, and a large exhibition floor with over 800 exhibitors. The event is organized into specialized sub-products including The Stadium (an immersive training village with tactical, wellness, and remembrance activations), the IGNITE pavilion for startups, the Women in Fire Conference for diversity and advocacy, EMS Innovation Summit with Learning Lanes for EMS professionals, and Cadaver Labs for procedural training. Supporting products include an official mobile app for attendee planning, a podcast studio for knowledge sharing, and a sustainability program. The product portfolio is unified by its mission to train fire and EMS professionals worldwide, with all components serving different aspects of that training and professional development purpose.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• JEMS @ FDIC: EMS education and training programs including the EMS Innovation Summit, EMS Learning Lanes, Cadaver Labs, and over 230 hours of CAPCE-accredited continuing education.
• The Stadium
• Outside @ FDIC
• Women in Fire Conference
• IGNITE

Products and services

• FDIC International Conference North America's largest annual training conference for the fire and rescue industry, held each April in Indianapolis, combining 300+ classroom and hands-on sessions with a 800+ exhibitor showcase across the Indiana Convention Center and Lucas Oil Stadium.
• The Stadium Training Experience Immersive training experience within Lucas Oil Stadium featuring the Drill Yard for tactical instruction, Health & Wellness space, Sim Yard for EMS response training, Central Park sponsored by FirstNet for networking, Remembrance Square for 9/11 commemorations, and the IGNITE startup pavilion.
• EMS Innovation Summit and JEMS @ FDIC EMS-focused educational programming within FDIC International curated by the Journal of Emergency Medical Services, including the EMS Innovation Summit, EMS Learning Lanes, Cadaver Labs, and over 230 CAPCE-accredited continuing education hours.
• Cadaver Labs Prehospital emergency care procedural cadaver labs sponsored by Teleflex offering 2 hours of CAPCE-accredited continuing education for Paramedic, Critical Care Paramedic, AEMT, and Advanced Practice Paramedic certifications, covering airway management, intubation, intraosseous access, and hemorrhage control.
• IGNITE Startup and Small Business Pavilion Dedicated destination within Lucas Oil Stadium for startup and small businesses in the fire and rescue industry to showcase products and services, network with industry professionals, and build relationships with fire chiefs, officers, firefighters, EMTs, and distributors.
• Women in Fire Conference Dedicated conference day within FDIC International providing training, support, and advocacy for women in the fire service, featuring an opening ceremony and educational sessions on leadership, recruitment, workplace challenges, and professional development.
• Fire Engineering Podcast Studio at FDIC On-site podcast studio at FDIC International streaming discussions with industry icons and leaders, with recordings distributed via YouTube for in-person attendees and remote viewers.
• Outside @ FDIC Outdoor Exhibits and Demo Area Outdoor exhibits and demo area featuring product demonstrations, the Firefighter Challenge, and live fire training experiences.

Quantifiable outcome

• 300+ educational sessions and 230+ CAPCE-accredited hours available to attendees
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Firefighter Cancer Support Network (FCSN)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 April 2026Named as the 2026 Clarion Cares recipient, with FCSN receiving visibility and support at the event to assist firefighters facing cancer diagnoses.
• National Fallen Firefighters Foundation (NFFF)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 April 2026Partnership for 9/11 Memorial events including the 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb and Night of Honor event, honoring fallen firefighters.
• IAFC Industrial Fire & Safety SectioncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 October 2025FDIC International announced partnership with the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) Industrial Fire & Safety Section for the 2026 Industrial Summit, enhancing programming for industrial fire and safety professionals.
• Firehouse Subs Public Safety FoundationminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 10 April 2025Continued partnership supporting grant funding for fire departments, with FDIC International providing promotional support and visibility for the foundation's programs.
• CRACKYLminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 January 2025Partnership for firefighter wellness education programming, providing mental health and wellness resources to attendees.
• JEMS (Journal of Emergency Medical Services)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJEMS serves as a key content partner for EMS programming at FDIC, including the EMS Innovation Summit, cadaver labs, and CAPCE-accredited education. The JEMS CON conference debuts alongside FDIC.
• Tunnel to Towers FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership bringing the 9/11 NEVER FORGET Mobile Exhibit to the conference as part of 25th anniversary remembrance programming.
• Clarion Events (Parent Company)coreOthersFDIC International is owned and operated by Clarion Events, a global event organizer specializing in fire, rescue, and emergency services conferences.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Fire-Rescue International (FRI): IAFC's annual fire chief leadership conference and exhibition. Directly comparable as a major North American fire service conference with exhibition component, though FRI skews more leadership-focused whereas FDIC emphasizes hands-on training.
• Interschutz: The world's largest fire and rescue trade fair held in Hannover, Germany. Direct international peer with similar mix of large-scale exhibition, live demonstrations, and training — provides a benchmark for FDIC's potential international expansion.
• Firehouse Expo: A North American fire and rescue training conference and expo. A direct peer within the same training/exhibition category, though smaller in scale than FDIC International.
• NFPA Conference & Expo: National Fire Protection Association's biennial conference covering codes, standards, and fire safety engineering. Comparable as a major fire industry conference with a substantial exhibition floor, though more technical/standards-oriented than FDIC's operational training focus.
• EMS World Expo: The largest EMS-dedicated conference and trade show in North America, offering CAPCE-accredited education and a large exhibition floor. A direct peer in adjacent emergency services training, and a partner/competitor within FDIC's own JEMS @ FDIC program.

Broad incumbents

• Reed Exhibitions: One of the world's largest event organizers operating across fire, security, and emergency services verticals. A broad incumbent providing industry-wide benchmarks for trade show economics, exhibitor dynamics, and category leadership.
• Clarion Events Defence & Security Portfolio: Sibling divisions of FDIC's parent company running defence, security, and emergency management events. Comparable event organization operating model within the same parent, offering insight into Clarion's portfolio strategy and benchmarks.
• PennWell Fire Engineering: Major fire service media brand (Fire Engineering magazine) and event producer. Comparable as an established fire industry content and event company, with FDIC's Podcast Studio creating direct adjacency to this incumbent.

Emerging players

• Crisis Response & Resilience Expo: Adjacent emergency management and resilience-focused exhibition. Emerging player serving a partially overlapping first responder audience with growing training and exhibition programming that could expand into FDIC's core territory.
• International Fire Expo (IFE): Emerging international fire industry exhibition platform. Emerging player in the same fire service exhibition category with regional scope, representing the type of regional competitor FDIC could face as the category globalizes.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/playlist?list=PLQGNhWw77FdIkUf8MnVlxEkjlK7rudcmM
• Xx.com/fdic
• Facebookfacebook.com/FDICevent

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 FDIC