COUNCIL OF EDUCATIONAL FACILITY PLANNERS INTERNATIONAL, THE

What COUNCIL OF EDUCATIONAL FACILITY PLANNERS INTERNATIONAL, THE does

The Council of Educational Facility Planners International, doing business as the Association for Learning Environments (A4LE), is a U.S.-based, member-governed professional non-profit association headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona, serving interdisciplinary professionals — architects, engineers, school administrators, facility managers, and consultants — who plan and design educational facilities. A4LE maintains seven regional chapter networks spanning North America (Midwest Great Lakes, Northeast, Pacific Northwest, Southeast, Southern, Southwest) and Australasia, with more than 25 sub-chapters and operates a member-only forum (membersforum.a4le.org). Its portfolio centers on three integrated offerings: (1) the trademarked ALEP (Accredited Learning Environment Planner) professional designation and the broader A4LE Academy curriculum including Advanced Certificate Cohorts; (2) the annual LearningSCAPES conference (2026 edition scheduled November 4-7 in Seattle, WA) plus regional chapter conferences, symposia, and webinars; and (3) a content and recognition ecosystem comprising the Learning By Design digital magazine, Better Learning Podcast, School Safety Resources portal, Disaster Recovery Guide, and award programs (MacConnell Award, Project Awards, Industry Partner Award, Lifetime Achievement, Fellow Designation, Chairman's Award, SchoolsNEXT Design Competition). A4LE holds an organizational membership with the Institute for Credentialing Excellence (I.C.E.) to underpin its credentialing framework.

Revenue is generated through four subscription/recurring streams: membership dues, conference and event registrations (including sponsorships and exhibitor fees), professional development and certifications (ALEP, A4LE Academy), and tiered annual corporate sponsorships at Diamond (AmTab, Artcobell, Extron), Ruby (Meteor Education, Smith System, Tarkett, Virco, VS America), and Emerald (E&I Cooperative Services, Mohawk, nook, Shaw Contract) levels. Distribution is direct to individual professionals and corporate sponsors, complemented by self-serve online learning through A4LE Academy. The association recently merged with EDmarket to combine resources in the educational facilities industry and has extended its footprint internationally through a regional partnership with Learning Environments Australasia. The organization operates with a lean staff (approximately 5 employees per disclosed data), with no disclosed revenue figures, no outside funding rounds, and no parent company — consistent with a member-governed, association-based operating model rather than a venture-backed entity.

Name

COUNCIL OF EDUCATIONAL FACILITY PLANNERS INTERNATIONAL, THE

Legal name

COUNCIL OF EDUCATIONAL FACILITY PLANNERS INTERNATIONAL, THE

Website

https://cefpi.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

A4LE is a Scottsdale-based, member-governed non-profit professional association serving educational facility planners across North America and Australasia. It delivers the ALEP professional designation, the annual LearningSCAPES conference, regional chapter events, publications, and industry awards to architects, engineers, administrators, and consultants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Association Services

NAICS

Professional and Management Development Training (611430), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Higher Education Course Design & Online Program Development (EDAGAKAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Corporate Learning & Training Content Development (EDAGAKAC)

Keywords

• Educational facility planning
• Professional association services
• Learning environment design
• Professional certification programs
• Industry conferences and awards

Headquarters

HQ city

Scottsdale

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, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: The organization generates revenue through annual membership fees for professionals in the educational facility planning field. Members receive access to directories, forums, content resources, professional development, and networking opportunities.
2. Conference & Event Revenue: Revenue generated from LearningSCAPES annual conference registrations, including session fees, exhibit fees, and sponsorship packages. Additional revenue from regional chapter conferences and symposia.
3. Professional Development & Certifications: Revenue from ALEP (Accredited Learning Environment Planner) certification programs, A4LE Academy courses, and Advanced Certificate programs for industry education.
4. Sponsorships & Annual Partnerships: Annual partnership programs with corporate sponsors at Diamond, Ruby, and Emerald tiers. Includes sponsorship opportunities for LearningSCAPES conferences and other association events.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

