IETM

What IETM does

IETM (International Network for Contemporary Performing Arts) is a not-for-profit international association founded in 1981 and headquartered in Brussels, Belgium, operating under Belgian law since 1989. It functions as a membership-based cultural network representing over 450 member organizations and individual professionals across 60+ countries, with a Secretariat of approximately 6–8 staff. IETM offers an integrated portfolio of in-person events (Plenary Meetings with 300–600 attendees, Focus Meetings with ~200, Caravans with 30–100, and Single Day Events), recurring training programmes (IETM Green School, IETM Advocacy School launching 2026, IETM Fair Arts School launching 2026, IETM Community Building School launching 2027), and EU-level policy advocacy services. Its distribution surface spans the IETM website (500,000+ annual page views), a members database of 15,000+ active profiles, a newsletter base of 5,000+ subscribers, 40,000+ social media followers, the IETM Global Pod podcast (launched 2026), and a publications library.

IETM's technology stack centres on a member-facing digital platform supporting a searchable member database, online event registration, members-only forum discussions, and webinar/virtual event delivery, supported by a multilingual Secretariat team operating in over 9 languages. It participates as partner or lead in several EU-co-funded consortium projects, notably Perform Europe (lead partner, EU-funded cross-border touring initiative across 41 Creative Europe countries) and Europe Beyond Access (2024–2027, supporting artists with disabilities). IETM also co-founded external entities including the Roberto Cimetta Fund (1981, Mediterranean arts mobility), On The Move (2000, mobility information portal), Balkan Express (1990s, Central/Eastern European collaboration), ICARJ, and the European Alliance for Culture and the Arts.

The business model combines recurring annual membership fees tiered by organization turnover (six categories from €138 to €1,080, plus Associate Member tiers at €2,610 and €4,280 for Global Connect supporters), incremental event fees (€50 reduced rate for additional representatives), and an institutional EU Creative Europe Network Grant that co-funds operations. The customer base is diverse and granular: independent artists, festivals, theatres, production companies, residency spaces, and public-sector arts councils (e.g., Arts Council England, Arts Council Ireland, Creative Scotland, British Council, Fonds Podiumkunsten) all participate as members or Associate Members. Growth is driven primarily by community-led word-of-mouth, event-driven acquisition/retention, and the Global Connect programme which actively recruits from underrepresented regions across five continents.

Name

IETM

Legal name

IETM

Website

https://ietm.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1981

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

IETM is a Brussels-based not-for-profit international network founded in 1981, serving 450+ performing arts organizations and individual professionals across 60+ countries. It operates annual events, training schools, EU policy advocacy, and a 15,000+ profile membership database, funded by tiered annual membership fees and an EU Creative Europe Network Grant.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Berchem

HQ country

Belgium

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Annual membership fees based on organization turnover (Categories 1-6 ranging from €138 to €1,080), plus Associate Member fees (€2,610 standard, €4,280 for Global Connect supporters). Fees include €20 admin/bank charges. Adjusted to inflation every 5 years.
2. European Union Network Grant: IETM receives funding through Creative Europe's Network Grant programme, supporting the network's operations and activities

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

IETM is an international membership-based network for contemporary performing arts professionals and organisations. It provides membership services, annual events (Plenary Meetings, Focus Meetings, Caravans, Single Day Events), training programs (Green School, Advocacy School, Fair Arts School, Community Building School), EU-funded projects (Perform Europe, Europe Beyond Access, Global Connect), policy advocacy, publications, and a searchable member database.

Product overview

IETM is a network organization offering a portfolio of programs, events, and member services for the international performing arts community. The core offering consists of annual events (Plenary Meetings with 300-600 attendees, Focus Meetings with ~200 attendees, Caravans, and Single Day Events), training programs (IETM Green School, IETM Advocacy School launching 2026, IETM Fair Arts School launching 2026, and IETM Community Building School launching 2027), advocacy initiatives (Performing Arts Coalition, policy papers, campaigns), projects (IETM Global Connect, Perform Europe, Europe Beyond Access), and member resources (publications, database, newsletters). IETM Global Pod is a podcast series featuring Global Connector dialogues. The organization operates primarily as a membership-based network with annual fees tiered by organizational turnover, providing networking, professional development, knowledge sharing, and policy advocacy services to performing arts professionals worldwide.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• IETM Advocacy School: Training programme launching in 2026 offering advocacy training on versatile topics including political arenas, funding structures, campaigns and artistic activism.
• IETM Fair Arts School
• IETM Community Building School
• IETM Green School
• IETM Plenary Meetings
• Perform Europe
• IETM Global Connect

Products and services

• IETM Plenary Meetings
• IETM Focus Meetings
• IETM Caravans
• IETM Green School
• IETM Advocacy School
• IETM Fair Arts School
• IETM Community Building School
• IETM Global Pod
• IETM Global Connect
• Perform Europe
• Europe Beyond Access
• Performing Arts Coalition (PAC)
• IETM Publications and Resources
• IETM Members Database
• IETM Membership Services

