FACES Conferences
FACES Conferences is a Tucson-based, privately held continuing education company founded in 1991 that produces in-person mindfulness and compassion conferences across U.S. cities, serving psychologists, social workers, nurses, counselors, and addiction professionals seeking accredited CE credits.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1991
- HeadquartersBellevue, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What FACES Conferences does
FACES Conferences, Inc. is a privately held, founder-operated continuing education company founded in 1991 (with website references dating the firm's activity to 1986) and headquartered in Tucson, Arizona. The company produces multi-day in-person mindfulness and compassion conferences held at resort venues across roughly nine U.S. cities (San Diego, Seattle, Denver, Portland, Las Vegas, Phoenix, Washington DC, Santa Fe, and La Jolla), featuring speakers such as Jack Kornfield, Kristin Neff, Tara Brach, and Rick Hanson. Attendees — primarily psychologists, social workers, nurses, marriage and family therapists, counselors, and addiction professionals — earn accredited continuing education credits (up to 21 CEs per conference) under provider approvals from APA, NASW, NBCC, NAADAC, and California boards.
The company's product portfolio comprises four discrete offerings: (1) the live CE conference series as the core product, (2) an online registration storefront built on a standard e-commerce platform (osCommerce-style store), (3) a video library of recorded conference sessions hosted on YouTube and the company website, and (4) two published mindfulness books by founder Richard Fields. The underlying technology stack is a conventional website and online store; there is no proprietary platform, mobile app, API, or AI/ML component described in the source material. Distribution is direct-to-consumer via the website and a toll-free phone line, with conference marketing driven by a 10,000+ subscriber email newsletter, a weekly mindfulness blog, Facebook, YouTube, and an RSS feed.
FACES makes money primarily through one-time conference registration fees, priced at roughly $450–$525 for a three-day pass and $155–$195 for a single day, with tiered early-bird and student rates, supplemented by modest book sales (e.g., $14.95 for 'A Year of Living with More Compassion' with bulk pricing). Sponsorship and exhibitor fees from treatment centers and mindfulness organizations (Promises, Sierra Tucson, Windhorse, IRI, 1440 Multiversity, Spirit Rock, Greater Good Science Center) contribute a secondary revenue stream. The core team numbers four people — founder/director Richard Fields, co-founder/director of operations Deborah Jerome, onsite AV director Pouria Montazeri, and bookstore manager Beverly Edwards — supported by long-tenured consultants, indicating a lean, founder-led operating model with no external institutional investment.
FACES Conferences firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- FACES Conferences
- Legal name
- FACES Conferences, Inc.
- Website
- https://facesconferences.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1991
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- FACES Conferences is a Tucson-based, privately held continuing education company founded in 1991 that produces in-person mindfulness and compassion conferences across U.S. cities, serving psychologists, social workers, nurses, counselors, and addiction professionals seeking accredited CE credits.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
FACES Conferences industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Professional Continuing Education
- NAICS
- Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Convention and Trade Show Organizers (561920)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Behavioral Health & Counseling (Social Work, Psychology, Substance Use CE) (EDAAALAD)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Academic & Education Conference Organizers (THAHACAE), Mindfulness-Based Coaching & Training (MBSR/MBCT-style) (HSADAJAB), Medical & Health Sciences Congresses (THAHAJAA), Academic & Scientific Conferences (MPAGAGAD)
Keywords
Where FACES Conferences is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Bellevue
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
FACES Conferences business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Others, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Conference Registration Fees: Revenue from selling tickets to multi-day mindfulness and compassion conferences. Attendees pay per day or for full conference packages and earn CE credits.
- Book Sales: Sales of mindfulness and compassion books including 'A Year of Living Mindfully' and 'A Year of Living with More Compassion'. Books are sold through the website store.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Pay-as-you-go | 3-Day Conference Pass (Early Bird) |
| Subscription | Pay-as-you-go | 3-Day Conference Pass (Regular/Late) |
| Subscription | Pay-as-you-go | Portland Workshop Pricing 2015 |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Mindfulness Books |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels5 records
FACES Conferences product offering
Product offeringCore offering
FACES Conferences organizes and hosts in-person multi-day mindfulness and compassion continuing education (CE) conferences for mental health professionals, awarding accredited CE credits (up to 21 per conference). The company also sells related mindfulness/compassion books authored by its founder and a library of recorded conference video sessions through its online store.
Product overview
FACES Conferences offers a portfolio of mindfulness and compassion-focused continuing education products for mental health professionals. The core offerings include in-person CE conferences held across various U.S. cities (San Diego, Seattle, Denver, Portland, Las Vegas, Phoenix, Washington DC, La Jolla, Santa Fe), supplemented by a video library of recorded conference sessions and published mindfulness books. The company operates an online registration store for conference attendance and merchandise purchases.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Mindfulness & Compassion CE Conferences In-person multi-day mindfulness and compassion continuing education conferences for mental health professionals, offering accredited CE credits for psychologists, social workers, nurses, counselors, and addiction professionals at resort venues across U.S. cities.
- Mindfulness & Compassion Books Published mindfulness and compassion guides authored by Richard Fields, Ph.D., including 'A Year of Living Mindfully' and 'A Year of Living with More Compassion' (2nd Edition), sold individually and in bulk through the FACES online store.