A4LE is a professional membership association that serves educational facility planners through the ALEP professional designation, the A4LE Academy online learning cohorts, the annual LearningSCAPES conference, regional chapter events, and industry awards programs (MacConnell, Project, Industry Partner, SchoolsNEXT). The organization also publishes the Learning By Design digital magazine and Better Learning Podcast, and provides planning resources such as the School Safety Resources portal, Disaster Recovery Guide, and ALEP Directory for architects, engineers, school administrators, facility managers, and consultants in educational facility planning and design.

Product overview

A4LE (Association for Learning Environments) is a professional association, not a product company. It offers a unified portfolio of membership services including professional certifications (ALEP® designation, A4LE Academy programs), annual conferences (LearningSCAPES), awards programs (MacConnell Award, Project Awards, Industry Partner Award, SchoolsNEXT competition), publications (Learning By Design digital magazine, Better Learning Podcast), planning resources (School Safety Resources, Disaster Recovery Guide), and networking through regional chapters and the ALEP Directory. The core offering is professional development and community for educational facility planners.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• A4LE Membership Annual membership for educational facility planning professionals providing access to directories, forums, content resources, professional development, regional chapters, networking opportunities, and tiered benefits.
• ALEP® (Accredited Learning Environment Planner) The highest professional designation for educational facility planners, part of A4LE Academy's industry education program. Recognized as the most prestigious credential in the field.
• A4LE Academy Industry expert-led online education program offering the ALEP designation pathway and Advanced Certificate Cohorts for professional growth of educational facility planners.
• LearningSCAPES Annual Conference The premier annual conference for educational facility planners, with registration, sessions, exhibits, and sponsorship opportunities.
• MacConnell Award The most prestigious award of the Association, recognizing the most distinctive project in educational facility planning and design.
• Project Awards Awards program that recognizes projects that positively impact learning in a community.
• Industry Partner Award Award honoring companies whose products enhance educational environments and outcomes.
• SchoolsNEXT Design Competition A design competition where young designers are challenged to plan for the next generation of learning environments, including mentorship programs.
• Learning By Design Digital Magazine A digital magazine providing resources and insights on learning environment design and planning for association members and the broader industry.
• Better Learning Podcast A podcast series providing content on learning environments and educational facility planning topics for industry professionals.
• School Safety Resources Planning tools and guidelines portal for school safety provided as part of the association's resource center.
• Disaster Recovery Guide A guide to help educational facilities plan for and recover from disasters, distributed through the association's resource center.
• ALEP Directory A directory of professionals who have earned the ALEP designation, allowing verification of certified educational facility planners.
• Annual Partnership Program Tiered annual corporate sponsorship program (Diamond, Ruby, Emerald) for industry partners providing visibility, event participation, and exhibitor opportunities with A4LE.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered diamond, ruby, emerald and core.