Quantifiable outcome

• 450+ member organizations and professionals from 60+ countries
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• Larnaka 2030 European Capital of CulturecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026IETM Larnaka Plenary Meeting 2027 is co-organised with Larnaka 2030 European Capital of Culture, marking IETM's first meeting in Cyprus.
• Performing Arts Coalition (PAC)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025PAC was founded in 2025 by ASSITEJ, Circostrada, EDN, EFA, and IETM. It is a platform for European and international performing arts networks to collaborate on advocacy, joint actions, research, and knowledge exchange. The joint membership spans 90+ countries with over 1,000 organisations.
• Europe Beyond AccessflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024IETM participates in Europe Beyond Access (2024-2027), a project supporting underrepresented performing artists across Europe, focusing on artists with disabilities.
• SHIFT (Shared Initiatives for Training)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023IETM participates in SHIFT eco-certification pilot with 15 other international cultural networks. The initiative, facilitated by Creative Carbon Scotland and Green Leisure Group, develops bespoke eco-certification for cultural networks.
• Perform Europe ConsortiumflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Perform Europe is co-funded by the European Union and implemented by a Consortium of six organisations including IETM, European Festivals Association (EFA), Circostrada, EDN, IDEA Consult, and others. IETM serves as lead partner.
• Bitef FestivalcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022IETM Belgrade 2022 Plenary Meeting was organised in collaboration with the 56th Belgrade International Theatre Festival (Bitef), held in Belgrade, Serbia.
• IETM Global Connect Programme PartnersflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021The Global Connect programme is created with and supported by IETM Associate Members. It aims to make the network more diverse, inclusive, and accessible by inviting important voices from underrepresented regions.
• ICARJ (International Coalition for Arts, Human Rights and Social Justice)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2010IETM co-founded ICARJ to advocate for arts, human rights, and social justice, integrating these concerns into the network's advocacy work.
• European Alliance for Culture and the ArtscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2010IETM co-founded the European Alliance for Culture and the Arts to strengthen advocacy efforts for culture at the European policy level.
• On The MovecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2000IETM co-founded On The Move, a web portal dedicated to mobility information for cultural professionals, supporting cross-border artistic exchange.
• Balkan ExpresscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1990IETM co-founded Balkan Express as a platform for collaboration in and with the Balkans, expanding the network's reach into Central and Eastern Europe.
• Roberto Cimetta FundflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1981IETM co-founded Roberto Cimetta Fund, which focuses on arts mobility in the Mediterranean region. This partnership reflects IETM's commitment to supporting artist mobility and international collaboration.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• European Dancehouse Network (EDN): Network of European dance houses and presenting organisations. Co-founding member of the Performing Arts Coalition with IETM; directly comparable membership-based performing arts network focused on a sub-discipline (dance) with similar advocacy, project, and event programmes.
• Performing Arts Europe (PAE): European advocacy platform for the contemporary performing arts sector, headquartered in Brussels. Directly comparable as a Brussels-based performing arts advocacy entity targeting EU policymakers, intersecting with IETM's advocacy work and EU project portfolio.
• Circostrada: European network for circus, street, and outdoor performing arts based in France. Co-founding member of the Performing Arts Coalition and a closely analogous small European membership association serving a performing arts sub-discipline with advocacy, events, and project work.
• European Festivals Association (EFA): Europe-wide network of festivals and associated organizations for contemporary performing arts; founding member of the Performing Arts Coalition alongside IETM. Directly comparable membership-based association serving overlapping performing arts organizations across Europe.
• ELIA – European League of Institutes of the Arts: Europe-wide network of higher arts education and training institutions. Closely comparable membership association serving a related performing arts-adjacent constituency with conferences, advocacy, and project programmes structurally similar to IETM's model.
• Pearle* – Live Performance Europe: European employer association representing the interests of performing arts employers and venues (theatre, opera, dance, concert, orchestra) at EU level. Brussels-based peer with overlapping performing arts member base and EU policy advocacy focus analogous to IETM.
• Culture Action Europe: Brussels-based cultural advocacy coalition representing a broad cross-sector cultural membership across Europe. Comparable to IETM as a Brussels-rooted membership-driven cultural advocacy network with EU policy influence, though broader than performing arts specifically.
• International Theatre Institute (ITI): UNESCO-affiliated global network of theatre professionals and organisations, operating across theatre, dance, and other performing arts. Direct peer as one of the longest-standing international performing arts membership networks globally, with overlapping advocacy and congress-style events.
• On The Move: Brussels-based cultural mobility information network co-founded by IETM in 2000. Directly comparable as a small European membership/community platform serving performing arts and cultural professionals with information, training, and resources.
• ASSITEJ International: Worldwide network for theatre and performing arts for children and young audiences. Founding member of the Performing Arts Coalition with IETM; structurally identical niche membership association serving performing arts professionals globally.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@ietm4991
• Facebookfacebook.com/IETMnetwork
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ietm
• Instagraminstagram.com/ietmnetwork
• Xx.com/IETM

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 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 IETM