International Entertainment Buyers Association

What International Entertainment Buyers Association does

International Entertainment Buyers Association (IEBA) is a not-for-profit trade organization founded in 1970 and headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee, serving live entertainment industry professionals including talent buyers, booking agents, concert promoters, venues, festivals, fairs, and casinos. The organization's core offering is the annual IEBA Conference—a multi-day Nashville event featuring educational panels, networking, agency parties, and the Agents Alley trade show that brings together 80+ booking agencies with talent buyers in a concentrated marketplace for artist booking. Additional products include the IEBA Live Jobs board (launched 2025 through a partnership with ROSTR), the Educational Outreach Fund (a 501(c)(3) entity administering 21 endowed scholarships valued at $1.6 million across 11 universities), regional membership mixers in LA, NYC, and Nashville, and a 13-category annual awards program recognizing excellence across venue types and individual contributors.

Name

International Entertainment Buyers Association

Legal name

International Entertainment Buyers Association

Website

https://ieba.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

International Entertainment Buyers Association (IEBA) is a 1970-founded not-for-profit trade organization headquartered in Nashville that serves live entertainment professionals through membership, an annual conference featuring the Agents Alley trade show, scholarships, a job board, and industry awards.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Nashville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Annual Membership Dues: Annual membership fees provide recurring revenue from live entertainment industry professionals including venues, promoters, agencies, fairs, festivals, and casinos. Membership categories include Professional, Young Professional, and Student/Educator tiers.
2. Conference Registration: The annual conference generates significant revenue through registration fees. Rates vary by membership tier and timing (early bird vs. standard). Conference includes networking events, educational sessions, and Agents Alley trade show.
3. Sponsorships: Corporate sponsors fund various conference elements including agency parties, session tracks, and venue access. Sponsors receive branding exposure and access to live entertainment industry decision-makers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

IEBA is a not-for-profit trade organization that serves live entertainment industry professionals through tiered annual memberships, an annual conference held in Nashville featuring the Agents Alley trade show, regional networking mixers in major cities, and the IEBA Live Jobs job board (powered by ROSTR). The organization also operates the Educational Outreach Fund, a 501(c)(3) public charity that provides internship scholarships, Achievement in Campus Programming scholarships, and 21 endowed scholarships across 11 universities for students pursuing live entertainment careers.