• AmTabdiamondGTM or Marketing PartnerDiamond-level annual partner and sponsor of A4LE. AmTab is an industry partner whose products support educational environments. The partnership provides sponsorship visibility and participation in association events.
• ArtcobelldiamondGTM or Marketing PartnerDiamond-level annual partner and sponsor of A4LE. Artcobell provides educational furniture and environment solutions. The partnership includes sponsorship benefits and event participation.
• ExtrondiamondGTM or Marketing PartnerDiamond-level annual partner and sponsor of A4LE. Extron provides audio visual integration solutions for educational environments. Partnership includes sponsorship and exhibitor opportunities.
• Meteor EducationrubyGTM or Marketing PartnerRuby-level annual partner of A4LE. Meteor Education provides educational environment solutions and technologies.
• Smith SystemrubyGTM or Marketing PartnerRuby-level annual partner of A4LE. Smith System manufactures educational furniture designed for active learning environments.
• TarkettrubyGTM or Marketing PartnerRuby-level annual partner of A4LE. Tarkett provides flooring and surface solutions for educational facilities.
• VircorubyGTM or Marketing PartnerRuby-level annual partner of A4LE. Virco manufactures furniture for educational environments.
• VS AmericarubyGTM or Marketing PartnerRuby-level annual partner of A4LE. VS America provides ergonomic and educational furniture solutions.
• E&I Cooperative ServicesemeraldGTM or Marketing PartnerEmerald-level annual partner of A4LE. E&I Cooperative Services provides cooperative purchasing solutions for educational institutions.
• MohawkemeraldGTM or Marketing PartnerEmerald-level annual partner of A4LE. Mohawk provides commercial flooring solutions for educational environments.
• nookemeraldGTM or Marketing PartnerEmerald-level annual partner of A4LE. Nook provides furniture and Pod solutions for learning environments.
• Shaw ContractemeraldGTM or Marketing PartnerEmerald-level annual partner of A4LE. Shaw Contract provides commercial flooring and carpeting solutions for educational spaces.
• Institute for Credentialing ExcellencecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganizational membership affiliation with the Institute for Credentialing Excellence (I.C.E.). This membership reflects A4LE's commitment to professional standards, credentialing best practices, and ongoing excellence. The association's ALEP designation is supported by I.C.E. credentialing standards.
• Australasia RegioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerA4LE maintains a regional partnership with Learning Environments Australasia, extending the association's reach to the Australasia region with dedicated regional chapters and professional communities.
• EDmarketcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerA4LE announced a merger with EDmarket, combining two organizations focused on educational environment planning and design to strengthen the industry ecosystem.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• AASA (American Association of School Administrators): National professional association for school superintendents and administrators, overlapping with A4LE's school district decision-maker audience and operating a comparable annual conference, awards, and professional development model.
• APPA (Association of Physical Plant Administrators): Professional association serving educational facilities professionals in higher education, with overlapping membership base (facility planners, plant managers, directors) and similar credentialing and conference programming. Most directly comparable peer in the educational facilities space.
• ASBO International (Association of School Business Officials International): Professional association for K-12 school business officials with a similar membership/conference/sponsorship model and overlapping audience of district decision-makers responsible for facility planning decisions.
• NBOA (National Business Officers Association): Professional association for independent school business officers, with a similar membership, conference, and professional development model serving school-level decision-makers involved in facility and capital planning.

Others

• EDmarket: Industry association for educational facilities dealers and manufacturers that recently merged with A4LE. Highly comparable in audience and supplier-side mission; now part of the combined organization but historically a parallel peer.
• ASAE (American Society of Association Executives): Industry body for association management professionals; comparable as a peer in association operating model, governance, and best practices rather than as a competitor in the educational facility planning domain.

Broad incumbents

• IFMA (International Facility Management Association): Largest global professional association for facility managers across all industries, including education. Overlaps with A4LE on facility planning competencies and certification (CFM), but operates at much broader scope rather than education-specific.
• AIA (American Institute of Architects): Primary professional association for U.S. architects, many of whom serve A4LE's planning audience for K-12 and higher-ed projects. AIA offers overlapping continuing education, awards, and practice resources at significantly broader scale.

Emerging players

• CoreNet Global: Professional association for corporate real estate and workplace professionals with overlapping facility planning and design competencies. Comparable in association operating model but addresses corporate rather than educational environments.

Regional players

• Learning Environments Australasia: Regional chapter and partner organization serving the Australasia learning environments community, formally aligned with A4LE via regional partnership. Comparable in scope to A4LE's regional chapters but operates primarily in Australia and New Zealand.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/a4le
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/council-of-educational-facility-planners-international-the

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 COUNCIL OF EDUCATIONAL FACILITY PLANNERS INTERNATIONAL, THE