- Mindfulness Conference Videos Recorded video library of past FACES conference sessions featuring mindfulness experts and speakers, available for viewing via the FACES website and YouTube channel.
Quantifiable outcome
- Earn up to 21 CE credits per conference
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use FACES Conferences
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
FACES Conferences technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
FACES Conferences partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor.
- Integrative Restoration Institute (IRI)minorIRI sponsors and exhibits at FACES conferences. IRI is the organization behind iRest Yoga Nidra Meditation program developed by Richard Miller.
- Windhorse Integrative Mental HealthminorMental health organization that sponsors and exhibits at FACES conferences.
- Promises Treatment CentersminorExhibitor/sponsor at San Diego conferences. Offers substance abuse and mental health treatment services.
- Sierra TucsonminorTreatment center that sponsors FACES conferences as exhibitor.
- Spirit Rock Meditation CenterminorCo-founded by speaker Sylvia Boorstein; related organization in mindfulness community.
- Greater Good Science Center (UC Berkeley)minorAssociated with speakers Dacher Keltner (Faculty Director) and Rick Hanson (Senior Fellow).
- 1440 MultiversityminorSponsor of San Diego 2016 conference. Educational institution focused on mindfulness and personal development.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
FACES Conferences competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- PESI: One of the largest U.S. providers of mental health continuing education for psychologists, social workers, counselors, and nurses. PESI offers live conferences and online CE in mindfulness, trauma, and clinical practice — the closest direct competitor to FACES in scope and customer base.
- CE21: Online continuing education platform serving mental health and healthcare professionals with on-demand CE courses. CE21 competes with FACES for the same licensed clinician audience, especially for budget-conscious or time-constrained attendees.
- Esalen Institute: Pioneering retreat and workshop center focused on humanistic, mindfulness, and somatic education. Comparable to FACES in experiential in-person workshop format, expert-led sessions, and emphasis on integrative personal/professional growth.
- Omega Institute for Holistic Studies: Resort-based educational institution offering workshops, retreats, and conferences in mindfulness, wellness, and personal development. Shares FACES' experiential in-person format at retreat-style venues with similar faculty types, though with broader programming.
- 1440 Multiversity: Resort-based learning campus offering mindfulness, compassion, and professional development workshops with expert faculty. Direct comparable to FACES' resort-venue model and mindfulness curriculum, and has been a FACES sponsor/exhibitor.
Broad incumbents
- Sounds True: Multimedia publisher and learning platform in spirituality, mindfulness, and self-development. Overlaps with FACES on mindfulness books, audio/video content, and featured teachers (e.g., Tara Brach), with a much larger distribution footprint.
- CME Outfitters: Established provider of accredited continuing education for healthcare professionals across psychiatry, psychology, and behavioral health. Operates live and digital CE at significantly larger scale than FACES, making it a broader incumbent in the same accreditation ecosystem.
Emerging players
- Mindful Schools: Online and live training organization offering mindfulness certification for educators, clinicians, and parents. Competes with FACES for the clinician mindfulness training segment but focuses more on K-12 and parent audiences.
- Wisdom 2.0: Conference organizer focused on mindfulness and technology across consumer and professional audiences. Overlaps with FACES on mindfulness content and speaker network but targets a broader, more consumer-inclusive audience.
Regional players
- Spirit Rock Meditation Center: Insight Meditation retreat center offering residential retreats, workshops, and teacher trainings. Shares speaker relationships with FACES (Sylvia Boorstein) and serves the same mindfulness practitioner audience, though primarily through residential rather than hotel-venue CE events.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
FACES Conferences social profiles
Digital presenceFACES Conferences compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance8 records
FACES Conferences financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
FACES Conferences leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
FACES Conferences funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
FACES Conferences M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about FACES Conferences
What does FACES Conferences do?
FACES Conferences organizes and hosts in-person multi-day mindfulness and compassion continuing education (CE) conferences for mental health professionals, awarding accredited CE credits (up to 21 per conference). The company also sells related mindfulness/compassion books authored by its founder and a library of recorded conference video sessions through its online store.
Is FACES Conferences a public or private company?
FACES Conferences is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was FACES Conferences founded?
FACES Conferences was founded in 1991. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is FACES Conferences based?
FACES Conferences is headquartered in Bellevue, United States, in the North America region.
How does FACES Conferences make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Conference Registration Fees are the primary driver. The others are book Sales.
Who are FACES Conferences's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are PESI, CE21, Esalen Institute, Omega Institute for Holistic Studies and 1440 Multiversity. Broad incumbents are Sounds True and CME Outfitters. Emerging players are Mindful Schools and Wisdom 2.0. Spirit Rock Meditation Center is listed as a regional player.
Does FACES Conferences have an API?
No public API is recorded for FACES Conferences.
What industry is FACES Conferences in?
FACES Conferences's product category is Professional Continuing Education. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAAALAD, Behavioral Health & Counseling (Social Work, Psychology, Substance Use CE), with a secondary code of THAHACAE, Academic & Education Conference Organizers. Its NAICS code is 6113 and its SIC code is 8200.