Product overview

IEBA is a not-for-profit trade organization for live entertainment industry professionals offering a unified portfolio of membership-based products and services. The core offerings include the annual IEBA Conference (featuring the Agents Alley trade show), IEBA Live Jobs (powered by ROSTR), and the Educational Outreach Fund (providing scholarships). Membership tiers provide access to conferences, networking events (Membership Mixers), and industry resources. The organization connects talent buyers with agents and provides educational opportunities for students entering the live entertainment industry.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• 56 students received nearly $100,000 in scholarships in 2025
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• ROSTRcoreTechnology or IntegrationROSTR provides the technology platform powering IEBA Live Jobs, a dedicated job board for live entertainment professionals. The partnership creates a curated talent marketplace specifically for venues, promoters, agencies, fairs, festivals, and casinos within the IEBA ecosystem.
• AXScoreGTM or Marketing PartnerAXS serves as a key sponsor for IEBA conferences, including the AXS Stage at The Pinnacle for live performances during agency parties and the closing reception. AXS also provides afternoon snack sponsorship.
• EtixcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerEtix provides conference credentials and early registration cocktail party sponsorship. Long-standing conference partner offering registration services and event technology.
• Cast & Crew Sports and Live EntertainmentcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerMajor conference sponsor providing awards panel sponsorship, including the Access to Expertise: Award Winners Panel at the 2025 conference.
• Wasserman MusiccoreGTM or Marketing PartnerAgency party host at The Pinnacle during conference, representing one of the major talent agencies participating in the IEBA marketplace.
• United Talent Agency (UTA)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerAgency party host at The Pinnacle during conference, representing one of the major talent agencies in the IEBA marketplace.
• CAAcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCAA hosts agency party at The Pinnacle during conference, representing major talent agency presence in the IEBA ecosystem.
• WMEcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerAfter-party host at The Pinnacle during conference closing night, representing major talent agency participation in IEBA.
• Kentucky Music & Events VenueminorGTM or Marketing Partner2025 conference sponsor for Agents Alley trade show component, supporting the concentrated marketplace for talent booking.
• Danny Wimmer PresentsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsors Young Professionals Mixer and provides scholarship prize money for IEBA Feud competition, supporting emerging industry talent.
• Grand Hyatt NashvillecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerHost hotel for annual IEBA conference, providing conference venue space and accommodating room blocks for attendees.
• The Pinnacle NashvillecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerVenue for agency parties and after-parties during IEBA conference, featuring live performances on the AXS Stage.
• PollstarminorGTM or Marketing PartnerIndustry publication sponsor of IEBA conferences, providing visibility in live entertainment trade media.
• SeatGeekminorGTM or Marketing PartnerConference sponsor providing ticketing technology partnership for IEBA events.
• Legends GlobalminorGTM or Marketing PartnerVenue management and hospitality partner sponsoring conference sessions on ticket discovery and fan experience.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• NAMM (National Association of Music Merchants): NAMM is a not-for-profit trade association for the music products industry, running the NAMM Show as its flagship annual conference and member trade marketplace. Comparable in member-funded trade association model, conference-centric distribution, and education/scholarship programming.
• Academy of Country Music (ACM): ACM is a not-for-profit membership organization for the country music community, running the ACM Awards and member-facing programs. Shares IEBA's nonprofit trade association structure, Nashville roots, and reliance on annual industry events to anchor member value.
• A2IM (American Association of Independent Music): A2IM is a not-for-profit trade association representing independent music labels, with annual conferences (Indie Week), advocacy, and member services. Comparable on the membership-funded nonprofit trade association model serving the music industry value chain.
• Country Music Association (CMA): CMA is a not-for-profit trade organization for the country music industry, with membership dues, education programs, and the CMA Awards as its centerpiece event. Compares to IEBA on trade-association structure, member-funded model, and Nashville-headquartered live entertainment orientation.
• National Independent Venue Association (NIVA): NIVA is a not-for-profit trade association representing independent live music venues and promoters across the U.S. It is structurally analogous to IEBA: membership-funded, event-driven, advocacy and education-focused, serving a near-overlapping buyer base of venues and promoters.
• Pollstar: Pollstar is the leading live entertainment industry trade publication and operates Pollstar Live, a conference serving the same talent buyers, agents, and promoters as IEBA. Comparable as a vertical trade media and events business anchored in the live touring marketplace, with IEBA itself a media partner.
• International Live Music Conference (ILMC): ILMC is a long-running international trade association and annual conference for live music professionals, with member companies across venues, promoters, festivals, and agencies. It mirrors IEBA's membership-driven, conference-anchored model and serves an overlapping buyer community.
• INTIX (International Ticketing Association): INTIX is a not-for-profit membership association for ticketing professionals in live entertainment and sports. It is structurally comparable to IEBA as a membership-funded trade body hosting an annual conference, education, and networking for live-event professionals.
• VenuesNow: VenuesNow is a trade publication and conference series serving the venue industry, covering arenas, amphitheaters, theaters, and stadiums. It targets the same talent buyer audience as IEBA and runs events at the intersection of live entertainment operations and booking.

Broad incumbents

• Billboard: Billboard is a large-scale entertainment trade media brand and event operator covering music industry charts, news, and conferences (e.g., Billboard Live, Power 100). It overlaps with IEBA on live entertainment industry coverage and member audience but operates at significantly larger scale and broader scope.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/iebaconference
• Facebookfacebook.com/iebaconference
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/iebaconference

Compliance1 record

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 International Entertainment Buyers Association